The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are part of a series of web accessibility guidelines published by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the main international standards organization for the Internet. Here is a quick reference to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.

To help promote web accessibility, here are a few simple accessibility tips that most anyone can implement today into their website’s HTML and CSS to make it more accessible. These web accessibility tips can be used by web designers, developers, or content authors to guide them in creating or deploying web-based resources that are fully accessible to all users.

The Guidelines and Success Criteria are organized around the following 4 principles, which lay the foundation necessary for anyone to access and use Web content.

Principle 1: Perceivable

Principle 2: Operable

Principle 3: Understandable

Principle 4: Robust

Principle 1: Perceivable. Information and user interface components must be presentable to users in a way they can perceive. 1.1 Text Alternatives, 1.2 Time based Media, 1.3 Adaptable, and 1.4 Distinguishable

Simple accessibility tip #1: Add Alternative Text to Your Logo

Alternative text (guideline 1.1) is presented to blind screen reader users in place of images they cannot see. Every image that conveys content or has a function on your website should be given alternative text. But to get started, adding alternative text to your site logo presents your company or organization name to help users know which site they are on.

Principle 2: Operable.  User interface components and navigation must be operable. 2.1 Keyboard Accessible, 2.2 Enough Time, 2.3 Seizures and Physical Reactions, 2.4 Navigable, and 2.5 Input Modalities.

Simple accessibility tip #2: Enhance Focus Indicators

Focus Visible (guideline 2.4) Sighted keyboard users generally navigate through the links and form fields on a web page using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys on the keyboard. The colors may need to be customized to fit your site design, but they should be distinctive.

Principle 3: Understandable. Information and the operation of the user interface must be understandable. 3.1 Readable, 3.2 Predictable, and 3.3 Input Assistance,

Simple accessibility tip #3: Identify the language of text

Language of page (guideline 3.1) Many screen reader applications support multiple languages and can switch on the fly between supported languages, using the appropriate voice and rule set for the current language. However, currently, screen readers are unable to determine what language a document is written in, or if the language changes within that document. Therefore, it is important for authors to define the language of the document or web page, and to identify the language of any blocks of text that deviate from that default language.

Principle 4: Robust. Content must be robust enough that it can be interpreted by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies. WCAG seeks to ensure that your website can accommodate all of these options and more.

Simple accessibility tip #4: Parsing

Parsing (guideline 4.1) The content and code of your website should be well-formed. For example, content written in a markup language such as HTML or XML should have complete start and end tags and should nest elements correctly. This will help prevent display errors and problems with assistive technologies.

Here are a few additional tips for making your website accessible.

1. Use headings properly.

Use headings and subheadings to form an outline of the page. Do not skip heading levels. They help non-visual users (including search engines) to understand how the page is organized, and make it easy for screen reader users to navigate

2. Use ARIA landmarks.

The W3C Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) specification makes it possible to produce accessible interactive web applications. One easy entry into ARIA is landmark roles. Simply add an HTML attribute for one of the eight landmark roles (e.g., role=”navigation”, role=”main”) and users will be able to jump directly to that section of the page with a single keystroke. Alternatively, use HTML semantic elements that map to ARIA roles.

3. Provide sufficient color contrast.

Be sure the foreground and background have adequate contrast. There are many free tools that can help with this.

4. Avoid using tiny fonts.

Since users may be unaware, they can increase the font size using browser hotkeys, use a reasonably large font size by default; then, users can make it smaller if desired. Note that a font size of 1em uses the default browser font size, therefore is an ideal choice for most text, thereby honoring users’ preferences and expectations.

5. Identify Required Form Fields

If your form has a mix of required and non-required form fields, add the aria-required=”true” attribute to each input that is required. This will identify them as required to screen reader users.

6. Make Your Page Title an <h1>

Your page title is generally the big, bold text typically at the beginning of the main content that describes the content or functionality of that page. While a good heading structure for your entire document is great for accessibility, simply making your main page title a <h1> will facilitate page navigation and comprehension.

7. Avoid “click here”

Search your site for the words “click here”. This link text is ambiguous for all users but is particularly difficult for screen reader users. It always adds additional, unnecessary text. Change the link text to be more descriptive of the content or function of the link.

