If someone cannot read your text, use your menu or finish your enquiry form, your website is putting a barrier between them and your business. Accessibility belongs in the design from the start.
Make the essentials clear
Use descriptive headings in a logical order. Write link labels that explain the destination. Keep instructions close to the task. For informative images, provide useful alternative text; decorative images can use empty alt text. Avoid hiding essential information inside an image.
Check more than colour
Use sufficient contrast, readable type and layouts that work when text is enlarged. Do not use colour alone to communicate an error or status. Buttons need clear labels and enough space to select comfortably.
Try the whole journey with a keyboard
Can you open and close the menu, follow links, complete a form and submit it without a mouse? The focused control should be visible, and you should be able to leave every component. Test cookie notices, booking tools and checkout screens too.
Make forms and media usable
Give fields persistent labels and explain errors in text. Caption spoken video and provide equivalent information for audio. Let visitors control playback and movement.
Test, fix and test again
Use W3C’s WCAG 2.2 reference as a technical starting point, then combine automated checks with manual testing and feedback from people with disabilities. An automated score or accessibility widget cannot establish that the whole site is accessible.
Your legal obligations depend on your location, organization and services. Check the rules that apply to you rather than assuming one checklist covers every requirement.
Your next move: Test the route from your homepage to a successful enquiry. Fix the first barrier, assign an owner, and include accessibility in every future content update.
About the Author
Tina Kempling, the Lean Green Team Leader at Imagine That with over 35 years of experience in the print industry, newspaper and magazine advertising.
As an industry-certified designer since 1991, Tina knows her stuff when it comes to marketing vision. But what sets her apart is her understanding of advertising and marketing in today’s digital and print market. She can help companies tap into the incredible marketing power in new and creative ways. Ready to take your marketing game to the next level? Give Tina a shout!