- Add Images with Alt Text
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but visual elements like images are an accessibility barrier to blind users and those with low vision. Alt text is the written copy that appears in place of an image on a webpage if the image fails to load on a user's screen. This text helps screen-reading tools describe images to visually impaired readers.
- Allow Users to Enlarge Font Sizes
People with low vision often can’t read small text sizes. So, they have to use specific font settings when browsing your website. Offering an alternate style sheet with the ability to enlarge the font size without breaking your page layout should make it easier for them to read your content.
- Keep Contrast Sensitivity in Mind
Along with text size, think about color and contrast. People with vision impairments such as retinitis pigmentosa, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and cataract have low color contrast sensitivity. When designing your webpages, make sure to have a high contrast between the foreground and background, such as yellow letters on a black background.
- Add Keyboard Navigation
For blind and visually impaired users, navigation is a challenge. As they can’t use a mouse to browse the site, you have to incorporate keyboard navigation into your website. Blind users will use Braille keyboards to access your site.
- Make Video and Multimedia Accessible
Videos and other multimedia elements on your website play a critical role in increasing the user-engagement on your website. While blind and visually-impaired users can’t see visuals, deaf users and those hard-of-hearing can’t hear audio. You can use an audio description to describe visuals-only parts such as images, gestures, and changes in settings, among others. It will help blind users to enjoy the video.
- Use Descriptive URLs
Screen readers can quickly and precisely read descriptive URLs, offering blind and visually-impaired users some context. Meaningful descriptions also make it easier to skip to the right content. For example, when describing the link of the “About” page, keep the following mind.
- Low Readability:abcmarketing.com/about
- High Readability: www.abcmarketing.com/about-our-company
Avoid using anchor text like “Read More” or “Click Here” anywhere on the page.
8. Avoid Using Placeholder Text in Forms
Online forms often use placeholder text to describe various elements to save space. However, placeholder text is usually grey. Visually impaired users can’t read it due to the low contrast.
- Minimize the Use of Tables
Usually, screen readers will inform blind users of how many rows and columns a table has. However, it is often challenging for screen readers to read the tabular data in the same flow that matches the visual order.
- Useful links for businesses:
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, click here
- Examples of web accessibility, click here
- New EU Accessibility legislation coming in July 2025 and products and services covered, click here
- The legislation applies to:
- Businesses that sell products using an online platform
- There will be an exemption for businesses with less than 10 employees
- The legislation only applies to businesses selling products
- The legislation covers where you supply products and services in Ireland rather than where they are going to.
- Regarding products covered, click here One of the services covered is e-commerce. So, if retailers, e.g., a coffee shop has a website and where can buy coffee from them online, they will be affected by this legislation as they are providing an e-commerce service.
