Multiple websites offer great content for their subscribers. Whether informative or interactive, there is always something new to learn. However, there are special groups that need to be considered while sharing this content, for they too have a right to access that information. So how do you make your website disability-friendly?
According to the U.S. federal government agencies, every website should meet the website disability-friendly laws. It indicates that the content presented on websites should be accessible to persons of disability. This group should read and interpret the information on the website without straining or finding it hard to understand.
What is a Disability-Friendly Website?
A disability-friendly website goes against the usual norm that the internet is a ‘one size fits all type of platform. These are websites that consider the less fortunate group; those with visual impairment, hearing difficulties, and slow learners. The folks get many challenges while browsing, and it’s not fair for them to lag while one can do something about it.
Disability-friendly websites provide that room for these people to source information at ease and create a good learning environment. They also ensure the content is well-presented to make it simple enough for their understanding. So how can you make your website disability-friendly and meet the section 508 compliance?
9 Simple Tips for Making Your Website Disability-Friendly
There are multiple ways to ensure that you create a proper environment that can accommodate persons with disabilities on your website. You have to make some adjustments to be in good books with the government considering the section 508 compliance law. Some of the changes that you can make on your website include
- Include Alt Tags
These are tags pinned on images. They come in handy, especially for people with vision impairment, since by using software that reads the tags aloud, they will know what the image is communicating.
- Transcription and Subtitles
Transcription is writing down speeches into words that generate the emotions and humor present from a video. This is ideal for those subscribers who have hearing difficulties so they can easily read.
Subtitles are included in videos to state what is being said by a particular character. They are used for the person watching the video on your website to follow up on what you are saying, especially if they have hearing difficulties.
- Give a Disclosure to Links
Add a text to explain why a reader should go ahead and click the link. E.g., “To learn more about the disability-friendly website laws, check out section 508 compliance requirements.
- Maintain Simplicity
Mind your tone and language in articles. Provide content that is simple to understand, especially for the sake of the elderly subscribers.
- Have an Accessibility Guide
Allow your website users to express themselves on your website. Have different modes of the website display so that each user with a disability will find a model that works perfectly for them upon the clarity of any challenges.
- Beware of Your Audience
Your content addressed a particular target group. Ensure you put their best interest at heart while you make modifications on the website. They will assist you in knowing what should be done.
- Put Periods in Abbreviations
For pronunciation purposes, ensure there are periods on the abbreviation. For example, having “.” in the US makes it pronounced as U.S. (United States), but without the period, it sounds like “us” in caps.
- Be Wise on Color Selection
Go for colors that are comfortable for your website. A simple white background and black writing are clear and precise for any user. Avoid shouting colors to avoid difficulty in presenting your content.
- Large Clickable Areas
Some people have a shaky hand which affects their website pointer mobility. You might want to enlarge the clickable areas to make it easier for them to make the clicks.
Conclusion
Even though it might seem challenging to follow, making your website disability-friendly is very simple. All you need is to make a few adjustments on how you present your content, and voila! It would be best if you also consider the impact that you want to make on the net users and your share of responsibility to society.
Do you have a website? Is it disability-friendly? Leave a comment.