Welcome to the world of accessible design! As a designer, you want your work to be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of their abilities. Designing for accessibility ensures that your designs are inclusive and accessible to everyone. This means that people with disabilities can access and use your designs without any barriers.
But where do you begin? Here are some tips and best practices to get you started:
1. Use High Contrast Colour Schemes
Colour contrast is a critical factor in accessibility. Ensure that the colour contrasts you use are clear and visible, as it affects legibility and readability. People with vision impairments may have difficulty distinguishing between colours, making it challenging to read your content. Using high contrast colour schemes makes your content more accessible.
2. Use Appropriate Alt Texts for Images
Alternative text, or alt text, provides a description of an image for those who cannot see it. For example, a visually impaired user relying on a screen reader would need alt text to understand the image. Ensure that the alt text accurately describes the content and context of the image, so that everyone can understand it.
3. Use Descriptive and Concise Headings
Headings help people to navigate your content easily, particularly for those who use screen readers. Use descriptive headings that capture the essence of the content, and make them concise. This makes it easier for people to scan your content quickly.
4. Use Easy to Read Fonts
Fonts play a critical role in making your content readable. Ensure that you use fonts that are legible and easy to read. Avoid using complicated and fancy fonts as they can be challenging to read for people with visual impairments.
5. Make Your Content Keyboard Accessible
Some users may not be able to use a mouse or trackpad, so it’s essential to make your content accessible via keyboard. Ensure that your content can be navigated using the keyboard only, and all interactive elements are keyboard accessible.
6. Ensure Video Content is Captioned
Videos are an excellent way to engage users. However, ensure that all video content is captioned so that everyone can access it. Captions help people with hearing impairments, but they also help users who cannot play the video out loud.
7. Provide Alternative Options for Content
Not all users consume content in the same way. Provide alternative options for your content such as audio descriptions, transcripts or sign language interpretation. This ensures that your content is accessible to everyone, regardless of their abilities. See this braille work we designed.
By implementing these tips and best practices, you can ensure that your website designs are accessible to everyone. Create a more inclusive environment for people with disabilities. Designing for accessibility is not only good practice but is also beneficial for business. As of 2021, approximately 15% of the global population has a disability, and designing for accessibility is an excellent way to reach out to this market.