4 Principles of Web Accessibility (FOR)
Most of us are handicapped with excellent vision and gross and fine motor skills. However, there is a part of our society that is not so fortunate and therefore to access web pages or web applications they use a different set of accessibility options.
These principles are: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable and Robust. It is also known by the term FOR. By the way, the Web Accessibility Initiative of the World Wide Web Consortium has established the aforementioned WCAG guidelines after careful study. If a digital content fails in any of these parameters, it is not considered 100% accessible for people with disabilities and other deficiencies.
Therefore, web developers must strictly follow the POUR rules to make their content available to people with special needs, and the reason is that they do not use traditional input and output devices such as mouse or LCD/LED monitors. For example, people with partial or total blindness often exploit screen readers, while a few opt for a refreshable Braille display.
In such a scenario, web developers need to provide text alternatives for content that is graphic in nature. An image is a perfect example. The idea is to make a web element. COLLECTABLE. Using an ALT tag for non-text content can make browsing a rewarding experience for people with special needs.
People with low or partial vision problems use the browser’s magnification feature to increase the font size using keyboard shortcut keys (ctrl + or command +). Therefore, web developers should never disable the zoom feature in mobile apps.
Another important accessibility feature is content interpretation. The text has to be UNDERSTANDABLE. A good web agency makes sure that the text content is aligned in the correct way and format. Using information graphics instead of text can hinder screen readers and assistive audio devices. The same needs to be addressed with the right set of alternatives.
In addition, web developers also need to incorporate ROBUST framework that will allow all current and future assistive technologies to be incorporated without additional support or modification.
Finally, a good website/application should boast excellent OPERABLE User interface and navigation. It simply means providing all the functionality of the mouse in one keyboard, to access digital content or application. A good web developer makes sure that the interface and navigation don’t get stuck in a loop or get stuck in a certain section of the page/app. Some of the traps include:
1.
2. : to navigate between multiple web pages, the best option is to use the tag . In addition, these tags allow space and enter to perform the necessary action.
3. Hamburger menus need to be properly labeled so they won’t be missed by screen readers.
HTML buttons and links are an integral part of the operable user interface and navigation. By exploiting it in the right places, web developers can help screen reader users anticipate the outcome of such an action.
Addition –
One of the factors that influence the user experience is accessibility. WWW isn’t just for people with healthy vision and motor skills. It is also for people with special needs. Therefore, web development agencies need to address the above issues and make web content accessible to everyone.
One of the ways to verify your implementation is to browse the site and look for actionable elements/controls that lack keyboard support. Replace them with HTML alternatives. Netlynxinc, a US-based web development company, offers accessibility options at its best, making browsing websites or apps a rewarding experience for people with special needs.
