Inclusive and accessible design is essential to creating digital experiences that serve all users, regardless of their abilities or limitations.
In this article, we explore essential practices to ensure your digital products are accessible, promote inclusion, and comply with global standards.
Why is Inclusive Design Important?
Accessible design increases usability for everyone, improves brand reputation, and is a legal requirement in many countries. It also broadens your audience by including people with motor, visual, hearing, or cognitive disabilities.
Essential Practices
- Learn about Accessibility Standards
Familiarize yourself with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). These guidelines are the global standard for creating accessible experiences, with principles such as Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust (POUR).
- Proper Contrast and Clear Typography
Use sufficient contrast between text and background. Clear typography and adjustable font sizes help people with low vision or dyslexia.
- Simplified Navigation
Provide multiple forms of navigation, such as menus, breadcrumbs, and keyboard shortcuts. This benefits both users with disabilities and those who prefer quick navigation.
- Alt Text for Images
Always include clear descriptions in the alt attribute of images. This helps screen reader users and improves SEO.
- Real Accessibility Tests
Use tools like Lighthouse or WAVE, but also test with real users, especially those with disabilities.
- Responsive Interactivity
Ensure buttons and interactive elements are easy to click and have visual and audible feedback. This includes adequate spacing between buttons.
- Avoid Elements that Cause Discomfort
Avoid flashing animations and provide pause controls to prevent issues like seizures or sensory overload.
- Offer Customization Options
Allow adjustments like font enlargement, high contrast, dyslexic-friendly reading, and dark mode.
- Captions and Transcripts
Add captions to videos and transcripts to audio. This improves the experience for users who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- Clear and Up-to-Date Documentation
Provide clear instructions and feedback, and document inclusive practices for future improvements.
Benefits
- Global Accessibility: Products more usable for people with diverse abilities.
- Improved SEO: Accessible elements like alt text and semantic organization help with rankings.
- Greater User Satisfaction: Everyone feels their needs have been considered.
Inclusive design isn’t just a good practice; it’s a necessity for any company that wants to positively impact a diverse audience. Implementing these practices ensures an accessible and engaging product, while also being compliant with accessibility laws.
