Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are a set of guidelines for making web content more accessible to people with disabilities. They are organised into four principles: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. Each principle has a number of specific guidelines providing specific recommendations for making web content more accessible.
WCAG helps ensure that people with disabilities, such as visual impairments, hearing impairments, and mobility impairments, can access and use web content. More accessible websites are easier to navigate. It not only improves the user experience for everyone but also increases engagement and their ranking in search engine results, leading to increased traffic and potential business opportunities. In some countries, some regulations require websites and web content to be accessible to people with disabilities. WCAG helps meet these legal requirements.
How to keep your website WCAG compliant? Provide text alternatives for non-text content (alt text for images, transcriptions for audio content, and captions for video content). Distinguish links from surrounding text by underlining them, using a different colour or providing a clear visual indicator of a link. You also should use headings and lists appropriately to improve your content’s structure and make it easier for users to navigate.
There are also certain things you shouldn’t do. For example, don’t use colours as the only visual means of conveying information. Since some users may be colourblind or have difficulty distinguishing specific colours, it’s best to use additional differentiators (e.g. colour and underlining). You also shouldn’t use flashing or blinking content as it may be disorienting or even seizure-inducing for some users. Last but not least – don’t use content that requires a specific device or technology (e.g. mouse). Make sure your content can be accessed using various devices and technologies.
WCAG makes websites more accessible not only for people with disabilities but for everyone. Easy-to-navigate content drives traffic and engagement, which is why WCAG is a standard at Flying Bisons.
