In a time where technology matters more and more every day, there’s no question that accessibility needs to extend beyond our physical spaces and into the digital world. Similar to many areas, digital spaces are not often thought of when it comes to the accessibility community. Physical structures, while important, are often solely focused on, when in reality, technology is a major part of what improves the quality of life for those in the accessibility community.

When we think about accessibility, visible impairments come to mind, however, the community is made up of people who have the following challenges:

• Vision impairment
• Colour blindness
• Hearing impairment

These challenges can affect a person’s ability to engage with and consume content and digital information. This doesn’t just affect the enjoyment that they can experience, but it also causes them to miss out on imperative information. 

Remember that, like building accessibility, web accessibility is legally required in Australia per Section 5 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1992.

So how do you know if your business has an accessible website? 

Here’s an accessibility checklist for your website. If you answer no to any of these questions, you should re-evaluate your website and contact your developer.

1 – Is your website coded to allow for accessibility programs?

Your website should be coded with proper header tags, and include image alternative text and clearly defined link descriptions. These allow screen reader programs to read the text on your website effectively for visually impaired and blind users.  

2 – Does your website use a lot of moving text and images?

Screen reader programs are very sensitive to pop-ups and moving text and images on websites. If you have a lot of pop-ups and carousels, a visually impaired or blind user may find it difficult to navigate your website, determine where they are in your website and ultimately, will not be able to acquire the information they need. 

3 – Can a user navigate your website using keyboard shortcut commands?

Using a mouse or keypad is not just a problem for people with non-visible impairments. Physical impairments can also prevent people from being able to properly use a mouse. Keyboard shortcut commands are much easier and accessible for people with impairments. You should ensure that your website is not complicated and can be easily navigated.

4 – Is your website video content captioned?

Captioned video content is key for providing context to those with severe hearing loss and who are deaf. 

The accessibility of a business website is imperative for ensuring that the accessibility community can access the information they need and enjoy the content that many Australians do on a day-to-day basis. For more information on accessibility in Australia, visit Access Link Consulting.