Making your website accessible in accordance with the WCAG standards ensures that it will be navigable and usable by as many people as possible. To learn more about how you can improve your WCAG compliance, follow me at ADA WebGuard blog posts for the latest news and updates, or call us at 833-232-9321 for a free consultation.

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Overlays are products that claim to automatically detect and fix a website’s accessibility issues.  All you have to do, they claim, is insert their JavaScript snippet on your website and your accessibility problems will be repaired.

With the increased number of accessibility lawsuits for inaccessible websites, it’s no wonder that offers for quick fixes are hard to pass on. So, it seems worth asking the obvious question: if you deploy one of these solutions will it reduce that risk?  In my opinion, NO

Website Accessibility overlays, plugins, and widgets might actually put a target on your back. As more plaintiffs’ lawyers realize that people have installed an overlay that doesn’t work, they will start targeting these website owners specifically.

Recent reports have concluded Accessibility Widgets and Overlays Do Not Stop Lawsuits.  Around 100 Companies at the beginning of 2020 have received lawsuits after investing in widgets or overlays, some lawsuits even listed widget features as an extra burden.

The industry is largely in agreement that only about 33% or 1/3 of website accessibility issues can be detected through automated tools, overlays, or widgets only. Website scans and ADA audits created by the most accessibility companies and experts claiming to flag all of the accessibility deficiencies on a website is completely false.  If only about 1/3 can be detected. that means 2/3 or about 66% of accessibility issues must be manually checked.  So if there isn’t the technology to even flag all of the errors, what are the odds a technology exists that will “fix” your website to fully meet ADA standards and the WCAG 2.0 & 2.1 AA success criteria.

There are some things an automated tool can check for and fix. As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, Industry experts estimate that about 1/3 of accessibility issues can be detected. That leaves about 2/3 that need to be dealt with manually, reviewed by a person who is trained and certified in web compliance and accessibility, not an automated tool.

To make your website fully accessible to people with disabilities, there is no alternative to following accepted best practices. Actual ADA compliance starts with a 3-factor WCAG 2.0 & 2.1 AA audit provided by an experienced accessibility consultant or a company like ADA WebGuard, who is trained and understands ADA standards, WCAG success criteria, and programming code. The 3-factor audit consists of:

1. Automated Auditing 2. Manual Testing 3. Assistive Technology Testing

With complete audit reporting, the website can then be property remediated addressing all WCAG 2.1 & 2.1 AA violations.

For more information on making your website compliant and accessible to all, contact ADA WebGuard at (833) 232-9321.

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 But what if you are blind? Are you able to participate in that digital world?

The National Federation of the Blind considers people as blind “if their sight is bad enough—even with corrective lenses—that they must use alternative methods to engage in any activity that people with normal vision would do using their eyes.” According to a study conducted by the National Federation of the Blind, it is estimated that 7.3 million Americans have a vision disability.

So, you can see for a large portion of Americans, the only way for a visually impaired person to access that digital world is through assistive technologies, more specifically, using a screen reader, braille output devices, and digital screen magnification to interact.

Screen readers are software programs that identify the elements displayed on a screen and repeat that information back to the user via text–to–speech or braille output devices. While sighted people visually scan a page, people who have visual impairments use screen readers to identify text, links, images, headings, navigation elements, page regions, and so on.

Screen readers also present information in strict sequential order: users must patiently listen to the page’s description until they encounter something interesting; they cannot directly select the most promising element without first attending to the elements that precede it.

However, some amount of direct access is available. If users expect the shopping cart to be in the upper right corner, they can touch that part of the screen directly.

There are over fifteen screen readers on the market today. Some of the most popular ones are JAWS (Window), NVDA (Window), VoiceOver (Mac & iOS), Talkback (Android), and ChromeVox (Chromebook).

The World Wide Web Consortium(W3C), in their Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) of criteria, is incorporating the demand for websites to be optimized to assistive technologies. Moreover, if a website is compatible with a screen reader, it is likely to be accessible for people with other types of disabilities, such as motor impairments.

