How to Improve the Non-Visual Accessibility of Your Website: Easy Steps

At Envision, we're dedicated to making technology accessible for everyone, including those who are blind or have low vision. A key aspect of our commitment is ensuring that our digital content is accessible. If you're looking to enhance the accessibility of your own website, here are some straightforward steps to ensure it is navigable and usable for everyone, regardless of their ability to see.

Learn more about the European Accessibility act here.

1. Optimize for Screen Readers

Screen readers are essential tools for people who are blind or have low vision, as they convert text and other elements on a screen into speech or Braille. To optimize your website for screen readers:

• Use semantic HTML: Properly tag headings (h1, h2, h3), lists (ul, ol, li), and other HTML elements. This helps screen readers interpret the structure and flow of the page.
• Alt text for images: Always provide descriptive alt text for images. This helps users understand what content is displayed visually.
• Labels for interactive elements: Ensure that all form controls and interactive elements have clear and descriptive labels.

2. Ensure Keyboard Navigability

Users who rely on screen readers typically navigate using a keyboard instead of a mouse. Make sure your website is fully navigable using keyboard shortcuts:

• Tab order: Ensure the tab order is logical and follows the visual flow of the page. Users should be able to tab through items in a way that makes sense.
• Keyboard focus: Clearly highlight which element is in focus when tabbing through the site. This is often managed by styling the :focus state in your CSS.

3. Use ARIA Roles and Properties

Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) roles and properties help enhance the semantic information of web elements, particularly for dynamic content and advanced user interface controls developed with Ajax, HTML, JavaScript, and related technologies.

• Landmarks: Use ARIA landmarks to define regions of the page like navigation, main content, and footer, which assist in quicker navigation.
• Properties: Attributes like aria-live can be used to inform screen readers of dynamic content changes on the website.

4. Offer Sufficient Contrast

Visual contrast is crucial for users who have low vision. Ensure that the text and background colors on your website contrast highly to make reading easier.

• Contrast ratio: Aim for a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. Tools like the WebAIM Color Contrast Checker can help you test your site’s color contrast easily.

Conclusion

Improving your website’s non-visual accessibility not only broadens your audience but also enhances the usability for all users. At Envision, we strive to lead by example in the accessibility space, and we encourage other organizations to consider these straightforward yet effective steps to make their digital content more accessible. By making these changes, we can work together towards a more inclusive digital world.

Read our detailed blog on non-visual accessibility in UX Design here.

For more insights on creating accessible content and understanding the impact of accessibility in technology, keep following the Envision blog. Together, let's make the digital world accessible for all!