{"id":43452,"date":"2020-10-14T06:40:41","date_gmt":"2020-10-14T06:40:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/elementor.com\/blog\/?p=43452"},"modified":"2025-12-22T14:13:50","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T12:13:50","slug":"web-accessibility-design-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/elementor.com\/blog\/web-accessibility-design-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Elementor Team Writes: How to Design for Web Accessibility \u2014 Key Principles & Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

About the author: Alina Khazanova, Product Designer @ Elementor<\/b><\/p>

Alina is a product designer at Elementor. Her passion is to bring valuable and satisfying product experience to the users.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

According to the World Health Organization, over 5% of the world\u2019s population has disabling hearing loss<\/a>, and at least 1 billion people suffer from vision impairment or blindness<\/a>. To avoid unintentionally excluding anyone from accessing your website or apps, it\u2019s important to make web accessibility a priority.<\/p>

This requires you to implement digital accessibility as a core part of your projects, rather than as an afterthought. You\u2019ll be able to create a better User Experience (UX) that your audience will appreciate, and avoid legal issues that might arise due to non-conformance with international accessibility standards.<\/p>

In this article, we’ll discuss web accessibility in depth \u2014 what it is, why it\u2019s vital, some standards guiding conformance, principles to aid you when implementing it, and finally, how to test and improve your website\u2019s accessibility. Let’s dive in!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

What Is Web Accessibility?\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

From a broad perspective, an accessible website<\/a> is one that is readily available and comprehensible to any user regardless of their device, situation, or ability. Web accessibility encompasses any tool or technology used to access the internet and digital products.<\/p>

Although internet technology was designed to remove many barriers and obstacles to communicating and interacting with the world, certain issues can get in the way of this ideal. For example, people with disabilities such as blindness or hearing loss can have some trouble interacting with a site if there aren\u2019t adequate enhancements built-in.<\/p>

Like everyone else, these people have a basic right to interact with and contribute to the web, as well as to perceive information through a variety of digital devices. Therefore, accessibility is considered an essential part of any site or application.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Why Design for Web Accessibility?\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Designing for accessibility can benefit people who have disabilities that affect access to the web. These impairments can be auditory, cognitive, neurological, physical, speech-based, or visual. As digital designers, we are responsible for making our creations inclusive and accessible to people with diverse abilities and in many contexts:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Image_01_child\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
A child with a hearing disability interacting with a computer<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

It is important to note that accessibility can benefit even those without disabilities. For example, older people tend to have difficulty reading small fonts. You may also have users with small screens, slow internet connections, or \u2018temporary disabilities\u2019 such as lost glasses. You\u2019ll also need to account for \u2018situational limitations\u2019 like a noisy environment.<\/p>

If that\u2019s not enough, there are plenty of other arguments for making your website accessible. Not only is it a good practice, ethically speaking, but it’s also essential to meet many international standards and minimize legal risks<\/a>. In other words, failure to conform to these standards can leave you open to lawsuits.<\/p>

For example, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)<\/a> is a law in the USA that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities. According to\u00a0UsableNet\u2019s report<\/a> for 2020, ADA-based web and app lawsuits were filed even during the coronavirus lockdown, and they quickly reached their 2019 rates as early as May.<\/p>

It is important to research the accessibility guidelines for your industry, to ensure that your site is fully compliant. For example, government websites in the public sector are required to adhere to stricter guidelines than in other industries. Regardless of your reason for ensuring compliance, it will be time and effort well-spent.<\/p>

Finally, there is also a business case for accessibility<\/a>. Accessible websites often rank higher in search results and have faster loading times. Running a highly-accessible site is also a perfect way to strengthen brand presence, attract more visitors, and improve the overall customer experience.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tImprove Your Website's Accessibility With Elementor<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

An Introduction to Web Accessibility Standards\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

While you can find several resources online about how to make your website accessible, a widely agreed-upon standard is useful for ensuring consistency. This is the role filled by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)<\/a>, an international standard developed by the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)<\/a>.<\/p>

WAI is a project by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), which is the main international standards organization for the web. It provides technical specifications, guidelines, techniques, and supporting resources for accessibility. The WCAG is regularly updated, and the latest edition is\u00a0WCAG 2.1<\/a>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

