Accessible design means making products usable by people of all abilities. It aims to provide an equal experience. And it also increases usability as more people can use the product which leads to user satisfaction and improves the overall functionality.
Many countries have laws requiring accessibility such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the U.S. and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). These laws protect the rights of people with disabilities and ensure that digital and physical products are accessible. It not only helps organisations but also improves user experience for everyone which makes the product more intuitive and user friendly.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 1.3 billion people, about 16% of the global population, live with some form of disability. This statistic highlights the impact of accessibility and reinforces why it should be a priority.
However, in this blog post we will explore key tips to implement accessibility in design and how it is beneficial.
6 Tips for implementing accessibility in design
Accessible design is crucial for businesses as it not only helps people with disabilities but also makes your site more user-friendly and accessible for all of your visitors. If you’re ready to learn how to make your website accessible, then get started with these 6 key tips:
1. Use proper Color Contrast:
The first thing web designers need to remember is color contrast as not all people perceive colour in the same way. There are many people who have color blindness which becomes difficult for them to read and to complete the task leading to poor user experience, frustration and exclusion from digital content. For example, people who are color blind (1 in 12 men, 1 in 200 women) , have low vision (1 in 30 people), or are blind (1 in 188 people).
So it is crucial to use high-contrast colours that even those with visual impairments can easily distinguish, such as black text on white or yellow text on black. And color combinations like dark blue with red color, might make it invisible to a portion of the audience. Choosing a proper color contrast not only helps with visual impairment but also makes it easy for everyone. So choose easily distinguishable color combinations as they are especially helpful for color blind people.
According to WCAG, a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 is recommended for normal text to ensure readability. Research by the Nielsen Norman Group also found that poor contrast is one of the top usability issues, negatively impacting user engagement and comprehension.
2. Use Alternative text:
For blind users, lack of proper contrast doesn’t directly impact them but if a website relies solely on color to convey meaning then they won’t be able to read and understand it as they often rely on screen readers to vocalise the text on a website. Also, the absence of alternative text for images prevents screen readers from describing visual content as it makes it difficult for them to find the key information.
All images, videos and other visual content should be tagged with descriptive alt text as it provides context and information regarding visual components which helps blind users engage more fully with the content and also it improves the website’s on-site SEO. Additionally, to make the text easily readable, you need to focus more on text, typography, fonts, and keep the size at least 16px for optimal readability but if the text is bold then 19px is recommended while 24px is ideal for headings.
For example, The 2023 WebAIM Million report found 58.2% of home pages were missing alt text, making them inaccessible to visually impaired users. Imagine trying to navigate a website where half the content is invisible, how frustrating would that be right?
3. Forms and Input fields:
Instructions help users understand how to fill out the form. Keep instructions brief and to the point and put at the top of the form or near relevant fields. Also make error messages clear, easy to understand and explain how to fix the error and it’s important to show the error message near the incorrect field. For example, instead of “Invalid Input” or “Error”, use “Password must be 8 characters long”.
Moreover, labels tell users what information goes in each field so ensure that all fields have a descriptive label adjacent to the field. Place labels clearly near the input fields and use HTML label elements to link labels to the correct input as a result, screen readers can allow all users, including those relying on screen readers, to navigate and complete forms more efficiently which reduces errors and improves overall accessibility.
Did you know? According to the NN Group, well-designed forms can reduce user errors by 50%, improving overall accessibility and usability.
4. Enhance multimedia accessibility:
To make multimedia content accessible for people with disabilities, transcribe video and audio content and add captions. As a result, people who are deaf and who have hearing issues will understand efficiently by reading it as it describes what the image of the video shows. Transcription and captions not just helps people with hearing impairments but it also helps those who are in noisy areas where they can’t hear properly and it is also beneficial for students or office colleagues as a result usability increases and customer satisfaction is achieved.
Moreover, controls for multimedia need to be keyboard accessible as users should be able to play, pause and stop media with a keyboard. Avoid auto-playing media, as it can distract or confuse users.
For example, a study by Ofcom found that 80% of people who use captions are not deaf or hard of hearing, they use them to improve comprehension in various situations. Additionally, Netflix reported that adding captions led to a significant increase in user engagement, as more viewers found the content accessible and easy to follow.
5. Testing for Accessibility:
Accessibility testing checks if people with disabilities can use a product. This includes those with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive impairments. Testing ensures compliance with standards like WCAG and helps in improving the user experience.
Let’s look at some common testing methods:
- Automated testing: This uses tools to scan digital products for compliance with accessibility standards like WCAG. These tools quickly check things like missing alt text, poor color contrast and improper headings across web pages and apps so it helps in identifying problems early in the development process which reduces the cost and effort in future to fix it. A study found that more than 96% of the top 1 million homepages had detectable WCAG 2.1 failures (WebAIM, 2023) . Many of these issues, such as missing alt text and poor contrast, could have been detected and resolved through automated testing.
- Manual testing: In this, people check the product using assistive technology like screen readers. It detects problems that automated tools may miss, such as improper focus order, unclear instructions, and poor keyboard navigation and it also ensures accessibility features function properly for users with disabilities. For example, A report by WebAIM found that while automated tools detect about 30-40% of accessibility issues, manual testing is needed to identify critical usability barriers, such as whether screen reader users can understand and interact with a website effectively.
- User testing: In this testing, people with disabilities use the product and designers observe how they interact with a product. Also users give feedback on their experience and based on the feedback and testing businesses address these issues to improve user experience as it confirms that the product meets accessibility standards like WCAG and ADA. For example, The BBC conducted accessibility user testing and found that adjusting font sizes, improving keyboard navigation, and enhancing screen reader compatibility significantly improved user experience for people with disabilities. As a result, their platforms became more inclusive and widely used.
6. Use proper headings:
Headings give structure to content which helps users especially those using screen readers to understand the hierarchy and lists keep similar content in order which makes it easier to read and scan leading to easy navigation whereas landmarks enable screen readers to jump between various sections of the website which allows users to navigate efficiently without having to go through unnecessary content this improves overall accessibility and user experience.
WebAIM found that only 43% of websites use proper headings, making it difficult for screen reader users to navigate content effectively. Implementing correct headings, lists, and landmarks can significantly improve accessibility and ensure compliance with WCAG guidelines.
Moreover, for accessible heading Use H1 for main titles, H2 for main sections, and so on. Headings should follow a logical order. Don’t skip levels (e.g., H1 to H3) as users rely on headings for quick navigation so they might miss important information if headings are skipped or not in order. Whereas, properly structured headings allows assistive technologies to interpret the content correctly which enables users to jump between sections efficiently. This enhances readability, improves user experience, and ensures compliance with accessibility standards like WCAG.
Accessibility in design is not just about compliance with legal standards like WCAG and ADA, it is about creating an inclusive experience for all users. By following key principles and guidelines, businesses can create a site that everyone can use, regardless of their disabilities. This will not only help users but this will also enhance user experience, boost brand’s reputation and can improve search engine rankings.
As web accessibility is not a one time achievement; it’s an ongoing process that needs continuous improvements. So you must adapt to it as soon as new guidelines or technology emerges. Are you ready to make your design accessible and more user friendly for everyone? So start implementing these key tips today!
