Ep 257 | Why Website Accessibility is Important with Max Ivey

Website accessibility is not something we commonly think about, but is really important. It matters because you want your users to have a great experience, search engines care, and it's a legal requirement. So how do you know if your website is accessible? We start to scratch the surface in this episode so you can evaluate your current website and start to make changes.

What you'll learn:

→ why accessibility matters.
→ where to get started.
→ focus on simplicity.
→ paying attention to your multimedia elements.

Want to skip ahead? Here are key takeaways:

[3:37] Two reasons why building an accessible website is important. The first is that when your website is accessible it creates a better user experience for all users. Creating an accessible experience creates loyalty with users.
[7:29] Ditch the overwhelm and tackle this project like you would any problem you're trying to solve at your organization. Start with the goals in mind and the most important thing you need your website to do. Fix that process first and go from there.
[10:04] Simply your designs. If someone has a visual impairment they must use the website from a keyboard only. Ensure they can easily navigate the page and understand the flow of content.
[16:49] Pay special attention to images, audio and video. Ensure all images have alt text so e-readers know what the image is about. Add transcripts to video and audio. If you can, describe things that people might need hep visualizing in your audio or video. And don't upload images with text on them.

Resources

WAVE – Web Accessibility Evalutation Tool
EP 164 | Create a Better User Experience for All with Amber Hinds