What is Website Accessibility?
Web accessibility is the process of creating and designing websites that allow all users, including those with impairments, to properly view, comprehend, navigate, and engage with the web. This comprises people who have cognitive, motor, auditory, or visual impairments. Essentially, an accessible website guarantees that all users, regardless of ability, have equal access to information and functions.
Why Website Accessibility is Important
Web accessibility is essential in the digital-first society of today. More than one billion people worldwide are disabled, and many of them need assistive technology such as voice navigation, screen readers, or keyboard-only input. According to laws like the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Standards), a website that is inaccessible may exclude a sizable percentage of users, resulting in a bad user experience and possible legal repercussions.
What Are the Types of Accessibility Testing?
It is important to keep website accessibility testing human-centric by focusing on the people you are serving. Think about modifying your tests for the following categories, among others:
People who are blind or visually impaired
People with hearing impairments.
Those with limited mobility
Persons with cognitive or learning difficulties
When it comes to testing website accessibility for these groups, you should try to do it in the following ways:
Manual testing: ask team members to evaluate the website’s functionality and identify any obstacles.
Automated testing: use technologies that consistently identify, address, and highlight accessibility issues.
User testing: Interview a wide range of people on a regular basis to see how accessible they think your website is.
Design and legal compliance both depend on an understanding of these testing methodologies and user requirements. This leads us to the reason that accessibility is a basic necessity for contemporary organizations rather than only a desirable quality.
Website Accessibility Benefits
An accessible website enhances usability for all users, not just those with disabilities. Improved mobile responsiveness, improved SEO performance, and a decrease in bounce rates are all benefits of accessibility. Additionally, companies who put accessibility first frequently see an increase in their consumer base and a stronger brand image.
Accessibility Testing Tools
There are a lot of tools and resources available to make the process of assessing the accessibility of your website easier. Such instruments can simplify the process of developing and implementing an accessibility strategy and automate checks.
Even though automated tools are very helpful, they are not a comprehensive accessibility solution. Because accessibility should be by humans, for humans, you must utilize these technologies in conjunction with manual checks and extensive user testing.
Here are some examples of how to use the Semrush App Center’s UserWay tools to verify a website’s accessibility.