Is Your Website Accessible to Everyone?

Your website may look great and work perfectly for most visitors—but that does not necessarily mean it is easy for everyone to use.

People with visual, hearing, mobility and other disabilities often rely on assistive technologies such as screen readers, keyboard navigation, voice controls and captions to access websites. When a website is not built with accessibility in mind, seemingly small design or development choices can make important information difficult—or even impossible—for some visitors to use.

The U.S. Department of Justice has made website accessibility an ongoing priority and has stated that businesses open to the public should make sure the goods, services and information they provide online are accessible to people with disabilities.

What Can Make a Website Difficult to Use?

Accessibility problems are not always obvious.

A website may look completely normal to one visitor while presenting significant barriers to another. The Department of Justice identifies several common examples, including:

Text that does not have enough contrast with its background
Images that do not include descriptive alternative text
Videos without captions
Forms that are difficult for screen readers to understand
Website features that can only be used with a mouse
Pages that do not use headings in a way assistive technologies can understand
Error messages or instructions that are unclear to people using accessibility tools

These are often technical issues happening behind the scenes rather than dramatic visual problems.

Accessibility Is About More Than Compliance

Making your website more accessible is not just about reducing potential legal exposure.

It is also about making your website easier to use for more people.

Someone visiting your website may have limited vision, difficulty using a mouse, hearing loss or another disability that changes the way they interact with online content. Improving accessibility can help ensure those visitors can still learn about your company, contact your team, complete forms, purchase products or access the services you provide.

Many accessibility improvements also overlap with good website-development practices. Clear headings, descriptive image text, properly labeled forms and logical navigation can make a website easier to understand and use in general.

What Does Website Accessibility Involve?

There is no single button that automatically makes every website accessible.

The Department of Justice notes that automated accessibility tools can be useful, but a clean automated report does not necessarily mean a website is fully accessible. Combining automated testing with manual review can provide a much better understanding of potential accessibility issues.

Website accessibility work may include reviewing and improving areas such as:

Color contrast
Image alternative text
Heading structure
Keyboard navigation
Form labels and instructions
Error messages
Text resizing and zoom functionality
Video captions
Links and buttons
Screen-reader compatibility

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, commonly known as WCAG, are also widely used as technical guidance for creating more accessible website experiences.

Alt Media Studios Can Help

Alt Media Studios is now offering website accessibility review and remediation services for our customers.

Our team can evaluate your existing website, identify common accessibility concerns and make improvements designed to create a better experience for people using assistive technologies.

Depending on your website, this service may include:

Performing automated accessibility scans
Manually reviewing key pages and website functionality
Identifying potential accessibility barriers
Improving color contrast where appropriate
Adding or updating alternative text for important images
Improving heading and page structure
Updating forms and form labels
Improving keyboard accessibility
Reviewing links, buttons and interactive elements
Addressing other accessibility issues identified during the review

Because every website is different, the amount of work required can vary considerably. A small informational website may only require a handful of improvements, while a larger website with forms, ecommerce features, videos or custom functionality may require a more extensive review.

Accessibility Isn't a One-Time Project

Websites change.

New pages are added, images are uploaded, forms are created and third-party tools are installed. Any of those changes can introduce new accessibility concerns.

For that reason, accessibility is best viewed as an ongoing part of website maintenance rather than something that is addressed once and then forgotten.

Alt Media Studios can help customers evaluate their current websites and provide recommendations for both immediate improvements and ongoing accessibility practices.

Want Us to Review Your Website?

If Alt Media Studios manages your website and you would like us to evaluate it for potential accessibility issues, contact our team for information and pricing.

We can review your website, identify areas that may need attention and recommend an appropriate plan for making your online presence more accessible.

Improving accessibility helps create a website that works better for more people—and allows your business to provide a better online experience to everyone who visits.

This article is provided for general informational purposes and should not be considered legal advice. Website accessibility requirements can vary depending on the organization and circumstances. Businesses with questions about their specific obligations should consult qualified legal counsel.