Creating accessible websites is not just a good idea; it’s the law. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, federal agencies and departments must make their websites accessible to people with disabilities, according to accessiBe. It doesn’t matter if you’re an individual or a business; these laws apply to everyone.
This article will give you some tips on how to abide by these regulations and what information you need to do so.
Use descriptive links for your site’s navigation.
This is helpful because it lets people know what section of the website they are currently on and exactly where they will go when they click on a link or button. For example, you would not want to name the link ‘Products’ if your products category includes books, music, clothes, and more. To make your links more descriptive, include ‘clothes,’ ‘books,’ or ‘music.’
Make sure that form fields are always labeled.
Most people without disabilities use the Tab button to navigate between form fields, but not everyone can use it. So this is where you would put in a label for each field so that users with screen readers are able to navigate.
Ensure that captions are always provided for your media content.
Images, videos, and other visual elements with sound need to have captions, so they are accessible for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Captions can also help anyone understand your video better and improve its SEO value.
Provide transcripts for audio and video content.
Just like with captions, people who are deaf or hard of hearing may not be able to watch your videos or listen to your podcasts. Providing transcripts gives them the same text as is spoken by those on camera so they can read along as though they were watching it themselves. It also makes your videos accessible for search engines.
Minimize the amount of flashing or blinking on your site.
This is important because it can hurt people who are prone to seizures, migraines, and other conditions that make them sensitive to flashing lights. To reduce potential harm (and legal liability), you should avoid all kinds of flashing or blinking content as much as you can. If you must include something with flashing or blinking, be sure to provide a warning at the top of your page, so people know it is there before they have a seizure or migraine because of it.
Final thoughts
You may have heard the term “accessibility” before, but now you know what it means. The accessibility requirements are not just for people with disabilities; they apply to everyone. If you want your website or blog content to be accessible by all types of users, make sure that everything is labeled correctly and doesn’t contain any flashing colors or shapes. We hope this article has helped illuminate some things about how best to meet accessibility standards in order to reach a larger audience. By doing so, you will be complying with the law and also opening your site up to more users and visitors.