Web accessibility refers to the practice of making websites and web-based applications usable by people with disabilities. This includes those who have visual, auditory, physical, cognitive, and neurological disabilities. Web accessibility also benefits people who use assistive technologies, such as screen readers, to access the web.
Importance of accessibility in web design
Accessibility is an important aspect of web design that should be considered from the start of the design process. It ensures that websites are usable by the widest possible audience, including those with disabilities. Websites that are accessible are also more usable for everyone, regardless of their abilities. This includes older people, people with temporary impairments, and people who use mobile devices.
Inclusive design is not only a moral imperative but also a legal requirement in many countries. There are laws and regulations in place to ensure that websites are accessible to people with disabilities. Not complying with these laws can result in legal action, fines, and negative publicity.
Accessibility also has significant financial benefits for businesses. Websites that are accessible to a wider audience can attract more customers and increase sales. Accessible websites also have better search engine optimisation (SEO), which can lead to higher search engine rankings and more visibility.
This article will explore the legal requirements, user benefits, design considerations, testing, and evaluation of accessibility in web design. We will also discuss best practices and tools that can be used to create accessible websites. By the end of this article, you will better understand the importance of accessibility in web design and how to create inclusive websites that are usable by everyone.
It is important to note that accessibility is not only a one-time effort but needs to be implemented and maintained throughout the web development process. To create an inclusive and accessible website, it is important to involve people with disabilities in the design process, test the website with real users, and make changes as necessary. With the right approach, it is possible to create websites that are not only accessible but also visually appealing and easy to use.

Legal requirements
The legal requirements for accessibility in web design vary by country, but they all have the same goal: to make the web accessible to everyone. This includes laws and regulations, such as the Disability Discrimination Act in Australia, which make it unlawful to discriminate against people with disabilities in certain areas of public life, including in the provision of goods and services, such as websites.
Overview of accessibility laws and regulations
Web accessibility is not only a moral imperative, but it is also a legal requirement in many countries. There are laws and regulations in place to ensure that websites are accessible to people with disabilities. These laws and regulations vary by country, but they all have the same goal: to make the web accessible to everyone.
Legal requirements in different countries
In the United States, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that all businesses with a physical presence make their websites accessible to people with disabilities. This includes both public and private organisations, regardless of their size. The U.S. Department of Justice has issued guidelines for making websites accessible under the ADA, which include the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
In the European Union, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Web Accessibility Directive (WAD) require that public sector websites be accessible to people with disabilities. The WAD requires that public sector websites meet the WCAG 2.0 guidelines and be accessible by September 23, 2020.
Other countries have similar laws and regulations, such as the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) in the United Kingdom and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) in Canada.
Legal requirements in Australia
In Australia, the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) makes it unlawful to discriminate against people with disabilities in certain areas of public life, including in the provision of goods and services, such as websites. The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) provides guidance on ensuring that websites comply with the DDA.
In addition, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is widely accepted as the standard for accessibility in Australia. The WCAG were developed by the World Wide Web Consortium and provides a set of guidelines for making web content more accessible to people with disabilities. The Australian government has adopted WCAG as the standard for the accessibility of government websites.
Some of the specific standards for web accessibility in Australia include providing alternative text for images, providing captioning for videos, and providing keyboard navigation for users who cannot use a mouse. It’s also important to provide clear and simple language and to use colours and contrast that are easy to see for people with visual impairments.
Consequences of non-compliance
Failing to comply with accessibility laws and regulations can result in legal action, fines, and negative publicity. In addition to legal consequences, non-compliance can also lead to negative publicity, which can harm a business’s reputation and lead to a loss of customers. It can also lead to missed opportunities, as an inaccessible website can limit the potential audience and customer base.

