# Design
Accessibility guide: Designing inclusive websites and applications for all users
Red Rocket TeamNov 18, 20244 min read
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What does web accessibility mean? Why is accessibility important in web design? Testing website for accessibility – how to know if you are inclusive Standards and requirements for web accessibilityAs the World Health Organization states, in 2024, there are about 1.3 billion people with impairments or disabilities worldwide. Unfortunately, this statistic has a negative trend, and already 16% of the world's population has various types of disabilities. Undoubtedly, all things familiar to people should be accessible to everyone. Websites are no exception, so when developing your own web resource, don't forget to think about people with disabilities.
Surely, there are several forms of violations of human functionality, so taking care of web accessibility is quite a difficult task for many. If you have failed to create an accessible website, then you can potentially lose some traffic and customers. What to do? You should follow the guidelines and accessibility basics that are already used in applications, websites, and even web games. We are here to tell you more about how to make your website truly accessible to everyone, improve the user experience, and allow you to reach as many target audiences as possible on the Internet.
What does web accessibility mean?
It's no secret that the behavioral factors of a website visitor are influenced by many factors. Agree it would be inconvenient to use a resource if it lacked a clear structure or if important buttons were too small. That is why most website and application development companies target their target audience. However, you should always take into account that people with disabilities may also want to visit your website, and all conditions should be created for them. And so, we suggest moving on to the definition of web accessibility.
Web accessibility refers to designing websites and applications that can be used effectively by people with different disabilities. It ensures that everyone, including those with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive impairments, can access and interact with online content.
By following web accessibility principles, developers make digital spaces inclusive, allowing all users to navigate, understand, and engage equally. This approach not only benefits users with disabilities but also improves the overall user experience and usability for all. To understand how accessibility differs, you need to consider which people with disabilities exist. In general, experts distinguish five types:
- (01)Hearing impairments (e.g., deafness or partial hearing loss).
- (02)Visual impairments (e.g., blindness or color blindness).
- (03)Speech impairments (e.g., muteness or speech impairments).
- (04)Disorders of motor functions (e.g., paralysis or tremors).
- (05)Cognitive impairments (e.g., dyslexia or memory issues).
We also want to point out that developers, designers, copywriters, marketers, and other specialists use special IT terminology. For example, accessibility is often referred to as digital accessibility or speedily «a11y». That is why further in this article, all the variants of the use of this term will be mentioned.
Why is accessibility important in web design?
A website or application works as an intermediary between a business/non-profit organization and a client/user. In simple terms, user friendly design helps to keep users on the site, which, as a result, can help increase profits. This is one of the main points in the question, «why is accessibility important in web design». However, we suggest analyzing each item in more detail in order to better understand the importance of digital accessibility.
Improving search engine optimization.
It's no secret that advanced search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo appreciate it when a created platform is available to every user. Another hallmark of accessibility is that all well-and-more search engines use it as an element of aspects while ranking, supposing that accessible sites are better for all users.
Expanding the target audience.
Ensuring your site is an accessible one means it will become available to the physically challenged, including the visually impaired, the hearing impaired and the motor challenged. When providing content for these users, your site becomes more compatible with millions of users around the world.
The influx of new traffic.
If you have potentially expanded your target audience, your chances of increasing traffic have become higher. The higher the level of openness of a site, the more it acquires users with a simple, comfortable, and satisfying search experience.
Comfortable use of the site for visitors.
Finally, convenient navigation of the website or app for the user is the last and most convincing argument in favor of accessibility in web design.
Obviously, all of the reasons above will allow you to attract more users who can potentially turn into real customers. As a result, you can improve profitability and brand awareness.
Testing website for accessibility – how to know if you are inclusive
Do you want to know if your site is suitable for the «easily accessible» status for every user on the Internet? All you need is to conduct an independent check for accessibility and correctly evaluate the results of the analysis. Especially for these purposes, we have prepared an extended checklist that you can use.
Keyboard navigation.
Any website should be able to be controlled using the keyboard without using the mouse. Therefore, you need to check how realistic this is at the moment for your resources on the Internet.
Compatible with the screen reader.
People with vision problems mostly navigate websites thanks to the voice assistant. Popular tools such as NVDA, JAWS, and VoiceOver can help you with this. Verify that videos have transcripts or captions so all users, including those with hearing impairments, can access information.
The contrast of the color.
Make sure that the text is easy to read against its background. What is the optimal contrast ratio? Aim to get a value of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for larger text.
Changing the size and scale.
Your website or app should be able to increase in size by up to 200%. Moreover, make sure that all content remains available when the size is reduced or increased.
Cognitive accessibility.
You can test the accessibility of the website in one more way. See if people with cognitive impairments can use your resource. That is, make sure that the headlines are written in simple language, and the content should be organized in a logical sequence.
The above are excellent ways to check the digital availability of a website or application. However, we know what will help you save time and get more accurate results. There are special online testers that allow you to see errors, weaknesses, and the overall picture of your site in the context of a11y. For example, the WAVE service allows you to see an independent evaluation of the accessibility of your resource in a matter of seconds.
Standards and requirements for web accessibility
Let's compare websites with offline locations that people often visit. In order for people with disabilities to be able to visit public places and commercial premises without problems, all conditions must be created for them. For example, in the United States, The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) speaks about this, and a similar practice exists in almost all countries of the world. The same situation applies to websites and web applications. Here are the standards, requirements, and laws regarding accessibility basics:
1. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
The WCAG, developed by the W3C, is the most widely adopted set of guidelines for web accessibility worldwide. Organized under three levels (A, AA, and AAA), WCAG focuses on making web content perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust for all users. The guidelines cover a broad range of needs, from creating alternative text for images to ensuring screen reader compatibility.
2. Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA)
Enacted in the United States in 2010, the CVAA requires that digital communication services and video content be accessible to people with disabilities. This act mandates that devices, services, and online content providers make accommodations for users with disabilities, especially for video accessibility, which includes closed captioning and audio descriptions for online video.
3. The European Accessibility Act (EAA)
Introduced to create a unified approach to accessibility across the European Union, the EAA sets requirements for products and services, including websites, e-books, and e-commerce. The EAA’s goal is to ensure equal access to digital resources, benefiting not only users with disabilities but also elderly users and those with temporary impairments.
As you may have already understood, the specific standards, rules, requirements, and laws regarding digital accessibility may vary depending on the country in which your website is registered.
Final Thoughts
The implementation of different types of accessibility on a website or web application is more than just the requirements of the state or international organizations. First of all, it takes care of all users and customers, regardless of their capabilities. Thus, business owners show that every visitor is equally important to them. Of course, having a great design with digital accessibility, you have the opportunity to attract more customers and increase your profits.
