We can help ensure your website and digital content meets Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Following best practices in web accessibility improves overall user experience, gives you a wider reach, and promotes a more inclusive web.
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Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) were first established in 1999 as a set of rules to help make websites and digital content accessible to people with disabilities.
Just like physical stores often have wheelchair ramps for accessibility, web accessibility aims to create the same inclusive environment in digital spaces.
WCAG provides technical and in depth guidelines for developers and designers to create inclusive and user-friendly online experiences for everyone – including people who may have difficulty seeing, hearing, or using a computer in the usual way.
What are some of these guidelines? Here’s a few of the more common ones:
Large text improves readability for people with visual impairments. It allows individuals with conditions like low vision or age-related vision changes to comfortably read and comprehend content. By ensuring that the text on your website is not too small, website content becomes accessible to a wider audience and provides a better user experience.
Alternative text (commonly known as “alt text”) is simply text used to describe images. If an image is not strictly decorative, the use of alt text to describe the image will provide a better user experience for individuals with vision impairment. Individuals with vision impairment commonly rely on assistive technologies including screen readers to browse the web. Thankfully, modern platforms like WordPress and Shopify make it easy to add alt text to your images.
People with color blindness or visual impairments may have difficulty perceiving certain colors, therefore color should not be used to convey important information (i.e. avoid directions like “click the red button for more info”). Further, contrasting colors should be utilized for better visibility. Free tools like Cooolers do an excellent job with ensuring your use of text and background colors are well-contrasted and compliant with WCAG standards.
Websites with video content should have closed captioning or transcripts, so that individuals with difficulty hearing can still understand the content. Thankfully, popular video platforms like YouTube and Vimeo have built in close captioning options, which makes this an easy base to cover in your steps toward a more accessible website.
Proper use of headings ensures logical organization, consistent styling, and clear navigation. The most common issues with heading structure include skipping heading levels, inconsistent heading styles, and using headings for visual styling only. Skipping heading levels can confuse screen reader users, while inconsistent styles make it harder to understand content organization. Misusing headings for visual styling or non-content elements can further clutter your site structure.
Websites should be operable using a keyboard alone, without relying on a mouse. For example, individuals with Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy or arthritis may have limited or shaky hand movements, making it challenging to accurately hold a mouse. A keyboard typically has shortcuts, and often requires less precision and dexterity than mouse movements.
starting at: $2,500
starting at:
$2,500
A brief look at some of our web accessibility clients over the years.
Just like physical stores often have wheelchair ramps for accessibility, web accessibility aims to create the same inclusive environment in digital spaces. This includes individuals facing challenges in vision, hearing, or traditional computer usage.
The way a website is designed and built can make or break the user experience for those with disabilities.
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) were first established in 1999 as a set of rules to help make websites and digital content accessible to people with disabilities.
WCAG provides technical and in depth guidelines for developers and designers to create inclusive and user-friendly online experiences for everyone – including people who may have difficulty seeing, hearing, or using a computer in the usual way.
We elaborate on the most common guidelines above.
Yes, you should. Following WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) will provide a better user experience for a wider audience.
Prioritizing web accessibility can also benefit your brand reputation and set you apart from competitors. Ultimately, it’s an investment that enhances usability, broadens your reach, and contributes to a more inclusive online environment.
Unless we’re referring to a government website (.gov websites), it is typically not a legal requirement to maintain accessibility compliance with your website. It is, however, a considerate and inclusive thing to do that makes your content have a wider reach.
Some companies that sell accessibility software, such as AccessiBe, have built a reputation for marketing the threat of lawsuits in order to boost sales of their products. We think web accessibility is something that should be better understood and more prioritized, but we don’t support shady tactics such as pressuring business owners into thinking they’re going to get sued if they don’t use your software.
Can you be sued for having a website that’s not following WCAG standards? Yes, anyone can sue anyone for anything. Is this a common or likely scenario? Not really. Is it a good idea to learn more about web accessibility and why it matters? Yes. Is it a good idea to implement web accessibility best practices? Also, yes.
Approach web accessibility for the right reasons, not because you’re afraid of getting sued. Also, the earlier you undertake WCAG compliance, the easier it will be to manage and maintain keeping up with new standards as your business and web property grows. Backtracking years of content to gain WCAG compliance is possible (and we’ve done it several times) but can be very time-consuming and expensive.
Rates start at $2,500 for a 5 page website. This is a baseline and can vary drastically based on the size and age of your website. Get in touch and we’ll take a look.
No, and they should be considered a band-aid at best. One of the most popular overlay companies, accessiBe, literally had their sponsorship revoked from the National Federation of the Blind’s annual conference in 2021. In a public press release, NFB noted “accessiBe currently engages in behavior that is harmful to the advancement of blind people in society.” Ouch.
Overlays often get marketed as a quick fix for accessibility issues, which is inherently false. This type of marketing is largely why overlays are so openly debated in the accessibility community.
While overlays can provide some benefit in certain contexts, they should not be considered a comprehensive solution to web accessibility. It is recommended to prioritize building accessible websites from the ground up, adhering to established accessibility standards with old fashioned manual testing.
No. Our primary location is in Los Angeles, but we have clients and team members around the world.
Get in touch and tell us a little bit about your project’s accessibility goals. You can also submit our project request form.
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We take web accessibility seriously and strive for WCAG 2.1 accessibility compliance. If you experience any issues with the accessibility of our website, we want to hear from you – get in touch. Read our full accessibility statement. Visit our web accessibility page to learn more.
