Creating a new website? Don't skip accessibility!
You have a great new idea for your organisation, company or association and you want to create a new website. Of course, you want as many people as possible to be able to admire the new website later on. So don't skip accessibility!
Creating a new website? Better prevention than cure
Different users will perceive the information on your new website in different ways. Where some people view an image, others may use auxiliary software to have the text alternative read out. Where some people click a button with the mouse, others may control it via the keyboard.
Digital accessibility means that everyone should be able to access information in their own way. It is therefore not a separate component that you can just add afterwards, it is woven through all parts of the website.
This is precisely why it is important not to digital accessibility skip when creating a new website. Avoid having to make a lot of adjustments afterwards by keeping the different future visitors of your new website in mind from the very beginning.
If you consider digital accessibility right from the start when creating a new website, it makes a difference:
work
time
money
and frustration!
So don't skip accessibility when creating a new website.
New website versus new library
Suppose you were not going to build a new website, but a new library in your town or village. Naturally, you would want to take some things into account right from the start of construction, so that the library is accessible to everyone! There are many things involved in building a new website (or library). In this article, we briefly discuss design, technology and content.
Design of a new website
Design can have a lot of influence on how a visitor experiences the new website. You think in advance about what styles, colours and fonts you want to use. You also have a plan for organising the website.
Just as in a library it is important for people to be able to read the signs in the aisles, on a website it is important for visitors to be able to read what the menu or buttons say, for example. Ochre yellow text may be pretty, but some visitors may have trouble reading what it says. Turquoise icons may look good, but some visitors cannot distinguish these icons from the background. If you take this into account beforehand, you won't have to adjust the weather style afterwards.
In addition to styling, think about the logical structure of the new website. For instance, make sure that fixed items on a page are always in the same place, so that a visitor can easily find them again. It could also be confusing in a library if the thrillers are suddenly somewhere else than you are used to... (spooky!).
Want help designing your new website? Follow our training for UX designers.
Technology of a new website
Technology is the backbone of your new website. New features may be added over time, but for the most part, you will build and continue to use the technology from scratch.
With a new library, you want everyone to be able to physically access the building. For example, visitors in wheelchairs should be able to enter the building without any thresholds at the door. When creating a new website, for example, it is important that all functions can also be accessed and operated using the keyboard. Also, assistive software should be able to read out what each item is to someone who cannot see (well). If you build your own buttons and make them interactive with JavaScript, help software cannot always read out what item it is. And if someone tries to go to the button with the keyboard, it sometimes just skips it.
In the library, you could compare it to a drop-in counter that you can't physically reach because the aisle is too narrow or there are steps in front of it. Or there's a big button on the desk that you can press, but then what happens?
With a new website, you can take this into account from the start by mainly using "native" HTML elements. These are pieces of code that already contain certain properties. A button element can be used for a button. This can be operated by itself with the keyboard, and auxiliary software can determine and read out that this is a button. You can then add your own information, such as the name of the button, so that this can also be read out by auxiliary software.
Want to know more about accessible website building? Follow our introductory training course for developers.
Creating the content of a new website
A library often contains many old books, but new ones are also added all the time. The content on your new website probably won't stay the same forever either. Over time, new content will be added.
It is important that those posting the content from the outset make sure it is accessible and keep thinking about this.
If you post a new video, for example, make sure you have good subtitles for visitors who cannot hear (well). It is also important that all text on the page can be properly read out by auxiliary software and that headers and lists are formatted as such in the code.
A library often rents out audiobooks or films. There are often different types of media, so everyone can choose what they want to borrow. Someone who has difficulty reading might love listening to a story. So from the start, keep in mind that you can offer content in different forms.
Want to learn more about accessible content delivery? For all communication specialists, our training for web administrators is a perfect starting point.
Creating a new website? Check WCAG first
The various success criteria from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are used to check whether a website is accessible. If you know what these guidelines mean from the start, you can take this into account right from the start when creating a new website. A few new success criteria will be added soon, which you can take into account now. Read more about WCAG 2.2 here and download our WCAG checklist here before you get started!
Get to work on accessibility!
Have fun and good luck creating a new website, may as many people as possible visit your new website, by whatever means!
After reading this article, do you have any questions or need help with making your new website accessible? Cardan Technobility's specialists will help you make your new website accessible.
