Design An ADA Compliant Website
Design an ADA Compliant website or make your existing site compliant with it. Know which areas to focus on and which ones to pay less attention to.
Some of the important elements to focus on and make accessible to different users are;
• Your main navigation
• Page structure
• Content organization
• Text fonts
• Color contrasts
• Links
• Images and sliders
• Videos and podcasts
• Audios
• Graphs and InfoGraphics
• Documents
• PDFs, Word, and PowerPoint
• Maps
• Tables
Constantly improve your website design and stay up-to-date with the current trends but ensure it remains accessible.
Always test design changes to make sure your site remains ADA Compliant.
Keep learning about the web content accessibility guidelines to keep up with updates and follow all recommendations.
Read relevant blogs or bookmark the w3c website and turn on desktop notifications to never miss an important update.
Some of the best blogs to follow that cover accessibility content are Usability, WebAim, The Bureau of Internet Accessibility, and Usability Geek.
Make sure your website meets all accessibility suggestions. New and advanced technologies are constantly made available to people with disabilities. So, make sure your website evolves with the technology, adapts to changes, and meets rising demands.
Understand that developing an ADA Compliant website is something that takes time. It requires adequate research, time, and dedication. Don’t expect to run tests and complete the entire process within a couple of days. Successful audits and fixes often last up to several months.
If you are concerned about the learning gap or want to avoid common errors and speed up the process work with an accessibility expert. The best part about working with a professional is that they will handle all the nitty-gritty details. They already have experience in the area and know how to effectively audit your site. So, hire someone who has been in business for some time and has a good record.
The right consultant or agency will evaluate your website’s accessibility using the web content accessibility guidelines, recommend an effective plan to make your site ADA Compliant, and help you implement the necessary changes.
A few questions to ask to ensure you work with someone who will help you meet your goals are:
- “How long have you been in this line of business?”
- “Have you ever worked with businesses in my field?”
- “What are your charges?”
- “How often must we meet?”
- “What communication channels can we use?”
- “How long is it going to take to complete the entire process?”
- “Are you going to recommend a plan for us to make our site ADA Compliant?”
- “Can you help us implement the plan. If yes, do you charge extra?”
To succeed, make sure your website is accessible to the following groups of people:
• Deaf persons
• Blind or visually impaired people
• People with learning difficulties
• People with behavioral or emotional disabilities
• People with speech disabilities
• People with neurological limitations
• Temporary or permanent injuries
• People with limited movement