Accessibility Resources for Mission-Driven Organizations
At Mighty Citizen, accessibility is no joke. Millions of Americans with disabilities depend on the websites we create for our clients. After all, accessible website design isn’t just equitable, it’s good business, too. So, we build our websites up to code every time—no ifs, ands, or buts.
Now, when we say “up to code”, we mean a few things.
We mean that the websites we build are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
We mean that our websites meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) AA standard.
We mean that every website Mighty Citizen creates is optimized for assistive technology, providing equal access to all users.
The potential legal implications of not having an accessible website are at the front of our minds. But for the mission-driven organizations we work with, accessibility isn’t always their first priority. It takes resources to stay compliant—and the whole thing may seem a little unclear or nebulous to communications professionals.
Here’s the million-dollar question: Is your website accessible? We’ve compiled some of our most helpful accessibility resources to help you assess.
Web Accessibility: What It Is, Why You Need It, How to Get It
How-To Guide
This guide is one of our free accessibility resources that explains the what, why, and how of web accessibility. The experts at Mighty Citizen crafted this guide to ensure that your organization meets the needs of a large portion of your prospective audience.
You can download it here:
3 Ways to Improve Your Website’s Accessibility Today
There are three quick things you can do to improve your website’s accessibility:
1) Alt tags
When your visitors use a screen reader to access your website, they depend on alt tags to help understand what’s on the page. You should have an alt tag for every single image that exists on your website if the image adds context to the page. So, when the assistive technology gives your visitor an audio description, it will say “image of (your alt tag)”. Make it a habit to include alt tags in every page you publish on your website.
2) Descriptive links
Any time you use a hyperlink, make sure the text that is actually linked is as descriptive as possible. That way, a screen reader can clearly communicate where the link will take your user. Here’s an example:
Insights, delivered.
Good link:
“… and be sure to learn more about our upcoming events.”
Bad link:
“… and be sure to learn more about our upcoming events.”
Good link:
“Click here to see photos from the wedding.”
Bad link:
“Click here to see photos from the wedding.”
3) Page structure
Building an easy-to-read page isn’t just good for website accessibility and functionality, but for user experience in general. Even web visitors who use screen readers and other assistive technologies don’t read the entire page of information—they skim the page for the information they’re looking for. The better your page is structured, the more accessible your web page becomes.
Read more on each of these quick accessibility tips:
Accessibility Insights: 4 Key Principles
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act outlined laws governing accessibility of information technology (IT) in the federal government. It was passed in 1973, but much has changed in the decades since. The law was recently revised in January of 2018, dictating that all new websites after January 18, 2018 would have to follow new accessibility standards.
These standards point to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, or WCAG (and recently, WCAG 2.0). The WCAG standards are based on four main usability and accessibility principles—that web design and content should be:
- Perceivable
- Operable
- Understandable
- Robust
Read more about the four key principles for accessibility compliance:
Is Your Website Accessible to People Who Are Blind?
Did you know that eight million Americans have a visual disability?
It’s really easy to build a website riddled with accessibility issues without even realizing it. Instead of turning off your users with visual impairments, read this quick reference guide filled with ways you can make it easier for them.
You’ll find that even some of the smallest web design elements like font size and color can impact accessibility compliance. You can use an accessibility checker or color contrast checker to see how your digital accessibility stacks up—and where you can improve.
Don’t Ignore 100 Million Users: Make Your Website Accessible Today
On-Demand Webinar
With the 2018 revision of Section 508, new challenges have been created for web developers. Given that more and more organizations are being sued for offering non-accessible websites, it’s critical to understand these accessibility guidelines.
If you’d like to see all of these resources wrapped up in a handy 45-minute on-demand webinar, check out our free presentation. By the end, you’ll be able to:
- Understand the importance of web accessibility
- Implement basic web content accessibility guidelines
- Understand accessibility laws, Section 508, and the different levels of WCAG/WCAG 2 standards
- Use basic principles to build websites that adhere to the newest rules
- Perform accessibility testing on your website
If you’re able to guarantee that you meet Section 508 standards, you’ll be able to build websites with more usability, functionality, and respect.
Download this accessibility resource for free:
Mighty Citizen’s Website Accessibility Services
Our team of expert web developers (and Certified Professionals in Accessibility Core Competencies) eat, sleep, and breathe accessibility standards. We know that inaccessible web design is bad web design. So, we adhere to the website accessibility principles that we know will create a fair, equitable Web.
Let us know how we can help with your web accessibility initiatives.