Best Practices

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

Digital accessibility is not just about compliance with standards; it’s about ensuring that everyone, regardless of their abilities or disabilities, can use your product effectively. As more people rely on digital products for daily activities, from shopping to banking to education, accessible design becomes crucial for inclusivity.

Why Accessibility is Important

Accessibility extends the reach of your digital products, allowing people with disabilities to interact with them. When digital products are accessible, it can positively impact:

• Reach: Around 15% of the world’s population lives with some form of disability.
• Usability: Many accessibility features improve overall user experience.
• SEO: Accessible sites often rank better in search engines.
• Legal compliance: Avoid legal pitfalls by adhering to accessibility laws and regulations.

Best Practices for Creating Accessible Digital Products

1. Use Semantic HTML

Semantic HTML uses HTML5 elements that give meaning to the web page content. It helps assistive technologies to understand and navigate your website. For example:

        <header>
            <nav>
                <ul>
                    <li><a href="home.html">Home</a></li>
                    ...
                </ul>
            </nav>
        </header>
        <main>
            <article>
                <h1>Article Title</h1>
                <p>Article content...</p>
            </article>
        </main>
        

2. Ensure Keyboard Accessibility

All functionalities should be accessible via a keyboard, as some users can’t use a mouse. Ensure focus indicators are visible, and test all interactive elements using the ‘Tab’ key.

3. Provide Text Alternatives for Non-Text Content

Images, videos, and other multimedia should have text alternatives, such as ‘alt’ attributes for images and transcriptions or captions for videos. This ensures users with visual or hearing impairments can access the content.

4. Use ARIA Landmarks and Roles

Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) roles and landmarks provide more context to assistive technologies. Use them to complement semantic HTML:

        <div role="navigation" aria-label="main navigation">...</div>
        <div role="main">...</div>
        

Case Studies

Case Study 1: BBC Accessibility

The BBC is a leading example in digital accessibility. They have dedicated an entire team to ensure their digital content is accessible. Here are some practices they’ve implemented:

• User Research: Constantly engaging with users with disabilities to gather insights.
• Training and Awareness: Providing accessibility training to all employees.
• Automated Testing: Utilizing automated tools to find and fix accessibility issues.

Outcome: The BBC’s accessibility focus has resulted in a website that not only complies with regulations but also offers a superior user experience for all users.

Case Study 2: Airbnb’s Accessibility Journey

Airbnb has made significant strides in digital accessibility by prioritizing inclusive design throughout their development process. The steps they took include:

• Inclusive Design Process: Involving people with disabilities in the design phase to provide feedback.
• Accessibility Standards: Adopting WCAG 2.1 standards as a baseline for all digital interfaces.
• Regular Audits: Regularly auditing their platform to identify and rectify accessibility issues.

Outcome: As a result, Airbnb has developed a more inclusive platform that enhances the experience for both hosts and guests, driving engagement and customer satisfaction.

Conclusion

Creating accessible digital products is both a necessity and an opportunity. By adopting best practices such as using semantic HTML, ensuring keyboard accessibility, providing text alternatives, and employing ARIA roles, you can build digital experiences that are inclusive for all users. The cases of BBC and Airbnb illustrate the profound impact of prioritizing accessibility, not just in compliance with legal standards, but in delivering a superior, inclusive user experience.

Incorporating accessibility into your design and development processes from the outset can help ensure that your digital products are usable by everyone, fostering inclusivity and equity in the digital space.

Bottom line: Futurology is not fortune telling. Futurists use a scientific approach to create their deliverables, but a methodology and tools like those in FutureHacking™ can empower anyone to engage in futurology themselves.

Image credit: FreePik

Sign up here to get Human-Centered Change & Innovation Weekly delivered to your inbox every week.