What to Know About Website Accessibility

What is website accessibility?

Website accessibility refers to the practice of making websites usable by people of all abilities, including those with disabilities. This means ensuring that websites can be easily navigated and understood by people with visual impairments, hearing impairments, cognitive disabilities, and other disabilities.

Why is website accessibility important?

Website accessibility is important for several reasons:

* It is a legal requirement. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities, and this includes discrimination in the provision of goods and services. Websites are considered a form of public accommodation, and therefore must be accessible to people with disabilities.

* It is good business. Making your website accessible can improve your search engine rankings, increase your customer base, and reduce the risk of legal action.

* It is the right thing to do. Everyone should have the opportunity to access the information and resources available on the web, regardless of their abilities.

How can I make my website accessible?

There are many things you can do to make your website accessible, including:

* Use clear and concise language. Avoid jargon and technical terms that may not be familiar to everyone.

* Provide alternative text for images. Alternative text describes the content of an image for people who are unable to see it.

* Use closed captioning for videos. Closed captioning provides a text transcript of the audio content of a video for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

* Make sure your website is navigable by keyboard. Some people with disabilities are unable to use a mouse, so it is important to make sure your website can be navigated using only a keyboard.

* Test your website with assistive technology. There are a number of tools available that can help you test your website for accessibility.

Conclusion

Website accessibility is an important issue that should not be ignored. By making your website accessible, you can improve your search engine rankings, increase your customer base, and reduce the risk of legal action. Most importantly, you can make the web a more inclusive place for everyone.