Web for everyone: Introduction to Web Accessibility Guidelines

Definition of Web Accessibility

Web Accessibility is what allows us to access the web. No, I am not talking about any sort of firewalls, networks, or IP addresses that help us get to the website we want. I am talking about the basic idea of accessibility. It is more of a fundamental right for the users of the web i.e. to access the web.
The various images, links, animations, videos, or anything else we see embedded on to the HTML comes under Web Accessibility.

Importance of Web Accessibility

Web Accessibility is a topic that is not much talked about in most of the courses they teach about in Web development. However, you must be a passionate developer if you've come across this article.
You see, the taste of development is best perceived when everyone in your user audience gets to taste it too. This is what Web Accessibility Guidelines are for to engage a wider group of user audiences.

Overview of Web Accessibility Guidelines

Web Accessibility Guidelines are a set of rules that ensure people with disabilities are able to use web applications. These guidelines are designed to make digital content accessible to a wider audience that includes users with visual, auditory, motor, cognitive, or other disabilities. The primary set of guidelines used globally is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).

Common Barriers to Web Accessibility

There are many barriers to Web Accessibility that cause trouble for users with disabilities:

1. Visual

   Visual Barriers are barriers that make it challenging for the user to address certain content on the webpage like:

   Missing Alt Text: Images without alternative text (alt text) make it challenging for screen readers to convey their content to visually impaired users.

   Poor Color Contrast: Insufficient contrast between text and background colors can make it difficult for users with low vision to read content.

   Inaccessible Forms: Forms without proper labels or instructions can be confusing for users relying on screen readers or keyboard navigation.

2. Auditory

   Auditory barriers challenge users with auditory disabilities to experience the audio/video content on the webpage. Examples include,

   Lack of Captions/Transcripts: Videos or audio content without captions or transcripts are inaccessible to users who are deaf or hard of hearing.

   Auto-Playing Media: Automatically playing media without user control can be disruptive and inaccessible for users who rely on screen readers or who have cognitive disabilities.

3. Motor

   Users who are handicapped can have a lot of problems while navigating the website if the website design is not at par.

   Unresponsive Design: Websites that are not optimized for keyboard navigation can be difficult for users who cannot use a mouse.

   Small Click Targets: Links, buttons, or interactive elements that have small or tightly spaced clickable areas can be challenging for users with motor impairments to interact with accurately.

4. Cognitive

   Users with Cognitive Disability have trouble learning about certain things. Some things about the Website that they might find problematic would be:
   Complex Navigation: Complicated navigation structures or unclear instructions can be confusing for users with cognitive disabilities.

   Unpredictable Layouts: Websites with inconsistent layouts or changes in design can be disorienting for users who rely on consistent structures.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

WCAG is organized into four principles, each with specific guidelines and success criteria:

1. Perceivable: Information and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive. This includes providing text alternatives for non-text content like images, videos, or audio, ensuring content is adaptable and can be presented in different ways without losing meaning or structure and making it easier for users to see and hear content.

2. Operable: User interface components and navigation must be operable. This involves making all functionality available from a keyboard, providing users with enough time to read and use content, avoiding content that causes seizures or physical reactions, and designing navigation that's easy to understand and use.

3. Understandable: Information and the operation of the user interface must be understandable. This includes using clear and simple language, providing predictable behavior and navigation, helping users avoid and correct mistakes, and making content appear and operate in predictable ways.

4. Robust: Content must be robust enough that it can be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies. This involves using valid code, providing fallbacks for content that might not be supported by all user agents, ensuring compatibility with different technologies and platforms, and avoiding coding practices that could interfere with accessibility.

WCAG Levels (A, AA, AAA)

WCAG is structured into three levels of conformance: A, AA, and AAA. Level A is the minimum level of accessibility, while AA is the standard level recommended for most web content to be considered accessible. AAA is the highest level of accessibility, including additional guidelines that further enhance accessibility but may not be feasible for all content.

Implementing Web Accessibility

Having known about the importance of Web Accessibility and how to be inclusive, you must want to implement the best practices of Web Accessibility into your website.

You should,

1. Design with Accessibility in Mind

   • Use clear and simple layouts.

   • Ensure sufficient color contrast for text and background elements.

   • Provide resizable text and scalable layouts.

   • Design for keyboard navigation and avoid relying solely on mouse interactions.

   • Use semantic HTML for proper document structure.

2. Implement Semantic HTML

   • Use appropriate HTML elements (e.g., headings, lists, buttons) to convey document structure and functionality.

   • Provide labels and instructions for form elements using <label> elements.

3. Provide alternative text for Images

   • Use the alt attribute in <img> elements to describe the content and purpose of images.

   • Use meaningful and descriptive alt text that conveys the information conveyed by the image.

4. Make Multimedia Accessible

   • Provide captions, transcripts, or audio descriptions for multimedia content (e.g., videos, audio files).

   • Ensure that multimedia controls are accessible via keyboard navigation.

5. Create Accessible Forms

   • Use semantic markup for form elements (<form>, <input>, <label>, etc.).

   • Provide clear and descriptive labels for form fields.

6. Keyboard Accessibility

   • Test your website using keyboard navigation only to ensure all interactive elements are accessible. ( This can be tested using the Tab key)

   • Ensure that focus indicators are visible and properly styled for keyboard users.

Lastly, use screen readers like NVDA and VoiceOver to test the accessibility of your website.

Conclusion

Ultimately, prioritizing web accessibility not only helps individuals with disabilities but also improves the overall usability and user experience for all users. It fosters a more inclusive online environment where everyone can access information, engage with content, and participate in digital activities regardless of their abilities or disabilities. As we continue to advance in technology, let's also advance in our commitment to making the web accessible to everyone, leaving no one behind.