Why You Should Hire a Web Development Company
Benefits of prioritizing a web development company to aid your business - particularly startups searching for tangible market shareholdings.
Share:
Best Practices
A Comprehensive Guide to Building Inclusive Websites and Apps
Over the years, it has become more apparent that there is a need for the concept of design to transcend traditional boundaries. This can be attributed to the fact that we have gradually begun to recognize the uniqueness of every individual. In this digital age, implementing accessible web designs is a valuable way to meet the needs of users of all ability levels. Below, we shed light on principles of web accessibility and inclusive design, and other critical subjects like how to implement ARIA, how to test website accessibility, how to make websites accessible, making mobile apps accessible for users with disabilities, how to make multimedia content accessible online, and other aspects of accessible apps.
What is Web Accessibility?
In software development, web accessibility ensures that all users, regardless of their disabilities or abilities, can access and use your website or application. This usually includes various users, such as those with hearing or visual impairments and motor disabilities.
In order to foster web accessibility, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) was established to help guide developers develop accessible apps. According to these guidelines, it states that any information presented digitally should be:
- Robust
- Perceivable
- Understandable
- Operable
Designing For Everyone: Accessible UX/UI Principles
Designing for everyone or creating an accessible web design involves building a website that various users can access. Below are tips on how to make websites accessible and techniques to enhance inclusive designs.
Fundamental Principles Of Accessible Design
Ensuring Usability and Reliability
Always adopt a high contrast between text and background for easy reading. Font sizes are also very important. They should be large enough to read and allow zooming without breaking the layout. Other key features include easy navigation, which should be usable by the keyboard.
The Role of Semantic HTML
Don't forget the value of semantic HTML and how it improves accessibility by providing a clear structure for screen readers. For instance, elements like <header> can help enhance navigation for users with visual impairments.
Using ARIA to Enhance Accessibility
ARIA, which refers to "Accessible Rich Internet Applications", can help enhance the understanding, navigation, perception, and interaction of web content for users who rely on assistive technologies without compromising other aspects. Examples of how to implement ARIA include:
- Understand ARIA roles, states, and properties.
- Use ARIA where native HTML elements are insufficient.
- Use HTML elements whenever possible.
- All interactive ARIA controls must be accessible via keyboard.
- All interactive elements must have an accessible name.
Building Accessible Mobile Apps
When making mobile apps accessible for users with disabilities, developers have to implement special considerations to ensure such apps are usable by everyone. Here are considerations to note:
Special Considerations for Mobile Accessibility
Vital considerations for mobile accessibility include:
- Touch targets
- Gesture Navigation
- Screen Reader Compatibility
For example, designing large, well-spaced touch targets helps users with motor impairments. You can also build screen reader-friendly apps by structuring content with logical headings and clear labels. In addition, it is essential to ensure compatibility with screen readers like VoiceOver and TalkBack.
Techniques for Optimizing Voice Command Functionality
Ensure the optimization of voice command functionality. This enables users with physical or motor impairments to control apps through voice assistants such as Google Assistant or Siri. Some examples of critical ways to ensure the optimization of voice command functionality include:
- Full accessibility through voice commands. All app actions should have this feature, with clear, descriptive labels for buttons and menus.
- Provide real-time feedback. This includes visual cues or alternative suggestions when commands are not well understood.
- Perform regular testing with voice assistants. This helps developers know if there is a need to adjust app elements and labels for better recognition and accuracy.
Tools and Testing Strategies for Mobile App Accessibility
In order to build inclusive websites and apps, testing for accessibility is important. There are different strategies to carry out testing, which could include a mix of manual and automated methods.
For example, automated tools are helpful in detecting problems like improper touch targets, missing labels, and low colour contrast. These include:
There are also manual testing tools with screen readers. These tools help evaluate how well users with visual impairments can navigate the app. Examples include:
- VoiceOver for iOS
- TalkBack for Android
Tips For Making Multimedia Accessible
Implementing an inclusive design in website and app development also spans the accessibility of video and audio content. This can be done through captions, transcripts, and audio descriptions, especially for those with hearing or visual impairments. Generally, concerns for accessible multimedia are not only about meeting legal requirements but also helps boost engagement because the content can reach a broader audience; this includes non-native speakers, people in noisy environments, and people who prefer reading to listening or watching. Below are examples of how to make multimedia content accessible online, siting tools and best practices for achieving accessible web design.
Always Provide text alternatives for all non-text content.
Text alternatives are the very first guideline in the WCAG framework Success Criterion. Text alternatives for most non-text content are essential to an accessible app.
Avoid using loud background sounds and music.
Music and background noise that is too loud might be uncomfortable for people with hearing disabilities. The audio may also make it challenging to recognize speech.
Make Accessibility a Priority in Multimedia Content Planning
Trying to solve accessibility issues is a time-consuming and expensive task; this is why it is advisable to prioritize people with disabilities from the get-go to avoid unnecessary work.
Accessible Forms: Ensuring Inclusivity in User Inputs
Accessible forms are built to be used by everyone, including people with disabilities. These are some of the issues associated with form accessibility and best practices for designing accessible forms.
Top Issues with Form Accessibility
- Missing Labels: Forms with missing labels can be challenging for screen readers to interpret.
- Inadequate colour contrast: This problem makes it difficult for people with low vision to read the content.
- Inaccurate or missing text alternatives for images: Images on a website that don't have an image alt text tag will be a problem for people who need to rely on alt text to understand visual content that they cannot see.
Best Practices for Designing Accessible Forms
- For error messages, provide precise, clear error messages outlining what went wrong and how to fix it.
- Tab Order: Check that the tab order makes sense and corresponds to the form's visual order.
- ARIA Labels: When explaining captcha challenges to screen readers, use ARIA labels.
- Provide visible labels for form fields. Ensure you use the <label> element and associate it with the form control using the for attribute.
Testing For Accessibility: Tools And Techniques
How can you assess the accessibility of the content that you are creating? In order to determine if your content is inclusive and accessible to all users, there are easy methods to use: automated and manual tools. Below, we explore more information on how to test website accessibility.
1
Examples Of Popular Accessibility Testing Tools
Axe
Axe, which was developed by Deque Systems for Chrome, is used to analyze a website for accessibility defects. This can be done in a few moments from a Chrome browser.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse is designed to audit a web page's accessibility and create a report. It is used to determine whether a page is well-marked for screen readers.
NVDA
NVDA is a globally accessible screen reader for the blind and vision impaired.
VoiceOver
VoiceOver is a screen reader built into Mac devices that reads aloud page content and relevant semantic info (such as headings, lists, and links).
2
Integrating Accessibility Testing into Development Workflow
- Establish a strategic approach to accessibility test management.
- Enhance risk management through early detection of potential accessibility issues.
- Set up regular reviews as part of your quality assurance process.
- Ensure to keep pace with evolving standards.
Takeaways
Our guide to fostering web accessibility can help developers build websites that are accessible to all users. These best practices enhance the accessibility of websites and also contribute to a more inclusive online environment for people with disabilities.
YouDigital's team of software developers are experts at applying best practices to ensure that all users, including those who use mobility aids, experience seamless and effective interactions with our websites. Get in touch with our team to learn how we can help you achieve web accessibility.
Share article
Check other articles
Why Product Validation is Important for Your Business
Risk is undoubtedly a crucial part of any business. You might need to undertake some risks to get ahead of the competition. Most companies have an
Why Companies Prefer to Develop Software in Poland than in other Eastern European countries
As businesses seek to expand their operations, the need to scale software development, develop software in Poland and cut costs will become even more prominent.