People with disabilities have a variety of barriers to overcome. That is why they get access to handicap parking, and that is why buildings are required to be accessible to people with disabilities. There are also rules and regulations that websites must follow. If you have a website, you should make sure it is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. That way, you mitigate legal risk associated with inaccessible websites. What are a few examples of website aspects you need to address if you want to ensure your website is accessible to people with disabilities?
Make the Visuals Easier To Interpret
One of the most common digital barriers on websites are complicated visuals. Individuals who live with disabilities often find that pages that are crowded with a lot of content are difficult to navigate. You should take a closer look at the visuals on your website, and make sure they are relatively easy for people to interpret. You might even want to use the accessiBe plugin to help you.
Offer Alternatives To Traditional Audio and Video Content
You may want to offer alternatives to video and audio content on your website. If you want to run a strong search engine optimization campaign, you probably understand the importance of incorporating images, videos, and audio files. At the same time, you may want to provide alternative content that is easier for people with a disability to interpret. For example, consider providing a transcript of any audio content that you have on your website.
If you have videos that play on your website, make sure you have captains available. You might even want to offer sign language interpretation for some of your visitors. Take a closer look at accessiBe reviews if you are looking for a tool that can help you ensure your website is accessible to people with disabilities.
Avoid Content That Might Trigger Physical Reactions
Epilepsy is also a disability. People who have been diagnosed with epilepsy are prone to developing seizures. Seizures can be devastating, so you should try to avoid content on your website that could trigger a physical reaction. For example, try to make sure elements on the page do not flash more than three times per second. Otherwise, someone with epilepsy, or another adverse medical condition, could have a reaction to it.
Test the Forms on Your Website
Finally, you should also test all of the forms on your website before you decide to move forward with the content. There are a lot of websites that use forms to collect information from users. There is nothing wrong with having forms on your website, but you need to test them before you launch them. For example, make sure a screen reader can interpret the content accurately. Make sure the form provides the user with enough time to fill in all of the information. These straightforward steps can go a long way toward making sure your website is accessible to people with disabilities.
Ensure Your Website Is Accessible To People With Disabilities
Ultimately, there are a lot of important points you need to keep in mind if you want to ensure your website functions properly for people with disabilities. People live with disabilities every day, and they have plenty of challenges to overcome. If you take a few extra minutes to make sure your website is accessible to people with disabilities, you will have an easier time expanding your online presence while also reducing litigation risk. Consider reaching out to an expert who can conduct a full evaluation of your website and make sure it is accessible to people with disabilities.