Designing for Accessibility: Inclusive Design Principles, Accessible Design Patterns, and Successful Case Studies

Designing for accessibility should be top of mind for all designers, developers, and stakeholders. By incorporating principles of inclusive design and utilizing accessible design patterns, we can ensure that our websites and applications are available to all users, regardless of ability or disability. In this article, we’ll discuss the principles of inclusive design, accessible design patterns, and successful case studies of sites and applications that demonstrate a commitment to accessibility.

Inclusive Design Principles

Inclusive design focuses on providing access to all users, regardless of ability or disability. It’s about developing a design that not only meets the needs of the majority of people, but also anticipates the needs of those who may have a range of abilities and disabilities. In practice, this involves accounting for visual, auditory, motor, cognitive and language differences by designing in ways that are simple, flexible, and responsive. Some popular principles of inclusive design are:

1. Anticipate user needs. Design for potential users of all abilities and disabilities.
2. Be consistent. Use a unified design language and adhere to web standards.
3. Provide alternatives. Minimize the reliance on one type of input, such as mouse or touch.
4. Consider readability. Make sure text is legible and use color-contrasting techniques.
5. Be flexible. Design the user experience to be responsive to changes in the user’s environment.

Accessible Design Patterns

Incorporating the principles of inclusive design is essential for making websites and applications accessible. In addition to these principles, developers should also use accessible design patterns and incorporate accessibility features into their coding and design process. Common accessibility features to consider include:

1. Text Alternatives. Provide text alternatives, such as alt tags, for images and videos.
2. Keyboard Accessibility. Design for navigation by keyboard, not just by mouse.
3. Language Support. Make sure the interface and content are available in multiple languages.
4. Text Magnification. Support zooming and resizing of text, images, and videos.
5. Audio/Visual Waiver. Enable users to bypass audio and/or visual elements.

Another important thing to remember is that accessibility should be a priority at all stages of the design process. Developers should be trained in accessible coding and design best practices, and accessibility should be tested throughout the development process.

Successful Case Studies

There are many great examples of websites and applications that demonstrate a commitment to accessibility and inclusive design. The BBC website is one of the most widely cited examples of accessibility in action. With its high contrast text and audio/visual waivers, the BBC site provides a refreshingly accessible experience. Another great example is Flipboard, the popular news aggregation service. Featuring easy to use keyboard navigation, text alternatives, and a flexible layout, Flipboard has become a go-to resource for users of all abilities.

Conclusion

Designing for accessibility isn’t just a good thing, it’s essential for providing all users with an equal, equitable experience. By incorporating principles of inclusive design, using accessible design patterns, and ensuring accessibility testing throughout the development process, developers and designers can ensure their websites and applications are available to all users. By taking these simple steps, and looking to successful case studies for guidance, we can create a world-wide web of equal access and opportunity.

Working on a website can be difficult. Adding new media and updating pages is chore, even though you know your company website needs to evolve and become more accessible to the many users you are trying to reach. Maybe when you first built it, accessibility wasn’t even really discussed. But now you’ve taken a step back, looked at your customer base with a desire to include everyone and you’ve realized just how important it is to make your site accessible. However, the thought of building a robust site that can do all the things you want it to do is overwhelming.

What is Web Accessibility

A practice of designing and coding the website in order to provide complete compatibility in accessing it by people with disabilities. In addition, it is a way to improve search engine optimization only an ADA Compliant Web Designer will help you to make your website Compliant. Is your website compatible? By going through the checklist below, you can get the answer.

Assessing Current Web Pages and Content

The website must include a feature like a navigation link at the top of the page. These links have a bypass mechanism such as a “skip navigation” link. This feature directs screen readers to bypass the row of navigation links and start at the web page content. It is beneficial for people who use screen readers to avoid to listen to all the links each time they jump to a new page.
All the links should be understandable when taken out of the context. For example, images without alternative text and links without worded as “click here”.
All the graphics, maps, images, and other non-text content must provide text alternatives through the alt attribute, a hidden/visible long description.
All the documents posted on the website should available in HTML or another accessible text-based format. It is also applicable to other formats like Portable Document Format (PDF).
The online forms on the website should be structured so assistive technology can identify, describe and operate the controls and inputs. By doing this, people with disabilities can review and submit the forms.
If the website has online forms, the drop-down list should describe the information instead of displaying a response option. For instance, “Your Age” instead of “18-25”.
If the website has data charts and tables, they should be structured so that all data cells are associated with column and row identifiers.
All the video files on the website must have audio descriptions (if necessary). This is for the convenience of blind people or for having a visual impairment disability.
All the video files on the website must have synchronized captions. People with hearing problems or deaf can access these files conveniently.
All the audio files on the website should have synchronized captions to provide access to people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
All web pages should be designed so that they can be viewed using visitors’ web browser and operating system settings for color and font.

About Website Accessibility Policy and Procedures

One must have a written policy on website accessibility.
The website accessibility policy must be posted on the website at a location where it can be easily found.
The procedure should be developed to ensure that content is not added to the website until it has been made accessible.
It should be confirmed that the website manager has checked the code and structure of all new web pages before they are posted.
While adding the PDFs to the website, these should be accessible. Also, the text-based versions of the documents should be accessible at the same time as PDF versions.
Make sure that the in-house and contractor staff has received the information about the website accessibility policy and procedure to confirm the website accessibility.
It should be confirmed that in-house and contractor staff has received appropriate training on how to ensure the accessibility of the website.
The website should have a specific written plan if it contains inaccessible content. Also, it should include timeframes in place to make all of the existing web content accessible.
A complete plan to improve website accessibility should be posted along with invited suggestions for improvement.
The homepage should include easily locatable information that includes contact details like telephone number and email address. This is useful for reporting website accessibility problems and requesting accessibility services with information.
A website should have procedures in place to assure a quick response to the visitors with disabilities who have difficulty in accessing information or services available on the website.
Feedback from people who use a variety of assistive technologies is helpful in ensuring website accessibility. So make sure to ask disability groups representing people to provide feedback on the accessibility of your website.
Testing the website using a product available on the internet is helpful, These tools are of free cost and check the accessibility of a website. They may not identify all accessibility issues and flag issues that are not accessibility problems. However, these are, nonetheless, a helpful way to improve website accessibility.

Checklist of Action Items for Improving the Accessibility of a Website

In addition, while considering the above suggestions, the following checklist initially prepared by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for Federal Agencies provides further guidelines on ways to make websites more accessible for persons with disabilities.

This practical advice, as well as another checklist, are available at:

Satisfying all of these items does not necessarily mean that a website complies with ADA, but it will improve the website’s accessibility and decrease the risk of litigation. Again, an Expert or Web Accessibility Consulting & Services provider should be engaged to conduct a comprehensive review of your website.

Nothing brings you closer to reality than actually facing it. This is the premise of my latest attempt to spread awareness about Web Accessibility.

For better understand, here is a link in which a practical example is shown to make the websites’ user experience better by following the guidelines. Also, it tells the issues affecting various users on the internet with solutions.

You can make your website ADA compliant in an easy way by consulting the professionals, who can do this job effortlessly. Also, you can get a quick website audit from To Be ADA Compliant that offers complete web accessibility consulting & services in California, USA.

Resource: https://dev.to/chinchang/an-interactive-and-practical-introduction-to-web-accessibility-22o1