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From both a website owner’s and a front-end developer’s perspective, it is crucial today to consider accessibility when building or revamping a website. Thankfully, factoring in accessibility to ensure that everyone can use your site and enjoy your content can also positively impact your business.
As such, accessibility is no longer optional; it has become necessary. When planning and coding a website, front-end developers need to be aware of all the accessibility patterns and components available and be able to implement them accordingly. If, in addition to a website, you also want to optimize an application, outsourcing it to a software development company would be a good call.
Join us as we discuss the role of accessibility in front-end development, highlighting why it is important and how to implement it qualitatively, not just to be done. Only then will you be able to create a platform that is useful to everyone.
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When working on a graphic design project, it’s essential to have a clean and organized computer. One way to achieve this is by completely uninstall apps that are no longer needed, and performing a computer clean up to free space and improve performance.
Additionally, “Optimized Storage” automatically removes unnecessary files and frees up space on the hard drive. With Macs, designers can focus on their work without worrying about technical issues and computer maintenance.
Essentially, web accessibility is the practice of making websites usable by people of all abilities and disabilities.
When a website is accessible, it means it can be accessed, understood, navigated, and used by everyone, including people who have visual, auditory, physical, or cognitive disabilities, regardless of how they’re accessing it.
Accessibility is important for two reasons:
There are many ways to make your web applications more accessible. Some of these methods are technical, such as using the correct HTML markup and adding alternative text for images. Others are more design-focused, such as choosing colors that contrast well and using fonts that are easy to read.
Several international organizations have published standards and guidelines for web accessibility.
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is the main international standards organization for the internet. They have published the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, which contains 12 guidelines that are organized under four principles:
The European Union’s Directive on the Accessibility of Public Sector Websites and Mobile Apps requires all public sector websites and mobile apps in the EU accordingly to the harmonized European standard EN 301 549 v3.2.1 (2021-03), which is conformant with WCAG 2.0 Level AA.
In the United States, the Department of Justice has published the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Guidance on Web Accessibility, which includes requirements for web accessibility. Existing technical standards provide helpful guidance concerning how to ensure the accessibility of website features. These include the above mentioned WCAG and the Section 508 Standards that require federal agencies to make electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities.
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Now that we have established why accessibility is vital in front-end development and what are the general requirements, let’s take a look at how to go about implementing it. While there are many ways to make a website accessible, some of the most important are:
When adding images to your website, always include alt text. This is important because it enables people who are blind or have low vision to understand what the image is of. It also allows them to use screen-reading software to read the alt text aloud.
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Heading elements (h1, h2, h3, etc.) are used to structure the content on a page. They are important because they help people who are blind or have low vision to understand the hierarchy of the content and navigate the page more easily.
When choosing colors for your website, always ensure there is sufficient color contrast between the foreground and background. You should also go for a simple and consistent layout for the site.
This is important because it makes the content easier to read for people with low vision. It also helps people with color blindness to distinguish between different elements on the page.
Always provide transcripts if you have audio or video content on your website. This is important because it enables people who are deaf or hard of hearing to understand the content. It also allows people with cognitive impairments such as ADHD or dyslexia to follow along.
To address the same needs, you might also add closed captions for your video content. In addition, they can be helpful for people who are not native English speakers or who have difficulty understanding spoken English.
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Making a website accessible can seem difficult or expensive, but there are many resources available to help you get started. For one, the W3C’s Web Accessibility Initiative has a wealth of information on accessibility, including tutorials, guides, and tools.
There are also many companies that specialize in accessibility services, such as auditing, consulting, and training. These services can be helpful if you’re not sure where to start or need expert assistance to meet specific accessibility requirements.
By taking some time to understand the needs of your users and making small changes to your site, you can make a big difference.
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