n today's digital world, web accessibility ensures that all users, regardless of their abilities, can access and interact with online content effectively. Making your website accessible not only helps people with disabilities but also improves the overall user experience and can boost your site's SEO. In this blog, we'll explore five essential accessibility tools that can help web developers create more inclusive websites, and explain the process through relevant examples.
Let’s delve into the tools:
WAVE is a tool that provides visual feedback on the accessibility of your web content. It highlights errors, alerts, and features that might affect accessibility. For example: If you have an image without an alt attribute, WAVE flags it and suggests adding a descriptive text. For instance, if you have an image of a cat, WAVE reminds you to add alt="A fluffy white cat sitting on a sofa".
The Axe browser extension helps you identify and fix accessibility issues directly within your browser. It's easy to use and integrates seamlessly with Chrome and Firefox. When you run Axe on a webpage, it might find that some buttons are not labeled properly. Axe suggests adding labels so that screen readers can describe the buttons to users. For instance, a "Submit" button should have a clear label like aria-label="Submit form".
This tool helps you ensure that your text has enough contrast against its background, making it easier to read for people with visual impairments. If your website has light gray text on a white background, the Colour Contrast Analyzer might flag this as having poor contrast. It suggests changing the text color to something darker, like black or dark gray, to improve readability.
Testing your website with screen readers allows you to understand how users who rely on these tools experience your site. Screen readers read out loud the text on the screen and describe interactive elements. Using a screen reader, you might discover that your navigation menu isn't announced correctly. You can fix this by ensuring each menu item has a clear label and that the menu structure is properly defined using semantic HTML.
Lighthouse is an automated tool from Google that audits your web pages, including accessibility checks. It provides a detailed report with actionable items to improve your site's accessibility. After running Lighthouse, you might find that some form elements are missing labels. Lighthouse recommends adding labels so users know what information is required. For example, a label for an email input field could be label for="email">Email Address</label>.
ABM College’s Web Design and Development Diploma Program prepares students to handle both the functional design and programming aspects of web development. This comprehensive program ensures that graduates meet current industry standards and create visually and functionally effective websites.
Students in the program work with various coding languages and frameworks, gaining hands-on experience in building responsive, user-friendly, and accessible websites. The curriculum includes training in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and other essential web technologies, along with best practices for web accessibility.
Upon successful completion of the program, graduates are well-prepared to enter the workforce as competent web developers, ready to tackle the challenges of designing and developing accessible web experiences. ABM College ensures that its students are not only proficient in technical skills but also understand the importance of inclusivity and accessibility in web design. You can enroll into this program from Alberta, New Brunswick, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.
Web accessibility is an ongoing journey that requires continuous learning and adaptation. By using these tools and following best practices, you help create a more inclusive web for everyone. Whether you're just starting in web development or looking to enhance your skills, focusing on accessibility is a vital step towards becoming a well-rounded developer.
Contact us to learn more about the program.
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