User benefits
Accessibility in web design not only benefits users with disabilities but also improves usability for all users and enhances search engine optimisation (SEO). It is an important aspect of web design that should be considered from the start of the design process to ensure that websites are usable by the widest possible audience.
Increased accessibility for users with disabilities
One of the most obvious benefits of accessibility in web design is that it increases accessibility for users with disabilities. This includes people who have visual, auditory, physical, cognitive, and neurological disabilities. For example, providing alternative text for images allows users who are blind or have low vision to understand the content of images using a screen reader.
Providing captioning for videos allows users who are deaf or hard of hearing to understand the audio content of videos. Providing keyboard navigation allows users who have mobility impairments to navigate the website without using a mouse.
Making a website accessible also benefits people who use assistive technologies, such as screen readers, to access the web. Assistive technologies rely on web content being structured and labelled in a way that is understandable to the technology. By following web accessibility guidelines, websites can be designed to be compatible with assistive technologies, making them more usable for users who rely on these technologies.
Improved usability for all users
Accessibility in web design not only benefits users with disabilities but also improves usability for all users. For example, providing clear and simple language, and using colours and contrast that are easy to see, can make a website easier to understand for everyone. Providing keyboard navigation can make a website easier for users who prefer to use the keyboard instead of the mouse.
Accessibility also improves the user experience for users who have temporary impairments, such as those who are in a bright environment and have trouble reading the text or those who are in a noisy environment and have trouble hearing the audio.
Enhanced Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
Accessibility in web design can also enhance search engine optimisation (SEO) by making a website more easily crawlable by search engine bots. Search engine bots rely on web content being structured and labelled in a way that is understandable to the bot. By following web accessibility guidelines, websites can be designed to be compatible with search engine bots, which can lead to higher search engine rankings and more visibility.
In addition, an accessible website can also attract more users and potential customers, which can lead to more traffic, more sales, and more revenue.
Accessibility in web design has numerous benefits, from increased accessibility for users with disabilities to improved usability and enhanced search engine optimisation. It is an important aspect of web design that should be considered from the start of the design process. It ensures that websites are usable by the widest possible audience, including those with disabilities, older people, people with temporary impairments, and those who use mobile devices.

Design considerations
Design considerations for accessibility in web design include providing text alternatives for non-text content, providing keyboard navigation, ensuring colour contrast and readability, and providing resizable text and responsive design. These design considerations are essential to ensure that the website is usable by the widest possible audience, including those with disabilities.
Text alternatives for non-text content
Providing text alternatives for non-text content is an important aspect of web accessibility. This includes providing alternative text (alt text) for images, video captions, and providing audio content transcripts. Alternative text is a brief description of the image that is read out by screen readers, allowing users who are blind or have low vision to understand the content of images. Captions and transcripts provide the same function for videos and audio content.
It’s important to note that the text alternatives should be accurate, equivalent, and serve the same purpose as the non-text content. The text alternatives should also be short and concise and not a repetition of the text already present in the image.
Keyboard navigation
Providing keyboard navigation is another important aspect of web accessibility. This allows users with mobility impairments to navigate the website without a mouse. Keyboard navigation is also beneficial for users who prefer to use the keyboard instead of the mouse.
To ensure that a website is keyboard navigable, it’s important to ensure that all interactive elements, such as buttons, links, and form controls, are reachable using the keyboard. The website should also provide clear visual cues to indicate which element has focus, and the website should be usable with just the keyboard without requiring a mouse.
Colour contrast and readability
Colour contrast and readability are also important aspects of web accessibility. This includes ensuring that the text and background colour have sufficient contrast and that the text is legible, even for users with low vision. It’s important to ensure that the text is large enough to be read easily and that the font is easy to read.
It’s also important to ensure that the website can be used by users who are colourblind or have difficulty distinguishing colours. This can be achieved by using patterns or textures in addition to colour or by providing additional information about the colour.
Resizable text and responsive design
Providing resizable text and responsive design are also important aspects of web accessibility. This allows users to increase or decrease the size of the text, which can make the website more usable for users with low vision. Responsive design is also beneficial for users who access the website using mobile devices.
To ensure that a website can be easily resized, it’s important to use relative units, such as percentages, instead of fixed units, such as pixels, for the text size and layout. The website should also be usable at different screen sizes and resolutions, which can be achieved by using responsive design techniques.

