| Accessible web design is a way of building a website | | | | information or services being presented. This is |
| so that people who may experience difficulty | | | | accomplished by including bits of HTML code which |
| accessing the information from or purchasing goods or | | | | screen readers can find but which may or may not |
| services on a website can do so. These difficulties | | | | appear on a browser. For instance adding a little to the |
| range from older hardware/software and slower | | | | code which presents and places a picture can also |
| internet connections to people for whom English (or | | | | include a verbal description ordinarily it is invisible but a |
| whatever language the website is presented in) is a | | | | screen reader will find it and read it aloud. |
| second langue to people living with disabilities. It is for | | | | Now this article is about how making all this extra |
| this last group that most effort is expended when | | | | effort will increase sales to everyone. After all, going |
| considering accessibility and where this article will | | | | through the process of website accessibility testing, the |
| primarily focus. However it is important to note that all | | | | first step, and then changing a current site accordingly |
| accessibility issues are interrelated and can help a | | | | can't be free. And though it need not be expensive, |
| website do its job better for any potential client. | | | | true enough it isn't free. |
| People with partial or complete visual impairment | | | | There are two main reasons why the investment is |
| present perhaps the biggest set of challenges to the | | | | worthwhile - beyond the moral and legal aspects. |
| web designer. After all, the web is primarily a visual | | | | First, adding the bits of code, such as in the case of |
| medium. The power of the web, though is that it | | | | pictures, gives your designer the chance to add |
| doesn't rely on only one way of presenting. A video | | | | keywords, which search engines look for in a page to |
| can have running captions for the hearing impaired. | | | | determine your site's ranking. Also, by using quality |
| Text can be resized for those who find it too small or | | | | accessible design techniques your page will be more |
| colors changed for people who can read it better with | | | | attractive to search engines. Search engines use |
| different contrasts. And it can be read aloud for those | | | | software usually called robots or spiders to read a |
| who can't see it at all. | | | | page - visually impaired users use software screen |
| Many blind and partially sighted internet users rely on | | | | readers to do the same. Most of the elements and |
| what are known as screen readers. These are | | | | techniques which make a page attractive to one are |
| programs which act a bit like your browser except, as | | | | exactly what is needed to be attractive to the other. |
| the name implies, they read what is on the page aloud. | | | | Second, one of the things accessible design makes |
| They allow the user to not only hear the copy but also | | | | one think about when designing a page is how to |
| to navigate through the website, enter information into | | | | streamline the process the page is created for. If |
| a purchase form, and even glean data presented in | | | | something is for sale, discount airline tickets, for |
| graphs, maps, or other images - if the page has been | | | | instance, then how do we make the pitch, search out |
| designed with this in mind. | | | | the specific tickets, and take the payment information |
| In order to explain how we need to understand a little | | | | as efficiently as possible. What extras, like nifty |
| of how a web page works. As you probably know, | | | | graphics, seductive seaside sounds, or blinking |
| what you see on a webpage is what the author has | | | | headlines help us achieve our goal and which distract? |
| chosen to show you - to accomplish that she needs to | | | | The average web user decides whether to stay on a |
| write so called code. To see what it looks like simply | | | | new web page in the first five seconds and they allow |
| look at the top of your browser and find View. There | | | | for one or two frustrating moments. Then they leave |
| find the View Source (or something similar) and click it. | | | | and find your competition. Removing obstacles and |
| A page will appear which, if you don't read HTML, | | | | making the next step clear and easy will help |
| looks like gibberish. This is the language of web | | | | everyone do business on your website. |
| presentation. Most of that code is there to tell your | | | | To turn that potential client into a real, paying one you |
| browser how to present the page. On a given page | | | | need to use all the tools available. Accessible design is |
| there are likely to be decorative images like navigation | | | | one of the more powerful ones you have. It opens up |
| buttons, informative images like maps, text, and | | | | a whole new potential group of clients with visual |
| navigation. There may also be videos, embedded | | | | impairments or don't read English too well who need |
| sounds, animations, complex forms, etc. And if the | | | | access to internet services but it also makes making |
| page has been designed with accessibility in mind then | | | | that sale to any visitor to your site that much more |
| it also contains options so that a person with an older | | | | likely. |
| computer or a screen reader can still benefit from the | | | | |