Principles

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Necessary inclusions

I will be exploring few must have within making the website more accessible, all of them are not negatable !

Alternative text

Images should have descriptions that screen readers can read out to users who might have visual impairments and are unable to see them. This also includes having transcripts for videos.

Keyboard navigation

Users should be able to interact with a website using a keyboard alone. This is to aid people with motor disabilities or visual impairments.

Colour contrast

This is not only for people with visual impairments but can help with glare on screens, such as from the sun.

Larger font sizes

No one likes having to squint to read the text on their screen! The size used for the copy on this website is 22px, while the minimum recommended is 16px.

What other considerations?

The above element are only the begging of the rules to following. What other way will be necessary make the website more inclusive?

Colour

Learning disabilities

• Softer colours tend to be better for individuals with learning disabilities as they are less distracting.
• If colour is being used to display meaning on your site, this should be described as it is not always obvious.

Visual impairments

• Colour blindness – this is something that should be considered within your colour contrast levels. What colours look similar with different types of colour blindness? Avoid using these together

Fonts

Learning difficulties

• Find a suitable typeface for dyslexia, such as the one being used now (andika). Similar letters should be easy to differentiate – for example, i L l and 1.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

“WCAG” is a term you might see thrown around when web accessibility is spoken about. These are a set of rules that websites typically have to follow to be available for everyone – here is a short video explanation!

Applying to other practices

Despite these points being tailored to web design, non-digital designers or designers in other areas will still benefit from these tips!

A lot of these are applicable to print design, such as levels of contrast, typefaces, and picking the correct colours.

Always remember that any accessibility considerations you make could affect anyone in your intended audience.

References

• Aussant, G. (2022). 10 accessible design considerations for a beautiful website. [online] Perkins Access. Available at: https://perkinsaccess.org/accessible-design/.
• Kaspars, M. (2023). Leading Accessibility Widget for ADA & WCAG Compliance – Accessibly. [online] Accessibly. Available at: https://accessiblyapp.com/blog/designing-for-accessibility/.
• Key, C. (2024). Creating Inclusive Websites: Accessibility in Web Design. [online] Rubber Duckers. Available at: https://rubberduckers.co.uk/creating-inclusive-websites-accessibility-in-web-design/.
• Understanding Accessibility (2023). Colours. [online] Understandingaccessibility.com. Available at: https://www.understandingaccessibility.com/colours.
• WebAIM (2022). WebAIM: Keyboard Accessibility. [online] webaim.org. Available at: https://webaim.org/techniques/keyboard/.