Website Accessibility and Inclusive Design: An Overview

In today's digital world, websites are essential tools for communication, commerce, and information access. However, not all websites are created equal when it comes to accessibility. Website accessibility refers to the practice of designing and developing websites that are usable by people with disabilities. Inclusive design takes this a step further, aiming to create websites that are not only accessible but also enjoyable and equitable for all users, regardless of their abilities, backgrounds, or circumstances. This article provides an overview of website accessibility and inclusive design, covering essential standards, principles, testing methods, benefits, and resources.

Understanding Website Accessibility Standards (WCAG)

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the internationally recognised standards for website accessibility. Developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), WCAG provides a comprehensive set of guidelines and success criteria for making web content more accessible to people with disabilities. These guidelines are technology-agnostic, meaning they apply to various web technologies and platforms.

WCAG is organised into four principles, often remembered by the acronym POUR:

Perceivable: Information and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive. This includes providing text alternatives for non-text content, captions for videos, and ensuring sufficient colour contrast.
Operable: User interface components and navigation must be operable. This means ensuring that all functionality is available from a keyboard, providing enough time for users to read and use content, and avoiding content that flashes more than three times per second.
Understandable: Information and the operation of the user interface must be understandable. This involves using clear and simple language, providing predictable navigation, and helping users avoid and correct mistakes.
Robust: Content must be robust enough that it can be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies. This means using valid HTML and following web standards.

WCAG has three levels of conformance: A, AA, and AAA. Level A is the minimum level of accessibility, while Level AAA is the highest. Most organisations aim for Level AA conformance, as it provides a good balance between accessibility and feasibility. Understanding WCAG is the first step in creating accessible websites. Flite is committed to staying up-to-date with the latest accessibility standards.

Implementing Accessible Design Principles

Beyond understanding WCAG, implementing accessible design principles is crucial for creating truly inclusive websites. These principles guide the design and development process, ensuring that accessibility is considered from the outset.

Here are some key accessible design principles:

Provide Alternative Text for Images: Alternative text (alt text) describes the content of an image to users who cannot see it. This is essential for users who are blind or visually impaired, as well as those who have images turned off for bandwidth reasons. Alt text should be concise and descriptive, accurately conveying the meaning of the image.
Use Semantic HTML: Semantic HTML uses HTML elements to convey the meaning and structure of content, rather than just its appearance. This helps assistive technologies understand the content and present it to users in a meaningful way. For example, use `

` for headings, `

` for paragraphs, and `