Speech Class

While browsing the web, have you ever had a random video or song start playing in the background while you struggled trying to figure out exactly what tab it’s playing from?

Experiences like this just scratch the surface of how tricky and frustrating maneuvering the web can be.

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If you have your own website, blog, or social media account, knowing how to be accessible where and what you post online can help create inclusivity within your content and make browsing the web easier for everyone who comes across it.

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I currently work as a web developer for Dean Health Plan and every day I must make sure that our websites are accessible and ADA compliant.

In this speech I will be explaining what web accessibility is, why it is important, and small ways to be inclusive on your own website.

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Let’s talk about the basics

What is web accessibility? Web accessibility is the practice of creating a website that is inclusive and has no barriers for individuals with disabilities.

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The World Wide Web developed Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to make the web accessible to people with disabilities and they standardized these guidelines in 2014.

This guideline outlines how sites can be accessible. Just think of them as basic rules to follow.

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These accommodations are for blindness, deafness, photo-sensitivity, and some accommodation for learning disabilities such as ADHD and Autism

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Why should we care about these guidelines and accommodations?

Web accessibility is important because it creates inclusivity that reduces the barriers on digital access, so every web experience gives the users the ability to access information and services equally.

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Web accessibility often overlaps with other important practices such as mobile web design, usability, and search engine optimization (Department of Health and Human Services, 2015)

Many case studies have shown that websites that have good accessibility end up having better search results and an increased audience. (check note card)

Web accessibility is required by law in many situations. Without an accessible website, you are putting yourself at legal risk for a possible lawsuit. In the US, legal consequences for inaccessibility are on the rise and courts are increasingly favoring equal access.

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However, Web accessibility doesn’t have to be daunting or scary. Creating an accessible web experience can start by just changing a few things on your website and social media.

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Start adding alt text to your images (Firth, 2019).Alt text is used so that your images are accessible to screen reader users and all you have to do is make sure that the text properly describes the image or video.

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Another way to start creating an accessible website is to create a strong contrast between text and your content. Website users with low vision need strong contrast between foreground and background to perceive the content on the website.

Use a website like contrastchecker.com to help you stay within proper ADA guidelines.

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Now you have a few tools in your belt to be more inclusive online! It’s important to remember that creating an accessible web experience is an ever-changing process that you can achieve with small steps.

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The first and most crucial step is acknowledging that accessibility is important and then having the willingness to learn so that we can all take the steps to create an inclusive web experience for everyone.