digital accessibility of websites
Accessibility of websites is important for many reasons. First, it is an equal opportunity issue. All internet users should have an equal opportunity to use online information and services, regardless of whether they have any disabilities.
Secondly, the lack of accessibility of websites can affect business. If a website is not accessible to some users, the company can lose customers and sources of income.
Third, many countries have website accessibility laws that require websites to be accessible to people with disabilities. Companies that fail to comply with these laws may face penalties or other legal consequences.
The accessibility of a website concerns the code in skype database which it is written, the user interface (UX/UI) and the web content itself (articles, graphics, videos, etc.).
Who do the guidelines apply to?
Web accessibility guidelines, such as WCAG 2.1, are recommendations for all web developers, regardless of their activity or nature of activities. These guidelines are aimed at all entities, including companies, public institutions, non-governmental organizations, as well as individual web developers.
However, for public entities, WCAG 2.1 has the status of a legal requirement, depending on the country or region. For example, in Europe, public entities are required to ensure the digital accessibility of their websites in accordance with the provisions of the European Directive on the Accessibility of Public Sector Websites and Mobile Applications (2016/2102/EU). In the United States, the Federal Web Accessibility Act (ADA) requires public institutions and some private companies to ensure the digital accessibility of their websites.
On April 4, 2019, the Act on the digital accessibility of websites and mobile applications of public entities came into force in Poland, according to which public entities, entities performing public tasks and entities that have public finances at their disposal (kindergartens, schools, universities, city and commune offices, etc.) are obliged to ensure the digital accessibility of websites.
In addition, digital accessibility guidelines such as WCAG 2.1 are also used as a basis for court decisions and agreements in digital accessibility cases. As a result of such proceedings, entities may be skype database required to adapt their websites to WCAG 2.1 guidelines to ensure accessibility for users with disabilities.
Guidelines for digital accessibility of websites
The guidelines for digital accessibility of websites are specified in WCAG 2.1 ( Web Content Accessibility Guidelines ). This is a set of documents covering a wide range of recommendations on how to increase the accessibility of web content by adapting the website and publishing important visual content on it, so that it is accessible to people with various types of disabilities.
Implementing the guidelines prepared by WCAG 2.1 is necessary for some to be able to use the website, but it is also useful for everyone .
Types of restrictions
Different users have different needs. The WCAG 2.1 guidelines were created to meet the needs of all users so that websites would be more accessible to a wider range of people, including people with disabilities.
types of constraints wcag 2.1
Limitations are various types of difficulties and difficulties that people with disabilities may encounter when using websites. Depending on the type of disability that a user has, there may be different types of limitations. Here are some examples:
Visual limitations: People with visual limitations may have difficulty reading text, recognizing colors, distinguishing images and graphics. They may also need larger fonts to read text on the screen or use screen readers, which are software that allows the text content of a page to be heard.
hearing limitations - people with hearing limitations may have difficulty perceiving sounds and understanding speech. They may need subtitles on videos or sign language interpretation to understand the content on the website.
mobility limitations - people with mobility limitations may have difficulty using a mouse or keyboard, which makes it difficult to use some functionalities on the website. For this group of people, the website should be adapted to be used without a mouse - is that possible? Yes, the website can be browsed, for example, using only a keyboard.
cognitive limitations - people with cognitive limitations may have difficulty understanding complex content or remembering information. They may need content in the form of simple and concise messages explaining how to perform a specific action on the page. In this case, the website should be designed in the most logical and simple way possible through a consistent page layout, i.e. navigation elements, headers, footers should always be in the same places. Important sections or elements in the content should be highlighted, e.g. through headers or bold content. Multi-step actions performed by users must be divided into several logical steps, with information about where we are and how many steps are left to complete. The language used on the website must be simple and easy to understand the information provided. Messages about possible errors caused by use must be well displayed and should include information on how to solve the problem.
It is also important to remember that there is such a thing as a temporary disability , which everyone has experienced at one time or another. A temporary disability is usually temporary and transitory, but it can affect your ability to perform everyday activities, including using a computer and other digital devices for a short period of time.
