Making Websites Work for Everyone: A Simple Guide to Accessibility

Websites should be easy for everyone to use, but many aren't. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) says websites must be accessible, but it doesn't give specific rules. Instead, it points to a set of guidelines called WCAG 2. 1 Level AA. These guidelines have four main ideas: making sure information is easy to see, easy to use, easy to understand, and works well with different technologies. To make a website accessible, there are some key things to fix. First, colors need to contrast enough so people with low vision can see them. Second, every image should have a description called alt text, so people using screen readers can understand what's on the page. Third, everything on the website should be usable with just a keyboard, not just a mouse. Fourth, forms should have clear labels and error messages. Fifth, headings should be in a logical order, like H1, then H2, then H3. Sixth, videos should have captions or transcripts. Finally, links should be descriptive, not just say "click here. " Making a website accessible takes time and money. For a small business website, it might cost between $5, 000 and $11, 000. For a larger website, it could cost much more. There are tools to help, like WAVE and axe DevTools, but they don't catch everything. Manual testing is also important.Some people think they can just add an accessibility widget to their website and be done. But these widgets don't really fix the problems and can even make things worse. They can also lead to lawsuits. It's better to fix the website's code properly. Every accessible website should have an accessibility statement. This statement should say what the website is doing to be accessible, what standards it's following, and how people can give feedback. It should also be honest about what's not working yet. Accessibility isn't a one-time thing. Websites change all the time, so they need to be checked regularly. Plan to spend time and money on ongoing maintenance. If you're not sure how to make your website accessible, you might need to get professional help. This is especially true if you've been sued or if your website is complex. But if your website is simple and you have the time to learn, you can do it yourself. In the end, making your website accessible is important. It's not just about following the law. It's about making sure everyone can use your website, no matter their abilities. It's also a good business decision. Making your website accessible from the start costs less than fixing it later. And it helps you reach more people.