13 Ways To Make Your Website More Accessible

Make your website accessible for individuals with disabilities makes sense for any company. Integrating web accessibility solutions on your website is the correct thing to do today. Why? 

Around 25% of adults in the U.S. live with a disability, according to a recent report. Though, too many sites still lack accessibility features. That means loads of users are struggling to use the digital space. 

Web Accessibility

Web accessibility is about developing and designing technologies, tools, and websites that individuals with disabilities can use, as per W3C (World Wide Web Consortium). The web should be accessible to people with disabilities so they can interact with it, use it to communicate, comprehend it, and contribute to it. Website accessibility service applies to all disabilities that mark access to the web, including:

• Auditory.
• Cognitive.
• Neurological.
• Physical.
• Speech.
• Visual. 

Now we will look at some ways in which you can make your website more accessible to every individual. 

13 ways to Make Your Website More Accessible 

• Use high-contrast color combinations.

This is commonly talking about value rather than hue. The W3C needs a contrast ratio between the background and text of 1 to 4.5, which can be tested with WebAIM’s contrast checker.

According to the WHO, vision impairment and blindness affect at least 2.2 billion people worldwide, which is a great way to make your website accessible. 

• Avoid clashing color combinations.

Keeping a high hue contrast can be just as significant as value contrast. Combinations like orange + green, purple + blue, or red + green can be hard to differentiate between individuals with color blindness or those with uncalibrated mobile screens or computers. 

• Use more than just color to indicate vital information.

Try using diverse text labels, icons, or patterns to coincide with color changes. More consumers can select an appropriate option by adding color changes alongside icons. 

• Simplify your text.

In this digital age of 280-character memos, 5-second videos, and fast-scrolling thumbs, it’s easy to see why streamlining your text is vital for inclusivity.

For those who read English as a second language, have attention deficit disorders, visual impairments, dyslexia, and everyone else, simplified writing appears to be more readable, professional, and approachable.

• Make body text at least 18 pixels wide.

Majorly, individuals don’t read articles and websites word-for-word; they examine and often abandon the page in the middle. By setting greater body text, you’re increasing the usability and readability, making it easier for your audience to comprehend and read the content. 

• Accentuate small text with letter spacing, weight, and uppercase. 

If you HAVE to use small text, like in navigation, make it simple for your audience to read. This means offering website accessibility solutions to your audience. 

• Use a line height of at least 1.5 (150%).

W3C claims using a line height of at least 1.5 (150%) and has a strong reason for it. 

The space between the lines makes it simple to guide the viewer’s eye to the next line, plus it looks professional and much cleaner. A simple adjustment like this can mean a world of alteration to your audience, so always ensure you’re designing with website accessibility solutions in mind.

• Shorten your text line lengths.

Particularly between 30-40 characters on mobile and 50-60 on desktop. 

We’ve discussed line height and font size, so now it’s time to discuss line length. You don’t want your audience to move their head from side to side. 

• Use clear visual order.

Using separate styles for body text, subheadings, and headings makes it simple for your audience to comprehend and find text content.

It’s also vital to use a suitable HTML tag for each section, as screen readers use these to read linearly.

• Make links look like links.

Confirm your link style looks diverse from the surrounding text. This will make it simple for consumers with visual impairments, as well as users that are skimming or scanning. If it’s too parallel, it likely won’t be clicked on.

You can add an underline, change the type weight, increase the color contrast, or combine these elements to link stand out.

• Keep button text short.

You can ensure your site is clutter-free and readable by keeping clear call-to-action. This is vital for those trying to scan for significant information and using screen readers. 

• Don’t make people hang for content.

When content is concealed until the pointer hovers, it can be hard for those who use smaller screens, zoom magnification, or screen readers – it’s not at all possible on touch-screen devices. 

In its place, content should be obvious and static with an appropriate hierarchy. In this case, Wikipedia could find a great way to display additional information or do away with the overall feature to be complete across all audiences.

• Optimize keyboard navigation.

Confirm focus states are obvious, your navigation isn’t too lengthy, and interactive elements follow a logical order. 

It’s simple to test it yourself – try to route your website without a mouse and note any difficulties you find.

Wrapping up 

Offering website accessibility solutions is not only the morally right thing to do, but it also makes great business sense. Hopefully, these tips will help you make your website accessible to everybody, including individuals with a disability.