The diversity in our world is a fundamental concept of our existence, and that also reflects on the online and internet worlds; thus, providing website accessibility for all people is more than a necessity based on the latest WCAG accessibility guidelines.  

The WCAG stands for the Global Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to ensure justified web accessibility.

So, suppose you are a web developer or a business owner aiming to design a great website. In that case, you must understand website accessibility and follow the accessibility guidelines to create accessible websites for all people.

What Is Website Accessibility?

Website accessibility is designing and developing websites to make them usable and accessible to all individuals, including those with disabilities.

To share equal online access for all people despite disabilities, such as visual, auditory, cognitive, or motor impairments, ensure they can perceive, navigate, and interact with the web content effectively.

Web development companies in KSA, developers, and designers can create websites that are inclusive and accessible to a broader audience and enhance the user experience for everyone. Regardless of their abilities or disabilities, follow international guidelines such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

Accessible websites are necessary as they create an inclusive digital environment and help ensure equal internet access to information and services by all people.

The Main 4 Principles of Website Accessibility:

Following the fundamental values of website accessibility based on WCAG will not only help you develop a unique and popular website but also follow all the required guidelines:

1.Permeability: 

This website’s accessibility principle ensures that information and user interface elements are presented so that all users can easily perceive. This involves providing alternatives for non-text content (such as image alt or descriptions), ensuring text is readable and adaptable, and offering different customization options to meet individual needs.

2.Operability: 

Operability makes web content interactive and navigable for all users, regardless of their abilities or disabilities.

Through keyboard accessibility, we give users enough time to read and complete tasks and design consistent and predictable navigation.

3.Understandability: 

To achieve website accessibility, you must ensure all information and operations in the user interface are clear and straightforward.

You can achieve this by using plain and simple language, providing input assistance to prevent errors, and organizing content and other functionality logically and intuitively.

4.Robustness: 

The robustness of website accessibility is about being committed to building compatible sites with current and future technology requirements.

Developing and using valid code ensures compatibility with needed technologies such as operable screen readers and considers the future potentials of web development to maintain the robust website's functionality over time.

5 Key Steps to Ensure Website Accessibility:

If you want to achieve an adequate website accessibility level, then there are several specific steps that you should follow to achieve a positive accessibility statement.

1.Clear and Consistent Language:

One of the most essential practices for building accessible websites is using clear and consistent language in all the website sections for all visitors. 

Make sure to add content with explicit language, fonts, images, and headings that are effortlessly understandable by your targeted audience, and do not forget to audit your content for spelling mistakes or poor writing. 

You can avoid complex terms and make your content conform with users with varying language proficiency and cognitive abilities.

2.Alternative Text for Images and Videos:

Share descriptive alt text for images, videos, and other visual content to ensure that people with sight impairments or those using screen readers properly understand the content. 

The added alt text should explain the purpose or content of the media to support users who have sight problems seeing the visuals and accessing the information effortlessly through the alt text.

3.High-Contrast Color Schemes:

Using high-contrast colours is a great website accessibility practice that enhances the readability for users with visual disabilities or simple colour blindness; moreover, ensuring a reasonable contrast ratio between text and background colours will make content more legible. 

4.Caption and Transcribe Multimedia:

Add detailed captions to videos with clear and consistent language and record audio content to make all types of multimedia accessible to users with hearing impairments. 

This ensures that everyone, despite their ability to hear, has access to the information you share through multimedia. This step is also necessary for websites and social media platforms' content.

5.Keyboard Navigation:

Design your website with a navigable using a keyboard feature to allow users who are facing motor disabilities to navigate easily without a need for a mouse. 

Moreover, do not forget to ensure that all interactive elements, such as buttons and links, are perceivable and can be simply accessible and activated using standard keyboard commands, despite the used browser, providing an inclusive user experience.

For example, The BBC website is designed based on accessibility guidelines, with keyboard navigation in mind, allowing users to navigate and access content without a mouse for an improved browsing journey.

How to Check Your Website Accessibility?

Checking your website accessibility must be essential when providing customized solutions for startups or large corporates.

However, the best way to check your website accessibility is by combining compliance automated testing tools with manual scan techniques to provide the most comprehensive testing approach.

Automated Accessibility Testing Tools:

• Lighthouse (Chrome DevTools): Integrated into Chrome, Lighthouse provides quick accessibility audits and performance and SEO checks.
• Wave: This software suite checks web content for accessibility issues based on tested heading standards, transcripts' understandable scan, spilling, and fonts, presenting results according to user-friendly guidelines.

Manual Accessibility Testing Techniques:

• Keyboard Navigation: Confirm that all interactive elements and applications are accessible and functional using only a keyboard solution.
• Screen Reader Testing: Evaluate the current website using a screen reader to ensure proper support of usable content for visually impaired users.

Benefits of Website Accessibility:

A website accessibility solution is this important for all web developers and professionals due to the fantastic benefits attached to its applications:

• Improve Audience Reach: 

Improving website accessibility increases your audience's ability to reach your sites by being helpful to users with diverse abilities.

More compliance and perceivable design and content with clear headings guarantee that visitors of all backgrounds and capabilities can access and engage with your developed website coding and technical efforts, expanding your potential user base.

• Better User Experience: 

Website accessibility can enhance your website’s or application’s user experience by implementing accessible design principles and guidelines to create a more user-friendly interface and improve navigation and interaction.

• Website Accessibility Raises Community and Equality: 

Prioritizing accessibility shows your brand is committed to community and equality. It fosters the statement of inclusion, allowing people with disabilities to participate in and understand all operable online activities.

These robust technical efforts are vital to improving your business technology services and boosting your brand's public image.

• Improved Search Engine Optimization (SEO): 

Implementing accessibility measures often aligns with best practices for SEO, including Google requirements.

Search engines prioritise well-designed, readable, and user-friendly content, just as an accessible website tends to perform, making your content more compliant and discoverable.

• Increased User Loyalty: 

The websites' accessibility fosters positive brand awareness and exposure statements, as individuals usually appreciate websites that meet their diverse needs, leading to building trust and loyalty.

Therefore, including an inclusive online environment strengthens your connection with your audiences, encouraging repeat visits and engagement on all levels.

From all that you read till this sentence, you know how developing accessible websites is essential and required for all businesses despite their industries.

However, develop a stable and accessible website by collaborating with the right web development company.

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