Boost Your Website's Accessibility in 90 Days

Website accessibility has become an essential aspect of web design and development. Ensuring that your website is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities, not only broadens your audience but also aligns with legal requirements and best practices. Over the next 90 days, you can significantly enhance your website’s accessibility by following a structured approach. This guide will walk you through each step, helping you make your site more inclusive and compliant.

Week 1-2: Assess Your Current Accessibility Level

Understanding Accessibility Standards

Before diving into accessibility improvements, it's crucial to understand the standards that guide accessible web design. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the primary framework used globally. These guidelines provide specific recommendations on making web content more accessible, focusing on four main principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust (POUR). Additionally, the Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) specifications offer guidance on making dynamic content and advanced user interface controls accessible. By prioritizing accessibility, not only are you making your website inclusive for all users, but you are also improving its SEO.

When your website is accessible, search engines can crawl and index its content more effectively, leading to higher search engine rankings. Additionally, accessible websites often have better user experiences, which can lead to increased user engagement and conversions. Therefore, incorporating accessibility into your website design is a win-win strategy for both inclusivity and SEO. If you need help with making your website more accessible, consider hiring an SEO services company that specializes in accessibility.

Conducting an Accessibility Audit

An accessibility audit is the first step in identifying areas where your website may fall short. Start with automated tools like WAVE, Axe, or Lighthouse, which can provide an initial assessment of your site’s accessibility. These tools highlight common issues such as missing alt text, poor contrast ratios, and non-descriptive links.

While automated tools can provide valuable insights, they are not sufficient for a comprehensive SEO strategy. Manual testing, especially for accessibility, is crucial. Technical SEO involves ensuring that your website is optimized for search engines, and manual testing helps identify potential issues that automated tools might miss. Test your site's keyboard navigation and screen reader compatibility to ensure that it is accessible to all users.

Identifying Key Issues

Once you've completed your audit, compile a list of the most pressing accessibility issues. Common problems include contrast errors, missing or incorrect alt text for images, and links that do not clearly describe their destination. Addressing these issues early on will set the foundation for more significant improvements later in the process. As part of our comprehensive white label SEO services , we will also conduct an accessibility audit to ensure your website is compliant with WCAG standards and accessible to all users.

Week 3-4: Prioritize and Plan

Setting Accessibility Goals

With your list of issues in hand, it’s time to set specific, measurable goals for your accessibility improvements. You might aim to reduce contrast errors by 50% or ensure that all images on your site have descriptive alt text. These goals will guide your efforts over the coming weeks and help you track progress.

Creating a Remediation Plan

Not all accessibility issues are created equal. Prioritize those that have the most significant impact on your users' experience. Making forms accessible by adding labels and error messaging should be high on your list, as should ensure that your site’s navigation is usable for those relying on screen readers.

Once you’ve prioritized the issues, create a detailed remediation plan. Assign tasks to specific team members and establish deadlines. This plan will help keep your accessibility project on track and ensure that improvements are made systematically.

Building a Timeline

Map out a timeline for the next 60 days, breaking down the tasks identified in your remediation plan. This timeline should be realistic, taking into account your team’s capacity and other ongoing projects. By organizing your efforts into manageable chunks, you can make steady progress without overwhelming your team.

Week 5-8: Implement Accessibility Fixes

Improving Content Accessibility

Content accessibility is a critical component of an inclusive website. Start by ensuring that your headings are properly structured. Headings (H1, H2, etc.) should be used to organize content logically, making it easier for all users, including those using screen readers, to navigate your site.

Next, focus on providing descriptive alt text for images. Alt text not only improves accessibility for visually impaired users but also enhances SEO by giving search engines more context about your images. For videos, ensure that captions are available. Captions make content accessible to users with hearing impairments and those who prefer or need to consume content without sound.

Enhancing User Interface and Design

Your website’s design plays a crucial role in accessibility. One of the most common issues is insufficient color contrast between text and background, which can make content difficult to read for users with visual impairments. Use tools to check and adjust color contrast ratios to meet WCAG standards.

Forms are another area where accessibility improvements can have a significant impact. Ensure that all form fields have clear labels and that error messages are both descriptive and accessible. This will help all users, including those relying on assistive technologies, to complete forms accurately and efficiently.

Testing and Iteration

As you implement these changes, it’s essential to test your website regularly. Use screen readers and keyboard navigation to verify that your adjustments are having the desired effect. Don’t hesitate to make further tweaks based on your findings. Accessibility is an iterative process, and ongoing testing ensures that your site remains usable for all visitors.

Seek feedback from users with disabilities whenever possible. Their insights can provide valuable guidance on areas that still need improvement and help you understand how well your site meets their needs.

Week 9-12: Finalize, Test, and Document

Comprehensive Testing

With most of the major fixes in place, it’s time for a comprehensive final audit. Use both automated tools and manual testing methods to ensure that all identified issues have been addressed. This final audit will help catch any lingering problems and confirm that your site meets the necessary accessibility standards.

User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

User acceptance testing (UAT) is a critical step in the accessibility improvement process. Conduct UAT with diverse user groups, including those with disabilities, to ensure that your site is truly accessible. This testing will help you identify any remaining barriers and provide the opportunity to make final adjustments before declaring your site fully accessible.

Documenting Your Accessibility Improvements

Once your site has passed all tests, it’s important to document the changes you've made. Start by creating an accessibility statement for your website. This statement should outline your commitment to accessibility, detail the steps you've taken to improve your site, and provide contact information for users who may encounter issues.

Additionally, prepare a report summarizing the changes and outlining any ongoing accessibility initiatives. This documentation not only helps demonstrate your compliance but also serves as a reference for future accessibility efforts.

Bonus Tips: Long-Term Accessibility Maintenance

Accessibility Monitoring Tools

Improving your website's accessibility is not a one-time effort. Set up ongoing monitoring using tools like Monsido or Siteimprove. These tools can automatically scan your site for new accessibility issues, helping you address problems as they arise and maintain a high level of accessibility over time.

Regular Training and Updates

Web accessibility best practices evolve, and it’s important to keep your team up to date. Invest in regular training for your staff to ensure that everyone involved in content creation and site management understands how to maintain accessibility. This proactive approach will help prevent new issues from emerging and ensure that your website remains inclusive.

Conclusion

Improving your website’s accessibility is a worthwhile investment that benefits all users and ensures compliance with important guidelines and regulations. By following this 90-day plan, you can systematically enhance your site’s accessibility, creating a more inclusive online experience. Remember, accessibility is an ongoing process, so continue to monitor, test, and refine your website to keep it accessible to everyone.