Why Web Accessibility Matters + The Importance For Your Website

Web accessibility means more than just being inclusive, though that is enough reason to pay attention.

Web accessibility is essential for your website’s health and authority. It means making sure that your website is usable by everyone, including people with disabilities.

This isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s essential. Think of it as ensuring that everyone can ride the wave of your content, no matter what board they’re on.

Why Bother with Web Accessibility?

1. Inclusivity: Over a billion people worldwide have some form of disability. 27% of Americans have a disability. Web accessibility ensures they can access your content without hurdles.
2. Legal Requirements: Many countries have laws mandating web accessibility. Avoiding legal trouble is a good idea.
3. Better User Experience: Accessibility features often improve the overall user experience for everyone, not just those with disabilities.
4. SEO Boost: Accessible websites often rank better on search engines. Google loves sites that are easy to navigate and understand.

Following the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

It’s crucial to follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) set by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). These guidelines are the gold standard for web accessibility, offering a comprehensive framework to make your site usable for everyone.

WCAG covers everything from text alternatives for non-text content to ensuring enough contrast between text and backgrounds, making your site legally compliant and more user-friendly and inclusive.

How to Catch the Accessibility Wave

If this overwhelms you, and you like to delegate this sort of thing to a third-party, no worries. There are accessibiilty checkers that can do an audit of your website to get you riding the best wave moving forward.

If you need help getting it accessible, you can depend on Surf’s Up Social to help you with getting your website inclusive and accessible.

Web Accessibility Checkers

1. WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool): This tool highlights accessibility issues directly on your webpage. It’s super user-friendly and gives detailed feedback.
   • WAVE Tool
2. Axe Accessibility Checker: A browser extension, Axe is great for catching issues during development.
   • Axe Accessibility Checker
3. Lighthouse: Built into Google Chrome’s DevTools, Lighthouse audits your website for performance, accessibility, and more.
   • Lighthouse
4. accessiBe: A comprehensive AI-powered solution that not only scans your website for accessibility issues but also offers automatic adjustments and compliance.
   • accessiBe

A Simple Web Accessibility Checklist

Here’s a quick checklist to make sure your site is on the right track:

1. Alt Text for Images: Every image should have descriptive alt text.
2. Keyboard Navigation: Ensure your site is navigatable using a keyboard.
3. Readable Fonts: Use fonts that are easy to read and ensure good contrast.
4. Healthy Colors: Avoid neon colors, bright that could be harmful or uneasy to read.
5. ARIA Landmarks: Use ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) landmarks to help screen readers navigate.
6. Captions and Transcripts: Provide captions for videos and transcripts for audio content.
7. Form Labels: Ensure all form fields have clear labels.

Riding the Wave to Inclusivity

Making your website accessible is like catching the perfect wave—it requires skill, attention, and practice, but the rewards are worth it. Using these tools and following the checklist ensures that your site is welcoming to all web surfers.

Reach out if you would like Surf’s Up Social to help you with web accessibility!