The 4 Main Web Accessibility Principles\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Exploring the WCAG guidelines on your own can be overwhelming, so we\u2019ve put together a brief overview of the most important points that will help you implement accessibility in your projects. Here are the four main principles you\u2019ll want to keep in mind.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

1. Your Content Should Be Perceivable\n<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

The internet is a huge trove of information, and all of that content needs to be perceived somehow. By using the sense of sight, one can read the text, make sense of page layout, and understand the meanings of words and colors in different contexts.<\/p>

However, when your users cannot rely on sight, there need to be alternative ways for them to engage with your application. You\u2019ll want to provide captions and other substitutes for multimedia elements.<\/p>

Assistive technologies can be very handy in this respect. For example, screen readers can take care of converting your text to audio. However, you’ll first need to ensure that your site is designed with accessibility in mind. Only then can you fully take advantage of the extra functionality these assistive products offer.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

2. Your User Interface (UI) Should Be Operable\n<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Whether or not users can interact with your site using physical devices such as a keyboard or mouse, or have a personal preference for alternative methods, you’ll want to accommodate as many needs as possible. It\u2019s smart to ensure that your users are able to navigate and engage with your website and its content efficiently.<\/p>

For example, supporting keyboard navigation also makes your content accessible by devices that emulate keyboards. You\u2019ll also want to allow your users enough time to complete tasks. For example, they should be given adequate time for reading confirmation messages before the page is reloaded.<\/p>

Key features you can provide in this area include site search, site maps, and “skip navigation” <\/a>links. Additionally, you’ll also want to ensure that your content structure is easily perceivable, by making ample use of semantic elements and spacing.<\/p>

Although there may be security concerns over features such as extended time limits in certain applications, such as online banking or school tests, you’ll want to do your best to keep things secure while still ensuring that disabled users aren’t excluded. For example, in the case of tests, you can create custom time limits for different students.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

3. Make Your Content Understandable\n<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Humans communicate mainly via verbal or written language, and the best way to ensure that your material is understandable is by using appropriate font sizes and color contrasts. Users should also be provided with straightforward feedback so they can avoid and correct mistakes. It\u2019s also important for your navigation to be clear, consistent, and predictable.\u00a0<\/p>

Factors such as educational background, culture, and familiarity with the subject matter can affect one’s ability to understand a given piece of content. Therefore, you’ll want to make sure to use simple words, explaining any background information required to sufficiently assimilate a piece of content. Also consider making supplements to text available, such as audio files<\/a>, videos, illustrations, and more. It’s also smart to include summaries of lengthy material.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

4. Your Website or Web App Should Be Robust\n<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Technologies keep evolving, and it’s important that your application keeps up. You\u2019ll also have users accessing your site with many different operating systems and browsers, even outdated ones. Your website still has to work for everyone (or as many users as possible), and visitors will want to be able to choose or customize their technologies to meet their needs.<\/p>

One way to achieve robustness is to build your website or application using modern tools and techniques. This requires clarity and careful planning during the development stage. For example, you\u2019ll want to use the correct markup for content and include appropriate names, roles, and values for components.<\/p>

To accommodate as many users as possible, consider setting baseline requirements for using your site. For example, you might choose to support older browser versions up to a certain limit. You should also consider validating your site against technical standards \u2014 such as by using the W3C markup validator<\/a> or the CSS equivalent<\/a> \u2014 as compliant code is more likely than not to work across browsers and with different assistive technologies.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

How to Understand Web Accessibility Success Rates\n<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Each of the four accessibility principles listed above can be measured using a success criteria level. This can be:<\/p>

  • A:<\/strong> The minimum requirement for accessibility<\/li>
  • AA:<\/strong> A medium or good level of accessibility<\/li>
  • AAA:<\/strong> The gold standard of accessibility<\/li><\/ul>

    Ensuring the lowest level of accessibility by removing the most significant obstacles fulfills the minimum requirement. However, satisfying the next two levels after that increasingly enhances User Experience (UX) for those with and without disabilities.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

    \n\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t

    Is your website accessible? Find out and fix issues fast with Ally. <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t
    \n