Today, a wide variety of users access websites. Optimizing the website for one set of users will limit your reach and make you lose opportunities for conversions. Also, concurrence with WCAG-specified web accessibility guidelines is an ethical requirement. So you must ensure that your website is accessible to all users, regardless of their abilities. It will benefit you in many different ways. By prioritizing accessibility, you also create an inclusive web experience, improve SEO, enhance website usability, and ensure compliance.
Through this blog, we will explore the technical aspects of web accessibility. We will also look at the challenges of designing for accessibility and suggest best practices for overcoming them.
What is an Accessible UX/UI?
Creating an accessible UX/UI or enabling web accessibility helps differently-abled users to perceive, understand, navigate, and interact seamlessly with a website or application. Some disabilities that an accessible web design caters to include:
- Visual impairments (blindness, low vision, color blindness)
- Hearing impairments (deafness, hard of hearing)
- Motor impairments (difficulty using a mouse, tremors, limited mobility)
- Cognitive impairments (dyslexia, memory disorders, attention limitations)
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), developed by the W3C, have established a global standard for making web content more accessible. These guidelines are based on four critical principles bearing the acronym POUR where:
- P stands for Perceivable, referring to the user's ability to see or hear content
- O stands for Operable, which means users must be able to navigate the website
- U stands for Understandable, meaning content must be clear and easy to comprehend
- R stands for Robust, which states that content should work with assistive technologies
Web designers must keep the above guidelines in mind when designing for accessibility. Including these inclusive design principles will allow you to reach a broader audience base. The result will be a growth in business and revenue generation.
Challenges of Creating a User-Friendly Web Design
But, designing for accessibility is not without its challenges. Some common challenges that web design companies face include:
- Diversity of user needs
- Implementation complexities
- Balancing aesthetics with functionalities
- Lack of WCAG awareness
- Time-consuming and expensive testing
- Compatibility issues
Overcoming these challenges is not very difficult. Premier inclusive design companies overcome these challenges by implementing the best practices of inclusive web design. We will talk about these practices in the following section.
Inclusive Design Principles and Website Accessibility Best Practices
Following the best practices of user-centred design makes it possible to ensure accessibility and inclusivity in your web designs. Some critical website accessibility best practices include:
Semantic HTML: The Foundation of Accessibility
Using semantic HTML is the first step toward building an accessible website. Web accessibility tools like screen readers rely on properly structured HTML to interpret and convey content to differently abled people.
Best practices for semantic HTML include:
- Use proper headings (<h1> to <h6>) to clearly define the content hierarchy
- Use landmark elements like <header>, <nav>, <footer>, <main>, and <aside> to improve navigation
- Avoid using <div> and <span> for elements that have a meaningful equivalent, such as <button> instead of <div onclick="..."> etc
- Use <label> with <input> elements to associate form fields with descriptions
Keyboard Navigation and Focus Management
Many differently-abled users prefer using keyboard navigation instead of a mouse. You must integrate keyboard navigation to allow users to navigate the website using the Tab key, Enter key, and arrow keys along with the mouse.
Best Practices of integrating keyboard navigation include:
- Ensure all interactive elements used, like forms, buttons, and clickable links, can be accessed using the keyboard
- Maintain logical tab order using the tabindex attribute and avoid tabindex values that are greater than 0
- Implement visible focus indicators, for example, outlines on focusable elements, etc.
- Avoid keyboard traps that prevent users from moving their focus away from an element
Text Alternatives for Visual Content
Visually impaired users need help interpreting images, videos, and other text and non-text content on a website. Integrating screen readers while executing the design and development process will make the website accessible to those users who cannot see.
Best Practices for text alternatives include:
- Use alt attributes for images.
- Provide descriptive alternative text for the images used
- Use ARIA attributes like aria-label, aria-labelledby, and aria-describedby, as and when needed
- Provide closed captions and transcripts for all video and audio content
Color Contrast and Visual Accessibility
Opting for color contrast and font size variability will make it easy for differently abled users, especially those with low vision or color blindness, to access content on your website.
Best Practices of color contrast and visual accessibility include:
- Ensure the contrast ratio mentioned in the WCAG guidelines, where the recommended normal text ratio is 4.5:1 and 3:1 for large text
- Do not only leverage color to convey information like, for example, along with color changes, error messages should also have a short text stating the error
- Use tools like WebAIM Contrast Checker to verify contrast ratios and improve the impact
Accessible Forms and Validation
Forms are often the most challenging part of accessibility. Users with screen readers or mobility impairments need clear guidance to complete forms.
Best Practices for integrating forms and validation:
- Associate <label> elements with form fields
- Implement ARIA roles and attributes
- Provide clear validation messages rather than vague "Invalid input" warnings
- Implement error handling that doesn’t rely solely on color changes
Responsive and Adaptive Design
You must opt for an accessible and responsive website design and development firm in New York. Ensure your accessibility extends to different devices, including mobile users and those with varying screen sizes.
Best Practices for responsive and adaptive design:
- Use relative units (em, %, rem) instead of fixed pixel values
- Implement flexible layouts (CSS Grid or Flexbox)
- Ensure touch-friendly tap targets (buttons should be at least 44x44px)
- Avoid content shifting on resize (prevent layout shifts)
ARIA Roles and Attributes
Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) help enhance accessibility where HTML alone falls short.
Best Practices for ARIA Roles and Attributes:
- Use ARIA roles (role="alert", role="dialog") to define element behavior
- Use ARIA labels (aria-label="Search") for better screen reader descriptions
- Avoid overusing ARIA, as improper implementation can cause confusion
Testing and Validating Accessibility
Automated and manual testing ensures accessibility compliance. Using a healthy combination will improve testing outcomes and ensure accessibility and compatibility across devices. Combining this with user testing with differently abled people will further enhance website accessibility and improve the effectiveness of assistive technologies.
Conclusion
Today, you cannot undermine the importance of inclusive design. Designing for accessibility isn’t just about compliance—it’s about creating a web experience that works for everyone. By implementing the above website accessibility best practices, you ensure all users can access and interact with your content.
Web accessibility is an ongoing process. Prioritize it in your design strategy, and you’ll create a more inclusive and user-friendly web experience.
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