Many of us are unaware of the term “digital inclusion”. In simple terms, it’s all about understanding how accessible your site is. In the current digital world, it is essential to have a grasp of all digital tools for better information. Accessible websites have a friendly interface that helps users easily gain information and navigate through the site without any hassle. By creating websites that are accessible to all, it becomes easier to improve SEO rankings and increase customer retention. This guide provides an overview of digital inclusion and the importance of website accessibility.

Why Accessibility Matters for Your Website?

Accessibility plays a crucial role in enhancing the user experience for everyone. You can make it happen by creating a website which is mobile-friendly and easy to navigate. Beginners can hire professional services from top web development companies in UK to craft a website which can function to their benefit. Such websites play a crucial role in targeting the largest audience and converting them into regular customers. Having a website with easy navigation also makes it easier for the SEO to crawl through it and rank it higher. Ensure that the website is designed according to SEO rules to prevent any damage or lawsuits in future.

Smart Ways to Evaluate Website Accessibility

Accessibility Audit

The audit process is conducted to identify any issues with your website’s accessibility. This audit process is performed using various tools, including Lighthouse, Axe, and WAVE. All these tools help you inspect your website for any issues, such as poor colour contrast or missing alt text. It even explains to you what sort of changes can mend all such problems.

Manual Testing

During the manual testing phase, various other accessibility issues are identified that automatic tools may have missed. This can include screen readers to ensure that content is readable on the screen. It also checks keyboard navigation to ensure users can easily scroll through the site. Both ways can help to improve the website’s functionality.

Checklists and Guidelines

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are based on a set of rules that explain how people with disabilities can use a website. By following the WCAG rules, you can ensure that your website design and development meet the basic accessibility standards. You should be using the right contrast amount between text size and colour variations.

Common Accessibility Issues to Look Out For

As a website owner, you must look for common accessibility issues throughout the entire site. Many customers visit your website on a daily basis, so always ensure that you provide them with great ease and convenience. For any user who has trouble seeing, the text has to be clear and large enough. Additionally, it is essential to maintain a distinct colour contrast between the background and text. This can help them to read the text with better clarity. Hiring top website design companies in Bristol can help you tackle the problems with ease.

Some people may not have access to a keyboard or the ability to scroll through the website. In that case, you should add the website with keyboard functionality. This will enable the user to access all essential features simultaneously. Never add images to your site without alt text. This alt text under the photos can help visually impaired people understand the actual meaning of the picture. Avoiding a complex site navigation layout is another major mistake to avoid. Keep it simple and easy to understand for the visually impaired users.

Tools and Resources for Improving Website Accessibility

Automated Tools

Through the use of automated tools, it becomes easier to identify common problems on your website. Tools like Axe, WAVE, and Google Lighthouse will look through all the pages of a website and identify common issues. It explains the bad colour contrast, navigation mistakes, and missing alt text. These tools also explain how to solve all such problems, making the site even more readily accessible.

Browsers Extensions

Using the browser add-ons makes it simple to check if a website is accessible while it’s being built. Accessibility Insights for Chrome and other extensions provide quick tests that highlight issues directly on the page. They help developers identify issues with contrast, keyboard navigation, and ARIA landmarks immediately. A comprehensive approach to accessibility is achieved by utilising browser extensions in conjunction with other audit tools and manual checks.

Support and Training

Developers who want to create websites that are easier for people with disabilities to use should receive training and utilise assistive materials. Web accessibility best practices can be found in guides, tutorials, and workshops offered by groups like Webaim. Through its Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) also offers training on how to make websites more accessible. Their tools from web development company in London cover everything from basic ideas to in-depth ways to code.

FAQs

1.     What’s the difference between digital accessibility and digital inclusion?

Digital accessibility means people with disabilities can also access digital material. Digital inclusion is about everyone reaching out to the internet world.

2.     Who can benefit from a digitally accessible website?

All age groups and categories of people can benefit from digitally accessible websites to gain information, even if they have any disability.

3.     Will making a website accessible help to win customer trust?

Yes, it will! Designing a digitally accessible website demonstrates that my brand prioritises accessibility for individuals with disabilities.

4.     How often should I check the usability of my website?

 It is essential to check the usability of the website at least once a year to identify common problems and find the most effective solutions.

We Help you to Craft Digitally Accessible Websites for Everyone

Is it hard for you to create a website that is digitally accessible for everyone? Why worry when Whizmo is available right here for you? Our expert team comprises professional designers, developers, and website builders who enhance your website with modern features accessible to everyone. We aim to build a website that transforms your vision into reality and makes you grow more in this competitive world. Hire our services now and experience the difference.