For more information about screen readers or website accessibility, contact Garett Grabarnick from ADA WebGuard at 833-232-9321 or go to www.adawebguard.com

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The internet is a constant resource for most people, but for those living with a disability, accessing websites to get all that information is not always a given.  Often, a website is not accessible to people with a disability.

Web accessibility means that websites, tools, and technologies are designed and developed so that people with disabilities can use them.

According to the American Institutes for Research, approximately 1 in 5 people in the United States, or 64 million, identify as individuals with disabilities. Suppose you are not making your web content fully accessible. In that case, you are potentially missing out on 20% of your audience.  Worldwide, businesses are missing out on approximately one billion people who, depending on their abilities, may not be able to buy their product, book a vacation, enjoy their video, navigate their website, read their documents, make reservations, and more.

In addition, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires certain businesses to make accommodations for people with disabilities, including such measures as wheelchair accessibility to physical locations, access for service animals, and the use of braille. In addition to these material considerations, in most Jurisdictions, Title III of the ADA requires businesses to maintain an accessible website. Failing to comply with the ADA means your business is susceptible to lawsuits, and it’s common for attorneys to seek out non-compliant companies both in the physical and digital space.

Only through website compliance can you avoid or properly settle ADA Compliant Website Lawsuits.

How to Properly Design an Accessible Website.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are part of a series of web accessibility guidelines published by The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI).

The guidelines and Success Criteria are organized around the following four principles, which lay the foundation necessary for anyone to access and use Web content.

Anyone or business that has a website must adhere to the following 4 WCAG Accessibility principles to be Compliant:

Principle 1: PERCEIVABLE – Typography, Images, Audio, and Video.

Principle 2: OPERABLE – Interfaces and Navigation, Keyboard Navigation, Progressive Enhancement

Principle 3: UNDERSTANDABLE – Be Simple and Explicit, Avoid Assumptions

Principle 4: ROBUST – Semantic Markup, Responsive Design

Each of the four accessibility principles listed above can be measured using a success criteria level. This can be:

• A: The minimum requirement for accessibility
• AA: A medium or good level of accessibility
• AAA: The gold standard of accessibility

Level AA is what is required in most jurisdictions under Federal Case Law.

W3C already develops extensive best practices to create an accessible and compliant online presence. This includes, but is not limited to:

1. Make Sure your website works with only using the keyboard. many assistive technologies rely on keyboard-only navigation
2. Add Alt (alternative) text to all images: screen readers also access alt text to “read” the picture. Use this field to describe an idea, giving context to users who would otherwise miss it.
3. Use proper color contrast: making sure text stands out against the background, make sure the colors you select on your site contrast well to ensure that everyone can distinguish between various elements on the page. Here is a color contrast tool you can use: like Contrast Checker
4. Use Logical Headers: Nest headings by their rank (or level). The most important heading has the rank 1 (<h1>), the least important heading rank 6 (<h6>). Headings with an equal or higher rank start a new section; headings with a lower rank start new subsections that are part of the higher-ranked section. Heading ranking tutorial
5. Including closed captioning

While many of the guidelines are presented as a checklist, a professional website accessibility company will warn you against just looking at these criteria like boxes to be checked off. Working with a certified professional company in website accessibility and compliance is much better at identifying with the users these criteria target and results in more empathetic and effective design decisions.

Suppose you are interested in learning more about website accessibility and compliance. In that case, you can visit ADA WebGuard’s Website or call at 833-232-9321 and talk with one of ADA WebGuard’s certified consultants in web accessibility.

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An Accessibility Statement is essential in many ways, and it shows your users that you care about accessibility and them. It provides them with information about the accessibility of your content. Lastly, it demonstrates a commitment to accessibility, social responsibility, and contact information for anyone needing assistance.

How do I create an accessibility statement?

An accessibility statement should include the following:

1. A commitment to providing some level of an accessible website.
2. A list of guidelines and standards the website follows. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) are the common guidelines and standards for website accessibility. It starts with a clear statement about the level of web accessibility your website aims to achieve. Explain the standard procedures and include the fact that conforming to the guidelines can help people with disabilities.
3. Lastly, it is essential to provide people with the ability to contact the website regarding specific problems they may be having regarding accessing or using your website.

