Accessibility in Web Design: Best Practices for 2024

Every user expects and also deserves a seamless and enjoyable online experience. This includes people with disabilities who may use assistive technologies like screen readers or voice control. Here’s where accessibility in web design holds the importance – it’s about creating websites that are usable by everyone, regardless of their abilities.

Why Accessibility Matters in 2024 and beyond

Think of accessibility as not just the right thing to do, but also a smart business decision. Here’s why:

• Wider Audience: A well-designed, accessible website reaches a larger audience, including those with disabilities – a significant portion of the US population.
• Improved SEO: Search engines favor websites that are accessible, giving your site a potential ranking boost.
• Enhanced Brand Reputation: Demonstrating inclusivity with an accessible website reflects positively on your brand.
• Reduced Legal Risk: Accessibility standards are increasingly being incorporated into legal frameworks.

Top Accessibility Best Practices for 2024

Now, let’s discover the best practices to make your website more accessible:

• Visual Design:

• Color Contrast: Ensure enough contrast between text and background colors for easy readability, especially for users with visual impairments. 
• Clear and Scalable Fonts: Choose clear, readable fonts that can be enlarged without losing quality for users with low vision.
• Meaningful Alt Text: Provide descriptive text for images (alt text) so screen readers can convey the image’s content to users.

• Keyboard Navigation:

• Focus Order: Make sure keyboard users can navigate the website logically, focusing on interactive elements like buttons and links in a clear order.
• Keyboard Shortcuts: Consider offering keyboard shortcuts for common actions, allowing users to navigate quickly without a mouse.

• Content Clarity:

• Simple Language: Write content on the website in clear, concise language, avoiding jargon. This benefits everyone, not just users with cognitive disabilities.
• Structure and Headings: Use clear headings and subheadings to structure your content, making it easier for users with screen readers to understand the webpage hierarchy.

• Additional Considerations:

• Captions and Transcripts: Provide captions for videos and transcripts for audio content, ensuring everyone can access the information.
• Mobile Responsiveness: A website that adapts seamlessly across different devices (desktops, tablets, phones) is crucial for accessibility.
• ARIA Attributes: Use ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) attributes to provide additional information to assistive technologies, such as the role of an element or its state.
• Avoid Flash and Other Obsolete Technologies: These technologies can be inaccessible to users with disabilities. Use modern, accessible alternatives.
• Regular Testing: Test your website with assistive technologies and involve users with disabilities in the testing process to identify and address accessibility issues.
• Accessibility Statements: Consider publishing an accessibility statement on your website, outlining your commitment to accessibility and providing contact information for users to report any issues.
• Accessible Forms: Ensure that forms are accessible to users with disabilities, including providing clear labels for input fields and allowing users to navigate forms using keyboard shortcuts.
• Accessible Links: Use descriptive link text that accurately conveys the destination of the link, making it easier for users with screen readers to understand the content.
• Avoid Excessive Animations and Effects: Excessive animations and effects can be distracting and interfere with user experience, especially for users with visual impairments or cognitive disabilities.
• Prioritize Accessibility in Design and Development: Incorporate accessibility into your website’s design and development process from the beginning, rather than trying to retrofit accessibility later.
• Stay Updated on Accessibility Standards: Accessibility standards and guidelines are constantly evolving. Stay informed about the latest best practices and ensure your website complies with them.

Building an Accessible Website from the Start

The most efficient approach to creating an accessible website is to integrate accessibility into your design and development process from the very beginning. This approach not only saves time and resources but also ensures that accessibility is deeply rooted in the foundation of your website. By considering accessibility from the outset, you can avoid the costly and time-consuming process of retrofitting accessibility later.

When accessibility is prioritized from the start, it becomes an integral part of the development workflow, leading to a more cohesive and inclusive website. Design decisions can be made with accessibility in mind, ensuring that all elements of the website are accessible to users with disabilities. Additionally, developers can write code that is clean, semantic, and adheres to accessibility standards, making it easier for assistive technologies to interpret and understand the content.

By building accessibility into your website’s foundation, you are not only demonstrating your commitment to inclusivity but also improving the overall user experience for everyone. An accessible website is easier to navigate, more intuitive to use, and more likely to be shared and recommended. It is a website that truly welcomes and accommodates all users, regardless of their abilities.

Getting Started with Accessibility

Creating an accessible website can seem daunting, but with the right resources and guidance, it can be a rewarding experience. Here are some valuable resources to help you get started:

• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG): Developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), WCAG provides a comprehensive set of guidelines for web accessibility. These guidelines are widely recognized and adopted by organizations worldwide. By following WCAG, you can ensure that your website meets the highest standards of accessibility.
• Quick Accessibility Improvements tool: There are many web accessibility tools available, one such is All in One Accessibility by Skynet Technologies. It helps to improve accessibility in your website.
• Accessibility Communities and Forums: Connect with other web developers and designers who are passionate about accessibility. Online communities and forums can provide valuable insights, support, and resources.
• Accessibility Experts: Consider consulting with accessibility experts such as Skynet Technologies who can provide guidance and advice on making your website accessible. They can also help you conduct thorough accessibility testing and full managed website accessibility remediation.

By utilizing these resources, you can gain the knowledge and skills needed to create accessible websites that are inclusive and user-friendly for everyone.

In Conclusion

By following these best practices and utilizing available resources, you can create a website that is inclusive and accessible to everyone. This not only benefits users with disabilities, but also enhances user experience for everyone, ultimately leading to a more successful website.

Written By

Rajesh Bhimani is the founder of Skynet Technologies, where he leads the charge in delivering innovative website Accessibility solutions tailored to meet the needs of any size of businesses from past 22 years When he isn’t working, you can find him cooking for his family or reading some fiction.