Building a website accessible to people with visual disabilities (2 of 3) - 25 recommendations for editors of websites
Accessibility of the website for people with disabilities is not only about proper HTML code. It is also, and sometimes even primarily, the meticulous work of editors responsible for creating and publishing content on the site.
Following these points will help you make your site even more accessible:
1. Carefully consider the text you are developing. Divide it into logical parts.
2. When writing text, divide it into not too long paragraphs.
3. Do not justify the text to the right - it makes reading difficult for some people with dyslexia.
4. You can highlight the most important, key words in the text with bold. This facilitates orientation and returning to interrupted reading.
5. Use headings - text labeled with headings is more user-friendly for all site visitors, and for blind people their presence is fundamental.
6. Try to limit the use of italics. Texts written this way become unreadable for some people with dyslexia. If you want to highlight a quote this way, remember to use quotation marks!
7. Do not use colors exclusively to mark words, phrases, or key information. Never write "more information in a yellow frame". Highlighting in this way is unreadable for colorblind individuals.
8. Present all links on the site in the same way, e.g. underlining + a different color than the text.
9. Every link on the site should be unique. Do not use links such as "read more" - multiple placements of such a link on the site make it difficult for blind people to navigate.
10. Support yourself with images, drawings, charts to explain difficult topics - remember to add alternative descriptions to each such element. This way, they will be accessible for blind people.
11. When adding alternative descriptions, describe the meaning and content of the given graphic element.
12. When adding files for download from the site, remember to name them properly and uniquely. The name must fully correspond to the content. In the link that allows you to download a document from the site, write what type of attachment it is (e.g. PDF) and what size it is in KB.
13. When creating and placing DOC documents on the site, remember about their proper formatting (e.g. use header style to determine the main points of the texts, not just bold and font enlarging) - this ensures readability of the material for screen reader users.
14. Create PDF documents based on properly formatted DOC files. Only then will they be readable by blind people.
15. Avoid posting scans of printed documents - they are completely inaccessible to blind people.
16. If you post files in PDF format, make sure there is the possibility to download a program to read them. Not everyone may have such a program on their computer.
17. Use tables only when it is really necessary. Using complex tables is a burden for visually impaired people.
18. Write in a simple and clear manner, do not use jargon and limit specialist vocabulary. All public pages should be accessible to everyone.
19. If you use abbreviations, always remember to explain them the first time they are used in the text.
20. Use the opportunity to include a dictionary of difficult words contained in the text, or on the website.
21. If the formula of your site allows it, use direct expressions to the user reading your site, this facilitates the reception of content.
22. Use a simple, appropriately sized and contrasted font - squint your eyes and check if you can see everything.
23. When adding videos or audio files, remember about people who are deaf. Add subtitles to the video material or write a short description of what it contains.
24. Never include key information only in audio or video version.
25. Once in a while, try to use the site using only the keyboard - this is how blind people and some physically impaired individuals operate the computer. Report any problems to the site administrator immediately.
Accessibility of the website for people with disabilities is not only about proper HTML code. It is also, and sometimes even primarily, the meticulous work of editors responsible for creating and publishing content on the site.
Following these points will help you make your site even more accessible:
1. Carefully consider the text you are developing. Divide it into logical parts.
2. When writing text, divide it into not too long paragraphs.
3. Do not justify the text to the right - it makes reading difficult for some people with dyslexia.
4. You can highlight the most important, key words in the text with bold. This facilitates orientation and returning to interrupted reading.
5. Use headings - text labeled with headings is more user-friendly for all site visitors, and for blind people their presence is fundamental.
6. Try to limit the use of italics. Texts written this way become unreadable for some people with dyslexia. If you want to highlight a quote this way, remember to use quotation marks!
7. Do not use colors exclusively to mark words, phrases, or key information. Never write "more information in a yellow frame". Highlighting in this way is unreadable for colorblind individuals.
8. Present all links on the site in the same way, e.g. underlining + a different color than the text.
9. Every link on the site should be unique. Do not use links such as "read more" - multiple placements of such a link on the site make it difficult for blind people to navigate.
10. Support yourself with images, drawings, charts to explain difficult topics - remember to add alternative descriptions to each such element. This way, they will be accessible for blind people.
11. When adding alternative descriptions, describe the meaning and content of the given graphic element.
12. When adding files for download from the site, remember to name them properly and uniquely. The name must fully correspond to the content. In the link that allows you to download a document from the site, write what type of attachment it is (e.g. PDF) and what size it is in KB.
13. When creating and placing DOC documents on the site, remember about their proper formatting (e.g. use header style to determine the main points of the texts, not just bold and font enlarging) - this ensures readability of the material for screen reader users.
14. Create PDF documents based on properly formatted DOC files. Only then will they be readable by blind people.
15. Avoid posting scans of printed documents - they are completely inaccessible to blind people.
16. If you post files in PDF format, make sure there is the possibility to download a program to read them. Not everyone may have such a program on their computer.
17. Use tables only when it is really necessary. Using complex tables is a burden for visually impaired people.
18. Write in a simple and clear manner, do not use jargon and limit specialist vocabulary. All public pages should be accessible to everyone.
19. If you use abbreviations, always remember to explain them the first time they are used in the text.
20. Use the opportunity to include a dictionary of difficult words contained in the text, or on the website.
21. If the formula of your site allows it, use direct expressions to the user reading your site, this facilitates the reception of content.
22. Use a simple, appropriately sized and contrasted font - squint your eyes and check if you can see everything.
23. When adding videos or audio files, remember about people who are deaf. Add subtitles to the video material or write a short description of what it contains.
24. Never include key information only in audio or video version.
25. Once in a while, try to use the site using only the keyboard - this is how blind people and some physically impaired individuals operate the computer. Report any problems to the site administrator immediately.
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