Last Updated on Jan 21, 2021 by James W
Image credit: Imagesource.io
Developing convenient and understandable user interfaces is key to enhancing the user experience. As the features offered by internet technology are increasing, the user expectation also continues to escalate. This places greater importance on making the digital experience accessible and user-friendly. The internet experience should be convenient for all, irrespective of gender, age, ethnicity, disability, or disease. About 1 in 5 Americans are disabled and 54% of them use the internet. This shows how the web needs to be designed for everyone. Creating websites is increasing as it is one of the most effective ways for branding and creating an online presence.
Accessible websites are those which are designed so that individuals with disabilities are also enabled to use them. Presently, public sector websites need to observe the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG). The private sector will soon adopt the same. The web design should be intuitive to understand, and for that reason, it must appeal to senses, including visual, auditory, and cognitive. The best web design services by TheAdFirm.net are not only accessible but also very easy to navigate through.
1- Allow Users to Resize Pages & Content
The users view products from different screens on a variety of devices. The font size is adjustable by the user to suit their needs. This created convenience for those having a visual disability. The page automatically zooms into the field in which the user inputs data. The user should easily zoom in or zoom out.
2- Color and Size of Text
WCAG suggests using strong contrast of colors. One of the best tools to achieve this is the WebAim Color Contrast Checker. It is useful if you want to create a new palette of colors or work with an existing palette and need to form a complementary color set accessible for the web. This tool helps to input hex codes and choose options from a color wheel. You can also use colors to show changes in states and this also supports visual perception and cognition of visual information. The colors can be grouped with explanatory text, icons, shapes, or a combination of them, making communication clear. The text should have good contrast with the background and the type size should complement it.
3- Use of Header Tags
You need to focus on the complete page instead of focusing on individual segments of the page you create. The Screen Reader software reads the header tags according to the order in which they appear, and the display makes sense, aiding the perception.
The use of headings improves the user experience, as in a survey by WebAIM, 67% of respondents stated their preference for navigating through the headings on the page.
4- The Menu Navigation
The owners of a website study the analytics that help them know how users surf their websites, the tabs they hover over, and the part of the site they are on. The size of clickable areas should be large enough, and not less than 44px by 44px. Another way is to use the screen reader to read the link text of the button of the user’s menu.
5- Image Explained through Text and Voice
This feature can make your website accessible to people with visual as well as a hearing disability. When hovered over an image, either the image will be explained in the text or audio will explain the image to the user. This will make the browsing experience smooth for the user.
Inclusivity is very important in the year 2021 and technology will significantly help the website owners to achieve it.
