Web accessibility means, make websites usable to disable people generally.
Usually people would agree that web accessibility is a good thing. But still there are lots of myths and confusions persist about what exactly web accessibility, how necessary it is for companies and businesses, the benefits and how easy it is to implement. Here are few things we are mentioning, about web accessibility that aren’t necessarily true…
1) Is Web-Accessibility only related with blind users?
Most of the researches highlighted on ways to make websites more accessible for blind and low vision people: making website Screen Reader-friendly, improving the color combination, giving the font-size option etc.
Though these are very important considerations, but visually impaired users aren’t the only disability you should be considering when you think about web accessibility. Accessibility standards are also important for users who:
Have muscular dystrophy like, including tremors, muscle slowness, or a lack of fine muscle control, making it difficult to use a mouse)
Deaf or any sort of hearing deficiency,
Prone to seizures
Have learning disabilities
Senior citizens, who may have a combination of the above deficiencies.
2) Is Web-Accessibility all about adding alt text to graphics?
It is true that Adding descriptive alt text to pictures make them accessible to blind folks. But still it’s not the only thing you should consider. A website with super alt text can still be inaccessible in many other ways.
3) Web-Accessibility does not mean follow Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) only?
WCAG 2.1 is an appropriate choice of reference for assessing the accessibility of a website and has a lot of exceptional guidance to offer on web accessibility. But, they also have their limitations – they aren’t always able to update quickly enough to match the pace of digital change and on their own, they aren’t a guarantee of usability.
The best way to ensure that your website is accessible to all disable users is to include disable persons in your accessibility testing team.
So you can get a better idea what they can accomplish and what they can’t on your website.
4) Using automated evaluation tools to check for accessibility is enough?
Generally you should only use them for a quick check, not as an alternative for appropriate web accessibility testing or an audit.
5) My website accessibility will make it dull and boring??
Disagreeing to this common myth, your website doesn’t have to be dull and boarding to be accessible. It’s absolutely possible to make a fancy, functional and accessible Website You should look for a web-designer who could achieve both of the goles.
6) Is web accessibility is expensive and time wasting?
Web accessibility doesn’t mean to make your website development cost expensive or complicated, if it’s applied in to the beginning of the website development.
If you already have extremely inaccessible website that you want to make accessible, this might take more time and money, but again, it will be beneficial in the long run
7) Nobody have problems with accessing my website!
How can you so sure of that? Not everyone who has issues with accessing your website is going to take the time to write an email about it. Rather they simply went elsewhere – possibly to your competitor – without bothering to contact you and ask you to solve the problem.
8) Accessible websites only help a small number of users?
Do you have any idea that the Global Economics of Disability Annual Report 2016 reported the global population of disable people (PWD)) as 1.3 billion: a market equivalent in size to the population of China.
If you have a business that relates with senior citizens in any way, you have to keep accessibility considerations in mind. And even if you don’t, a larger percentage of your potential customer base than you might realize will benefit from you making your website accessible.
9) Web accessibility is wonderful to have, but not required
As the Equality laws has made it banned for anyone who provides a service (in the public, private and voluntary sectors) to discriminate against disabled people. So making content inaccessible to someone with a disability could be seen as illegal.
10) Making websites accessible doesn’t have other benefits
Do you have any idea there are a number of benefits that come with an accessible website, including:
SEO
Web accessibility standards and SEO best practices have a strong connection. From providing text alternatives to images, video and audio, to giving your site a logical and hierarchical structure, many of the things you can to do make your website accessible will also benefit its search optimization.
