There has been a growing amount of discussion about making websites more accessible to people with disabilities in recent weeks. At Indigo Tree, we have become increasingly aware of our role in providing web access to a broader range of people. Here’s how it’s already helping our clients increase their reach.
It’s not just people with disabilities who might use assistive technology (like screen readers) to access information on the Web – a much wider range of individuals is involved. That’s also one of the reasons we want to focus on accessible websites in the coming year.
Accessibility is for Everyone
Web Accessibility is the practice of designing and developing websites that can be used by people who might be using assistive technology to access the information on websites, or who may be limited in some other way. For example, they may not be able to use a mouse or be colourblind.
But it also includes those of our audiences who have a “temporary disability” because of a sports injury, a slip, trip or fall, or perhaps one too many beverages at the local the night before. It also includes people of a … maturing … age whose eyes aren’t what they used to be (that consists of the author of this blog post!).
That’s why we’re keen to stick to definitions like “accessibility” and “inclusive design” – terms that convey the striking positives of the situation: if you improve a website for these individuals, it benefits everyone, not just certain groups. We never know when we might forget our glasses, and suddenly the grey-on-white text becomes a challenge to read.
I started using the web at a really young age and I couldn’t imagine growing up not using all those tools I use every day. That’s why accessibility is so important.
The Manifesto
At Indigo Tree, we believe that there hasn’t been enough movement among our peers to ensure that what we produce is accessible. For many agencies, Web Accessibility isn’t a consideration. We aim to lead the way with accessibility among our contemporaries and demonstrate what can become second nature to every developer, all while maintaining the design and functionality of our sites.
We’ve already been doing this. Our custom-built in-house theme already includes things like alt tags on all images by default, and uses tab indexing to make sure people who use a keyboard to navigate around a website can do so easily.
However, we aim to raise the bar and strive for WCAG “AA” as a standard practice where feasible. This isn’t something that will cost our customers extra; it’s something we do because we’re professionals committed to excellence.
Benefits to Our Customers
Some government agencies are already required to make their websites accessible to the public. However, there are other benefits that you may not be aware of…
1) SEO
Search engines are blind to images without alt tags, so this content often doesn’t get indexed. We think in the near future, this might be the next thing that search engines start to identify as a ranking metric.
2) Improved Conversion Opportunities
Because we make your websites accessible, you can reach a wider audience. As we’ve already mentioned, this isn’t only about permanently disabled individuals, but also about those with a short-term condition that affects their ability.
3) Improved Goodwill
It only takes one bad experience for a potential customer to be discouraged forever. Making things accessible will, in all likelihood, lead to increased goodwill and make your products and services more appealing to a broader range of individuals, even if they are not quite ready to commit to you at the moment.
You’re addressing wider and wider audiences and bringing more and more people in
The Year of Accessibility
We’re pleased to echo the sentiments of WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg, who says that in 2017, we’ll be focusing on accessibility and security as two key areas that will help put our customers on the map.