You might have heard the term “web accessibility” but aren’t quite sure what it means or how it applies to your website. Don’t fret—Array is here to help you understand website accessibility, why it matters for your business, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and how to implement accessibility on your website.

What Is Web Accessibility and Why Is It Important?

Web accessibility is all about making your site easy to use for everyone, including those with vision, hearing, or mobility challenges. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it also broadens your audience and improves your search engine optimization (SEO). An accessible website allows more people to find and interact with your content, purchase your products, or use your services. The more accessible your site, the more people you reach. Additionally, many countries have strict web accessibility laws, meaning compliance is essential to avoid potential legal issues.

What Are the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)?

The WCAG are a set of international guidelines that help ensure websites are accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. They cover everything from text size and colour contrast to making sure your website can be navigated using a keyboard.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Levels

There are three levels of WCAG compliance: A, AA, and AAA. Level A is the most basic and essential for accessibility, including features such as alt text for images and captions for audio and video content. Level AA covers a broader range of users’ needs, such as having responsive page layouts for different screen orientations and ensuring sufficient colour contrast between text and backgrounds. Level AAA is the most advanced level and offers the highest accessibility standards, including features such as sign language interpretation for audio content, and enhanced customization options for user preferences.

Which Level of Accessibility Should I Aim For?

For most businesses, aiming for WCAG Level AA compliance is ideal. It strikes a good balance by addressing key accessibility needs, like colour contrast and responsive design, without being overly complex. While AAA offers the most advanced features, it’s not required for most sites, and is typically aimed at government websites or essential services, where the highest accessibility standards are crucial.

Ways to Make Your Website More Accessible

There are many ways to improve your website’s accessibility, as outlined in the WCAG. While some methods provide a higher level of accessibility than others, here are a few key features to help you start building a more inclusive website.

Proper Colour Contrast: High contrast between text and background makes content easy to read, particularly for users with colour blindness. For optimal readability, dark text on a light background is ideal, much like what you see here. You definitely want to avoid a block of sky blue text on a mint green background!

Descriptive Alt Text for Images: Alt text helps screen readers describe images for visually impaired users, and it also boosts your SEO. To make the most of it, aim to be as descriptive as possible with your alt text.

Captions and Transcripts for Multimedia: Captions and transcripts make audio and video content accessible to users with hearing impairments. Captions are also helpful for people in noisy environments, those learning a new language, or anyone who prefers reading along with the audio.

Make Your Website Keyboard-Navigable: Ensure all elements, like buttons and links, are accessible via keyboard. This is super helpful for users with mobility challenges who can’t use a mouse. It’s a simple adjustment that makes a big difference in creating an inclusive online experience.

Need Help Creating an Accessible Website?

Array’s web designers and developers are here to make sure your website works for everyone. Accessibility goes beyond adding a few features, and we’re ready to guide you through the many additional steps in the WCAG to make your site as welcoming and usable as possible. Get in touch with us today to learn how we can help make your site more inclusive and aligned with WCAG standards.