Navigating Accessibility

As a web designer, my websites must adhere to specific Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and ADA compliance standards. Web accessibility requires that content and functionality be usable for individuals with disabilities. When accessiBe approached me to explore and review their accessibility plugin for Squarespace, I knew I had to check it out. 

The Relationship Between Web Design and Accessibility 

On their website, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that individuals with disabilities may encounter challenges with the following:

• Vision

• Movement

• Thinking

• Remembering

• Learning

• Communicating

• Hearing

• Mental health

• Social relationships

A disability is a physical or mental condition that limits an individual from performing specific activities (activity limitation) and engaging with their environment (participation restrictions). Eliminating obstacles hindering individuals from accessing or engaging with your website through intentional and structured strategies will promote a user-friendly experience. 

The Importance of Building Accessible Websites for My Clients

Web designers are responsible for meeting clients’ goals and our users' needs. Having an academic background in psychology, I also realize how the psychological impact of having access to everyday things versus not having them can affect one’s quality of life.

Up to 1 in 4 adults in the United States have some disability. 

Making sure to use best practices when designing for accessibility while keeping client requests in mind is not always easy. When building a website, there are two things to keep in mind: 

1. It is essential to be inclusive of individuals with disabilities.

2. Legal action may be pursued if your website is not accessible on the web.

The primary goal when building any website should be to ensure it is easy to use. Can the user meet the end goal when they visit your website? Are the proper accommodations available if the user needs them? Not only does meeting accessibility needs provide a standard of work, but it could also connect small businesses to an untapped group that has a purchasing power of $490 billion. The exchange of services can be mutually advantageous for my clients, who are small business owners if they can provide services to this population. 

Another critical point to consider is that legal action can be taken against a website owner if their site does not meet the accessibility requirements set forth by the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act).

How does accessiBe work to make your website accessible?

AccessWidget offers WCAG and ADA compliance by creating an easy installation and use process that quickly remediates your website for accessibility. Furthermore, the longer accessWidget is active on your site, the better it gets at capturing content accurately and efficiently, meaning you do not need to worry about manually updating the accessWidget. Your website will automatically stay up-to-date with the required compliance standards.

To get started, sign up for a free 7-day trial, then copy and paste the provided installation code into your website. Doing this installs the accessWidget on your Squarespace website. Once installed, the widget appears in the bottom right-hand corner after you refresh your browser. The accessWidget was beyond easy to install. Users can then choose an accessibility profile for their specific disability and make adjustments to content as necessary. This on-demand feature is made possible by accessWidget’s AI-powered processes.

Takeaway

Knowing that your website is a platform where all users can engage with and benefit from your content should bring you a sense of pride. Personally, I take pride in establishing an inclusive space for everyone. Being recognized as a trusted service provider who aims to offer accessible content to all is also rewarding. A big thank you to accessiBe for championing the crucial mission of ensuring web accessibility for all.