How to Utilize Tech Innovations for More Accessible Web Design

An accessible and easy-to-use web design is something that can be helpful to many businesses. However, it is really difficult to build a website that is successful in conversion, driving sales, and keeping the visitors engaged, isn’t it?

Well, it is indeed an uphill task to create a reliable and responsive web design in Toronto that is aesthetically fantastic, functional, and takes the user experience to the next level.

However, the biggest question still arises. Is your website accessible to all? Does it satisfy the requirements of everyone landing on your page, such as those with hearing, visual, cognitive, or motor function disabilities?

In this article, you will find out top tips to leverage technological innovations to make web designs more accessible and inclusive for all kinds of users. You will also see various aspects that should be kept in mind while developing a web design for every kind of audience.

Understanding the WCAG Guidelines

According to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, there are four principles that would deem web content to be accessible, as given below:

Perceivable:

Users should be able to perceive the content in some way, with the help of one or more of their senses.

Operable:

Users should be able to operate UI elements. For example, buttons should be clickable in some way through a keyboard, mouse, voice command, etc.

Understandable:

The content should be easy-to-understand for the users.

Robust:

The content should be created with the help of well-adapted website standards that will work in different browsers, now and in the coming times.

Complying with these standards has become extremely important for each business. They help them to ensure that your website is accessible and inclusive to all kinds of audience, who will be able to use them in the finest manner.

How to Utilize Assistive Technologies Properly

Assistive technologies are a term for tools used by people suffering from disabilities to perform their tasks. It is helpful for such people to access and use digital data and communication technologies. 

By utilizing these technologies for web design, you will be able to create a more inclusive experience. Here are some ways in which you can leverage such technologies, as given below:

Ensuring the Compatibility of Screen Reader:

1. Use suitable HTML elements to provide a meaningful structure to your content.
2. Offer descriptive alt text for images to let the users know about their content and the purpose.
3. Use ARIA(Accessible Rich Internet Applications) attributes to improve the accessibility of UI elements that are complex in nature, such as links, buttons, and forms.

Optimizing for Navigation Using Keyboard:

1. Ensure a tab order for keyboard users that is logical in nature by placing easy-to-focus elements in a consistent sequence.
2. Offer keyboard shortcuts for commonly performed actions to enhance efficiency in navigation.
3. You should also make sure that all tasks can be performed without hovering over elements.

Offer the Right Colour Ratio:

1. You should adhere to the colour contrast requirements as per the WCAG to make text and graphics easily readable for visually-impaired individuals.
2. Conduct a test of your design with colour blindness simulation tools to recognize potential issues in the future.

Consider Audio and Video Accessibility:

1. Offer complete and accurate captions for each video and audio content.
2. If your website has videos without captions, think about providing audio descriptions to describe the visual elements in a better way.
3. Provide transcripts for audio-only content to offer benefits to users with hearing impairments or those who prefer to read.

Making Forms Accessible:

1. You should associate clear labels with form fields to highlight their purposes.
2. Offer informative error messages to assist users in completing forms correctly.
3. Instead of using CAPTCHAs, you can use alternative verification methods that are more easy to use for people with disabilities.

Conduct Tests with Assistive Technologies:

1. Test your websites with prominent screen readers like JAWS, NVDA, and VoiceOver.
2. Test the keyboard navigation of your website with the help of the keyboard only.
3. Test colour contrast checkers to ensure your website is compliant with the accessibility guidelines.

Responsive Designs: The Best Way to Ensure Accessibility

Responsive web design is the best way to make a website in a way that automatically scales its elements and content to match the size of the screen where it will be seen. It prevents the images from becoming larger than the screen width.

It also allows the visitors to read the website’s content without the need to put in extra effort. Ultimately, responsive design is helpful in avoiding unnecessary scrolling, resizing, panning, or zooming that usually occurs with websites that are not yet optimized for different screens.

Responsive designs ensure that websites are accessible across different screen sizes and devices in the following ways:

Using Flexible Grids:

Instead of using absolute units like pixels, you can utilize relative sizing, such as percentages. It will help the content get resized and rearranged.

Incorporating Flexible Images:

You should use relative sizing, which will help you prevent images from displaying out of their element.

Furthermore, you can use CSS-style rules based on the characteristics of the device, such as the screen’s width. You should also utilize resolution cut-offs to understand when the content scales to a particular view.

Responsive designs enhance accessibility by ensuring that websites can be easily used by users. They also look good on any device, such as laptops and mobile phones. These designs also help users with disabilities by making websites more compatible with assisted technologies.

Final Verdict

Making your website inclusive and accessible can help you ensure you cater to various kinds of audiences. It helps you serve these customers and help them understand the intent behind your website.

At the same time, modern-day technological innovations can help you make your website more accessible and inclusive for all types of visitors. It helps you ensure your site offers an interactive user experience for many users irrespective of the disabilities or any other kinds of hurdles they face.

This way, you will be able to target every audience and ensure a better experience for the users.