How to Create Websites With Disabilities in Mind
People with disabilities can not always access the web the same way that people without disabilities can. For this reason, the Americans with Disability Act (or ADA for short) requires that websites of companies that have at least 15 employees and operate for at least 20 weeks in a year must properly accommodate people with disabilities, or face a potential fine of as much as $30,000.
A good rule of thumb to follow in order to make sure your website is accessible and compliant is to follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (or WCAG for short). The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines consist of simple and straightforward questions that someone can ask themselves about their website, such as…
- Is the website easy to navigate?
- Is the website easy for different types of impaired people to perceive?
- Is the content easy to understand?
- Is your website compatible with assistive technologies?
These factors can be addressed in the design of the website. Another way to accommodate people is that website designers can create their own software for accommodating those who have special needs, however, it is usually better to purchase premade software from another company. A good example of a company that someone can purchase this software from is accessiBe. A few examples of what programs like accessiBe can do are…
- Change Color in ways that can help colorblind people see the website’s visuals.
- Change the size and shape of the font for people who struggle with reading.
- Provide subtitles to videos for the deaf.
- Provide audio readers for the blind.
- etc.