Web accessibility ensures that websites and digital tools are designed and developed so that people with disabilities can use them effectively. It is about creating an inclusive digital space where everyone can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the web.
Key Concepts:
- Inclusive Design: Accessibility is not a niche requirement; it benefits everyone, including people with temporary disabilities (like a broken arm), situational limitations (like being in a bright or loud environment), and age-related impairments.
- Assistive Technologies: Many users with disabilities rely on assistive technologies such as screen readers, screen magnifiers, or voice recognition software. An accessible website is structured to work seamlessly with these tools.
- Four Principles of Accessibility (POUR):
- Perceivable: Users must be able to perceive the information being presented. This means providing text alternatives for non-text content (like images) and ensuring content is easy to see and hear.
- Operable: Users must be able to operate the interface. This includes making all functionality available from a keyboard, giving users enough time to read and use content, and avoiding content that could cause seizures.
- Understandable: Information and the operation of the user interface must be understandable. This means making text readable and predictable.
- Robust: Content must be robust enough that it can be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies. This relies on using clean, standard-compliant code.
An accessible website is fundamentally a better website for all users, often leading to improved SEO, a wider audience reach, and a better overall user experience.
