From Exclusion to Inclusion: The Value of Accessibility in the Digital Age

Written By: Sapana Parkhi Sable , Lead UX Designer

In the digital world, accessibility is crucial for ensuring equal access to information and services for everyone, including those who are specially challenged.

It is essential to consider accessibility when designing and developing digital content and technologies, so as many users as possible can be a part of the digital revolution. This is the reason why the WCAG guidelines were put in place and have become an important part of the way universal design is perceived.

Let us explore what accessibility in the digital world entails:

Accessibility for Everyone

Against common belief, accessibility is about creating a design that anybody and everybody can access. Its main objective is to assist users with reduced visual, motor, cognitive, and auditory abilities.

This group of specially challenged people relies on assistive technologies to easily access websites, mobile applications, and more. People with blindness, color blindness, and low-level vision need Braille displays, zoom functionality, or high contrast color to understand what is displayed on the screen.

When it comes to users with auditory conditions, they need captions or transcripts to consume video content, while those with motor conditions need speech-to-text software or keyboard-only interactions.

Those with cognitive conditions need a thoughtful and organized layout that provides them with clear direction. Here are some examples of important accessibility-aided technologies and software:

• Screen Reader: Reads the text on the screen to the users
• Assistive Technology: A common example of this would be close captioning in vides
• Magnification Devices: Low vision users can use these devices to ease reading?

Building Apps and Websites with Optimal Accessibility

Without the right guidance, global software engineering teams cannot build apps and websites that are accessible. There are accessibility standards that are followed globally, including the WCAG standard.

WCAG Standard

WCAG stands for the Web Content Accessibility Guideline. This guideline was published by the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium). It sets the stage for the rules that define what makes a site or application accessible. It follows four principles, abbreviated as POUR.

Perceivable: A website's or application's ability shouldn't be the criterion for judging the experience it provides. Every user should have the same experience as another, regardless of their ability. For example, whatever content is present on the website should be consumable by either seeing or hearing.

Operable: Every control and interactive element must be usable by every user. For example, input should be possible by using a computer for typing or by using voice.

Understandable: The content needs to make sense for the user, no matter how they consume it.

Robust: The content should be accessible to the users using a wide range of technologies.

Based on these guidelines, the WCAG offers three levels of accessibility standards: A, AA, AAA

• Level “A”: Universal Design
• Level “AA” goes beyond just universal design and provides enhanced accessibility
• Level “AAA” is the highest level any company can reach for its accessibility standards

Planning the Design

When planning the visual design, taking a good color contrast into consideration so that users with low vision can read what is displayed on the screen or on the page is crucial. As far as the interaction design is concerned, ensuring that the navigation is consistent across the website. If users start navigating using a keyboard, then the entire navigation should be keyboard based.

Defining Color Contrast

The ratio of contrast between two things is the color ratio. This needs to be maintained for the content to be accessible. The contrast between the color of a certain content piece in the foreground and the color of its background should be adequate to make it readable for the specially challenged.

Depending on Color Independence is Not an Option

The color used to highlight certain elements or text should be appropriate, or it could confuse the user. Graphs or charts should have the option to add patterns or textures that the colorblind can differentiate. Progress trackers should be designed using different shapes and color contrast so that the user can identify their current stage in the progress bar.

In a Nutshell

To ensure that every user can access all the content, products, and services online, following the accessibility guidelines is necessary. It can create a more inclusive, intuitive, and consistent user experience that can help you meet customer and market expectations.?

Looking to meet the demand for high-quality, inclusive digital experiences for all your customers?

Speak to Xoriant UX Experts