Testing and evaluation
Testing and evaluating accessibility in web design is a crucial step in ensuring that the website is usable by the widest possible audience, including those with disabilities. There are various tools available for evaluating accessibility, and it’s important to follow best practices for testing and remediation.
Tools for evaluating accessibility
To ensure that a website is accessible, it’s important to test it with real users and use tools for evaluating accessibility. There are various tools available for evaluating accessibility, including automated testing tools, manual testing tools, and browser extensions.
Automated testing tools, such as WAVE, aXe, and Siteimprove, can quickly scan a website for accessibility issues. These tools can identify common accessibility issues, such as missing alternative text for images, insufficient colour contrast, and missing keyboard navigation.
Manual testing tools, such as a keyboard, a screen reader, and a magnifying glass, can be used to test the website manually. This allows for more thorough testing of the website and can identify issues that automated tools may miss.
Browser extensions, such as NoCoffee, Web Developer, and WAVE, can be used to test the website in the browser. These extensions can be used to test the website’s accessibility and can also be used to test the website’s usability.
Best practices for testing and remediation
To ensure a website is accessible, it’s important to follow best practices for testing and remediation. This includes involving people with disabilities in the testing process, testing the website with real users, and making changes as necessary.
It’s also important to ensure that the website is tested on different devices and browsers and that the website is tested in different environments, such as bright environments and noisy environments.
It’s also important to keep accessibility in mind throughout the web development process, not just as an afterthought. This includes involving people with disabilities in the design process, testing the website with real users, and making changes as necessary.
It’s also important to periodically review the website to ensure that it remains accessible and to address any new accessibility issues that may arise.
With the right approach, it is possible to create websites that are not only accessible but also visually appealing and easy to use.

Conclusion
In this article, we have explored the importance of accessibility in web design. We have discussed the legal requirements, user benefits, design considerations, testing, and evaluation of accessibility in web design. We have also discussed best practices and tools that can be used to create accessible websites.
We have seen that accessibility is not only a legal requirement but also a moral imperative. Websites that are accessible are usable by the widest possible audience, including those with disabilities. Accessible websites also have better usability for all users and improved search engine optimisation (SEO).
We have also seen that various design considerations must be considered when designing an accessible website, such as providing text alternatives for non-text content, providing keyboard navigation, ensuring colour contrast and readability, and providing resizable text and responsive design.
We have also discussed the importance of testing and evaluation in ensuring the accessibility of a website. There are various tools available for evaluating accessibility, and it’s important to follow best practices for testing and remediation.

Frequently asked questions
How can accessibility in web design be incorporated into the design process?
Accessibility in web design can be incorporated into the design process by involving people with disabilities in the design process, testing the website with real users, and making changes as necessary. It’s also important to keep accessibility in mind throughout the web development process, not just as an afterthought.
How does accessibility in web design benefits users?
Accessibility in web design benefits users by making websites and web-based applications usable by people with disabilities. This includes people who have visual, auditory, physical, cognitive, and neurological disabilities, as well as those who use assistive technologies such as screen readers to access the web. It also improves usability for all users and enhances search engine optimisation (SEO).
What are some common accessibility issues in web design?
Some common accessibility issues in web design include missing alternative text for images, insufficient color contrast, and missing keyboard navigation. It’s important to test the website with real users and use tools for evaluating accessibility to identify these issues.
What is the future of accessibility in web design?
The future of accessibility in web design is promising as technology continues to evolve, and new tools and techniques become available to make the web more accessible. For example, using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in web design can help automate the process of making websites accessible. As more and more people with disabilities begin to use the web, the demand for accessible websites will continue to increase, driving the development of new tools and techniques.
What are some best practices for testing and remediation of accessibility in web design?
Some best practices for testing and remediation of accessibility in web design include involving people with disabilities in the testing process, testing the website with real users, making changes as necessary, testing the website on different devices and browsers, and testing the website in different environments.
Is accessibility in web design a legal requirement?
Yes, accessibility in web design is a legal requirement in many countries. There are laws and regulations in place to ensure that websites are accessible to people with disabilities. These laws and regulations vary by country, but they all have the same goal: to make the web accessible to everyone.