Your accessibility statement should provide a summary of information that will help people understand the level of commitment shown by your website and the techniques and methods used to achieve your accessibility goals. To create your accessibility statement, you can use W3C’s Accessibility Statement Generator or contact ADA WebGuard.

Start building accessibility into your website at the beginning.

ADA WebGuard is a Website Compliance and Accessibility company; we consult with businesses like yours to make their web content accessible to all.  If you would like us to help you with your accessibility challenges or to provide you with a website accessibility evaluation, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can call us a call at 833-232-9321 or submit this Contact Us form.  In the meantime, please take a look at the Website Accessibility Services we offer.

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Other than the trending obvious of avoiding potential lawsuits, having a compliant and accessible website lets the disabled community, their family, friends, and people in general know that your company cares about accommodating people with disabilities.

Making your digital content more accessible will allow for the easy access of individuals with visual, hearing, motor, and/or cognitive disabilities.  Approximately 1 in 5 people in the United States, roughly 64 million people, qualify as disabled. If you are not making your web content fully accessible, you are missing out on potentially 20% of your audience. By making your website accessible your content will be available to a previously unreached percentage of the population, and your business is sure to improve.

As Stevie Wonder once said, “We need to make every single thing accessible to every single person with a disability”

Performing website accessibility testing ensures that your website and/or app is usable by as many people as possible. Knowing what to look for when checking for accessibility can be a daunting task, and usually, if you are not a Certified Professional in Web Accessibility, you can miss some vital issues.  Any obstacle that could prevent someone from understanding your website and the information therein is an accessibility barrier. Most websites have some accessibility barrier that restricts usage for persons with a disability.

There is only one way to completely test for website compliance and accessibility using all 78 WCAG 2.0 & 2.1 Success Criteria and that is by completing the following 2 steps.

Step 1. Automated Testing (It’s crucial that one does not rely on automated testing alone, because these tools will only capture about 30% of issue types.)

Automated tests are essential when evaluating your website for ADA non-compliant accessibility errors on a technical level, and are especially important when developing, remediating and/or maintaining a website.  Automated testing alerts you to errors like:

• FORM FIELDS:  Automated tests make sure that all entry fields have labels.
• COLOR:  Automated tests verify that color combinations in a text are used appropriately.
• LINKS:  Automated testing quickly determines that all links are functioning as they are supposed to.
• AND MORE

Step 2. Manual Website Auditing

Manual Auditing allows for a TRAINED and CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL to evaluate your website for ADA non-compliant critical accessibility failures and can catch all that is missed by automated testing. Manual testing evaluates websites without using a mouse simulating a disabled user. We use a combination of keyboard-only interactions, screen readers to convert text to spoken audio and web browser plug-ins to determine the accessibility of your website. While automated testing accounts for some of the WCAG 2.1 criteria, manual testing accounts for Critical Accessibility Failures that Automated software can’t, like:

• SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT:  This prevents users from having to go through your entire navigation over and over again just to get to the main content of your webpage.

• PAGE TITLES:  Page titles are what is visible in tabs or bookmarks and should be appropriate to the page content.

• HEADINGS:  Headings accurately describe the content.

• AND MANY MORE!

WARNING: “If it sounds too good to be True, it probably is” JavaScript’s, Overlays, and AI Widgets are NOT a complete Solution and don’t protect you from potential lawsuits.  Overlays and widgets for your website do not protect you from legal action as they are insufficient to pick up all compliance and accessibility barriers.

Overlays are products that claim to automatically fix a website’s accessibility issues.  All you have to do, they claim, is insert their JavaScript snippet on your website and your accessibility problems will be repaired.

All these quick fix solutions fail to meet the needs of actual people with disabilities.  Since we know that automated tools can only detect about 30% of WCAG website compliance, we can’t expect such JavaScript’s, Overlays, and AI Widgets to do any better.

To truly have a Compliant and Accessible website, ADA WebGuard highly recommends conducting both Automated Testing and Manual Auditing using all WCAG AA Success Criteria. For more information on website testing and auditing, you can contact Garett Grabarnick at 833-232-9321 or visit our website at www.ADAWebGuard.com

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