In today’s digital age, having an ADA-compliant website is crucial for businesses to ensure it is accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires businesses open to the public to make their websites accessible to people with disabilities. Failure to abide by these rules can result in legal action and negatively impact a business’s reputation. This guide will provide eight tips for creating an ADA-compliant website for your jewelry business. Hence, these expert ADA website consultant tips will help you confirm that your website is accessible to everyone while also helping you avoid legal risks.
Understand ADA Compliance
Businesses open to the public and state and local governments should follow an ADA compliance checklist to make sure a website complies with the principles of the Americans with Disabilities Act or ADA. To comprehend ADA compliance, consider the following recommendations:- Businesses should ensure their websites are available to individuals with disabilities to abide by the ADA regulations.
- An ADA compliance checklist can be used as a reference point to ensure that a website complies with the ADA guidelines.
- The US Department of Justice has interpreted Title III of the ADA to include websites as places of public accommodation.
- Businesses should assess their current level of compliance and perform an accessibility audit of their website usage to avoid legal risk.
Use Accessible Design
Designing an accessible website requires doing some research and following specific guidelines. Therefore, here are some tips for designing an accessible website:- Use an ADA checklist for accessibility.
- Consider people with disabilities in the design phase.
- Choose a color palette with enough accessible color combinations.
- Use a font size that should be easy to read.
- Establish a layout that is easy to navigate.
Provide Alternative Text for Images
Alternative text (“alt text”) represents a screen’s visual appearance. People who can’t see the visual image, such as blind or visually impaired users using screen readers, can nonetheless understand the content and purpose of the image thanks to the alt text. Additionally, search engines index Alt text, shown on the page, if an image cannot be loaded. To create excellent alternative text for photos on jewelry websites, consider the following guidelines:- Describe the content and significance of the image concisely and unambiguously.
- Consider what is important about the image, such as the setting, the emotions on people’s faces, the colors, or the relative sizes.
- Avoid using phrases like “a graphic of” or “an image of,” which allude to visuals, or repetitions of the surrounding text in your alt text
- Keep the description concise, using as few words as possible without sacrificing the meaning or intent of the image.
- Don’t include “Image of” or “Photo of” as it is redundant because screen readers will announce it as an image.
Make Videos Accessible
Making accessible videos involves not only the actual content of the video but also how and where it is delivered. Therefore, an accessible media player should support captions, transcripts, descriptions, and keyboard-operated controls such as play, pause, and volume buttons. To make videos accessible, consider the following:- From the project’s beginning, consider accessibility.
- Avoid creating barriers to accessibility when planning, scripting, storyboarding, and recording media.
- For those who are blind or carry vision impairments to obtain the necessary visual cues to comprehend the material, descriptions should be provided.
- Use audio descriptions to let blind and vision-impaired users know what’s happening on the screen.
- Provide captions, a text version of the speech, and sound on the video.
- Provide transcripts, which offer the full text of all that is said in a video. Here are some tips for creating accessible videos for a jewelry website:
- Make use of clear and simple language in the video content.
- Implement high-contrast colors for text and graphics.
- Use large, easy-to-read fonts.
- Create descriptive titles and descriptions for the video.
- Use a video player that supports captions, transcripts, and descriptions.
Use Descriptive Link Text
Descriptive link text is important for accessibility because it helps users understand where the link will take them. Users with disabilities who use screen readers rely on link text to navigate a website. Using descriptive link text also helps with digital marketing for jewelry business and improves the user experience. Here are some tips for writing effective link text for a jewelry website:- Use descriptive text that correctly describes the content of the linked page.
- Avoid generic text like “click here” or “read more.”
- Use concise and clear language.
- Use keywords that are relevant to the linked page.
- Make sure the link text is easy to distinguish from the surrounding text.
Ensure Keyboard Accessibility
For disabled users who cannot use a mouse or other pointing device, keyboard accessibility is crucial. For instance, those with motor limitations must visit websites via the keyboard. Therefore, making sure the keyboard is accessible enhances the overall user experience. So, here are some guidelines for creating a website that is simple to use the keyboard to navigate through:- Use clear and consistent navigation.
- Make sure all interactive elements are keyboard accessible.
- Use skip links to allow users to skip over repetitive content.
- Use meaningful and descriptive labels for form fields.
- Make sure the website can be navigated using the “tab” key.
Test Your Website for Accessibility
Testing a website for accessibility involves using tools and resources to identify accessibility issues and make necessary changes. Many tools and resources are available for testing website accessibility, including automated tools, manual testing, and user testing. Here are some tools and resources for testing website accessibility:- Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool (WAVE)
- Accessibility Insights for Web
- Axe Accessibility
- Color Contrast Analyzer
- User testing with people with disabilities
Train Your Team
For everyone involved in developing a website to understand the value of accessibility and be able to provide accessible content, your staff must receive ADA compliance training. Additionally, it aids in ensuring that accessibility is considered in the development process. Following are some pointers for educating your staff on website accessibility:- Provide training on accessibility guidelines and best practices.
- Encourage team members to use accessibility tools and resources.
- Conduct regular accessibility audits and reviews.
- Foster a culture of accessibility within the organization.
- Encourage feedback from users with disabilities.
