WebAIM provides users with a list of accessibility resources and tools to help them learn about web accessibility. It includes an introduction to web accessibility, their WCAG checklist, and a Word and PowerPoint evaluation checklist.
Quick Facts
- The Internet offers people with disabilities opportunities to read and access content unavailable to them before the World Wide Web. Assistive/adaptive technologies mean that persons with disabilities can access websites if they are accessible.
- The WebAIM: Introduction to Web Accessibility web page presents four disability categories:
- Visual (blindness, partial vision, and colour blindness)
- Auditory (Deafness and hard of hearing)
- Motor (they have limited fine motor skills and may not be able to use a mouse)
- Cognitive (learning disabilities, and those who cannot focus on large amounts of information)
- The principles of accessible design to ensure that websites are accessible for people with different disabilities are:
- Provide alt-text for images.
- Makes sure your website and communications are structured logically (headings, lists, etc.).
- Provide headings in data tables.
- Ensure that online/digital forms can be completed and submitted by everyone.
- Use informative links (e.g. not “Click here”).
- Caption and provide transcripts of media.
- Ensure all non-HTML content you provide or link to is accessible (PDFs, Word, PowerPoint, etc.)
- Use skip links on your site (they let users skip over menu options to the mail content).
- Do not use colour to convey meaning alone.
- Write content so that it is clear and understandable.
- Makes sure JavaScript is accessible.
- Follow accessible design standards (like WCAG).
Test and audit your website to make sure it’s accessible!
Reference
WebAIM (2021). Resources. Website. Retrieved from: https://webaim.org/resources/
WebAIM (2020). Introduction to Web Accessibility. Web page. Retrieved from: https://webaim.org/intro/