Web Accessibility Barriers

There are many areas that cover an accessible website, but here are a few of the more common examples that will help you understand some common solutions that break down accessibility barriers.

• Alternative Text
  You’ll hear lots of talk about alternative (alt) text. It is the reference to the requirement that images should include equivalent alternative text in the markup/code. In simple terms, it means that whatever information the image conveys visually, the alt text should convey in text. If alt text isn’t provided for images that contain content then that content is unavailable to them. This applies not only to those who cannot see the screen but to those who might have turned off images on their mobile phone to lower bandwidth charges, or people who live in a rural area with low bandwidth to speed up downloads. It also makes image content available to search engines.
• Keyboard Input
  Some people cannot use a mouse. This might be an older user with limited motor control or anyone with limited use of their hands or arms. An accessible website will not rely on the use of a mouse. It will provide all functionality via a keyboard. This lets people with disabilities use assistive technologies that mimic a keyboard, such as speech input.
• Transcripts for Video and Audio
  Just as images aren’t available to people who can’t see, audio files aren’t available to people who can’t hear. By providing a text transcript (or closed captioning for video files), the audio information becomes accessible to those who are deaf or hard of hearing as well as to search engines and other technologies. Closed captioned means that captions (a visible transcript of the audio portion) can turn captions on or off. Open captions mean that the captions are always seen.

These are just a few examples of accessibility barriers and how proper website management and development will help to eliminate or less barriers. There are many types of barriers and many possible solutions. With as many as 30% of the population affected by some form of disability it is to our benefit to make sure we make our sites accessible to everyone. Think of it this way; if you wear glasses or contacts or maybe a hearing aid and someone was to take those “accessibility aids” away from you, you could suddenly find yourself at a serious loss and unable to achieve all you do now. That is how those unable to use our websites feel, and by applying proper accessibility methods, we give them back the tools that remove much of their disability.