Making Your Digital Platforms Accessible for All
For many of us, browsing websites, downloading apps, or interacting on social media platforms feels second nature. But have you ever considered how your digital experience might be entirely different if you had a visual or auditory impairment, a motor disability, or even a temporary injury like a broken arm?
The reality is, that a significant portion of the population encounters barriers when trying to access the same digital content many take for granted. As we continue to migrate services, opportunities, and communications online, it becomes paramount to ensure that everyone can access and benefit from digital platforms.
In this article, we'll delve deep into the importance of digital accessibility and the practical steps that you can take to implement it. Whether you're a developer, a business owner, or just a curious reader, join us as we explore how to create a more inclusive digital world for all.
What is Digital Accessibility?
Digital accessibility refers to the design and development of digital platforms like websites, apps, and electronic documents so that they can be effectively accessed, understood, and used by all users, including those with disabilities. It aims to create equitable digital experiences for people with diverse abilities and circumstances.
Who Benefits from Digital Accessibility?
While people with disabilities are the primary focus, digital accessibility still improves the experience for a wider demographic:
- People with Disabilities: Features developed for accessibility help those with permanent disabilities like blindness, deafness or cognitive impairments fully engage with digital content.
- Older Adults: Age-related declines in vision, hearing, and motor skills can make interacting with digital content difficult. Accessibility features enhance the online experience for seniors.
- Temporary Impairments: Individuals recovering from an injury or surgery can benefit from accessible designs when browsing with one hand for example, or after eye surgery.
- Diverse Situations: Accessible elements like captions can also make digital content usable in diverse situations, for example, watching a video without sound in a noisy environment.
In essence, digital accessibility improves the usability and enjoyment of digital platforms for everyone. It's about ensuring an equitable, seamless experience for all users regardless of their abilities or circumstances.
How to Make a Platform Digitally Accessible
There are several ways to make a digital platform more accessible for users, check some of them out below:
- Screen Readers: Test your platform with screen readers like JAWS, NVDA, and VoiceOver to ensure content is accessible to visually impaired users.
- Voice Commands: Ensure functionalities are compatible with voice command software.
- Keyboard Navigation: All functions should be usable via a keyboard without requiring a mouse.
- Responsive Design: Ensure that the website or app is fully functional on all device sizes, including mobile phones and tablets.
- Semantic HTML: Use proper HTML tags for content. For instance, use <h1>, <h2>, etc., for headings to ensure screen readers understand the content hierarchy.
- Avoid Automatic Media and Navigation: Do not design content that moves, blinks, scrolls, or auto-updates unless users can pause, stop, or hide it.
- Add Alt Text Descriptions for Images: Provide textual descriptions for images so visually impaired users can understand the content through screen readers.
- Caption Videos and Audio: Include captions and transcripts so users who are deaf or hard of hearing can access video and audio content.
- Make Sure Content is Readable: Format content clearly and make sure text colours contrast well with backgrounds so content is readable by those with visual impairments.
- Adjustable Text Size: Allow users to increase or decrease text size based on their preferences.
- Ensure Third-party Components are Accessible: If you're integrating third-party components or plugins, ensure they meet accessibility standards.
- Create an Accessibility Statement: Publish an accessibility statement on your platform detailing your commitment to accessibility, the measures you've taken, and how users can provide feedback or get assistance.
Making accessibility a priority from the start of design and development is key to creating an inclusive digital experience. With some forethought and conscious planning, you can make your digital platform accessible to all.
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
The WCAG is a set of guidelines created by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). It was originally published in 1999 and has since undergone revisions to accommodate advancements in technology and web design.
The WCAG is built around four foundational principles to ensure web accessibility, often remembered by the acronym POUR:
Perceivable
Information and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive. This means that users must be able to perceive the information being presented, whether they do it through sight, sound, or touch.
Operable
Users must be able to interact with the interface and navigate the content. This ensures that all users can use the interface, even if they use a keyboard, voice commands, or other assistive technologies.
Understandable
Information and operation of the user interface must be clear. Users should be able to comprehend both the information and the operation of the interface.
Robust
Content must be robust enough to reliably work with a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies. As technologies evolve, the content should remain accessible.
The WCAG guidelines are organised under three levels of conformance to help developers prioritise their accessibility efforts:
- Level A (basic accessibility): The most basic web accessibility features. Non-compliance at this level severely impacts users with disabilities.
- Level AA (best practices): Addresses the most common barriers for disabled users. Organisations are typically encouraged to aim at least for this level.
- Level AAA (advanced accessibility): The highest and most complex level of web accessibility. It's not always possible to achieve this for all types of content, but it's recommended where feasible.
This comprehensive framework ensures that digital platforms have a standard to meet in order to make their platforms more inclusive. By understanding and implementing these guidelines, developers and businesses can ensure that their web content is accessible to all.
Embracing The Disability Discrimination Act
How To Test Accessibility on Digital Platforms?
Implementing digitally accessible tools is just one part of the process, platforms also need to test the accessibility features and ensure that they are functional.
- Automated Testing Tools: Use tools like WAVE, AXE, or Lighthouse to conduct preliminary accessibility checks.
- Manual Testing: Conduct manual tests using a range of devices, browsers, and assistive technologies.
- User Feedback: Allow users to provide feedback about accessibility issues they encounter. This can be invaluable in identifying and addressing potential barriers.
- Continuous Updates: Technology and user needs evolve. Regularly review and update your platform to ensure ongoing accessibility.
By embracing digital accessibility, you're not just ticking off a compliance checklist; you're fostering an inclusive digital ecosystem where everyone has equal access and opportunity when interacting with your platform.