Top 5 Reasons Why Your Website Should be WCAG Compliant

Is your digital product accessible and inclusive by design?

Did you know that 1 in 6 people among us experiences some form of significant disability?

That means there is a good chance that some of your users may have difficulties accessing your website content. In today's digital age, it's crucial to consider digital accessibility and inclusivity for all.

You might be using the latest web technologies and tools to engage with your audience, but if your design elements and content are not accessible, you could be excluding a segment of your potential customers.

So, what exactly is WCAG or Web Content Accessibility Guidelines? And how can you ensure that your website is WCAG-compliant? In this article, we'll explore these questions and the reasons why it is imperative to make your website WCAG compliant. 

What is WCAG ? 

WCAG is a set of rules or standards that help make websites and digital content more accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. It's like a roadmap that guides website designers and developers on how to create content that can be easily understood and used by all users, regardless of their abilities.

Web content is any information found on a web page like text, images, or audio, but not limited to what's visible to us. It also includes  code or markup that forms the foundation of the design.

WCAG Principles

Key WCAG Principles are 

1. Perceivable: Content must be presented in a way that users can perceive it through different senses. This includes 

• providing alternatives for non-text content such as images and videos,
• ensuring compatibility with screen readers, and 
• offering captions for multimedia content.

2. Operable: Users should be able to navigate and interact with the interface using various input methods, including keyboard navigation and voice commands. This principle emphasizes creating a seamless experience for all users, regardless of their preferred mode of interaction.

3. Understandable: Content should be presented clearly and understandably, with logical organization and clear instructions to prevent confusion or errors.

4. Robust: Digital content should be robust enough to function across different platforms, devices, and technologies, ensuring reliable access for all users.

WCAG Compliance Levels 

WCAG compliance levels  are like rulebooks that are divided into three levels to help make websites more user-friendly for everyone.

UI/UX design companies pay close attention to these levels because they set the standard for website accessibility. They're like a handy checklist for finding and fixing issues in web content.

For example, Level A is all about the basics, like adding alternative text for images. Level AA gets a bit more detailed, requiring captions for audio content and ensuring text and background colors have enough contrast.

Then, there's Level AAA, which is like the gold standard. It requires things like providing sign language interpretations for audio content and making sure text remains readable even when it's enlarged.

Why Should Your Businesses Ensure WCAG Compliance 

1. Avoid Legal Hassles

You definitely don't want to end up in a legal tangle. Take for example, Beyonce Park Entertainment. The website did not align with the ADA compliance framework as the images in the website did not have alt text. They got sued and faced backlash for not accommodating visually impaired users.

2. Enhance User Experience

Accessibility is not just for people with different abilities, it’s for everyone. For example, if there are closed captions in a video, we can watch it even in noisy places. 

3. Widen Your Reach

Want more eyeballs on your website? Making it accessible is the way to go. Think about it - if your site's colors are easy on the eyes, even colorblind users can navigate it with ease. 

4. Boost Your Brand

Being known as an inclusive brand is a win-win. Recall how Apple famously design products that everyone can use, and that's definitely boosted their street cred.

Recent updates from Apple show their commitment to accessibility with software features for cognitive, vision, hearing, and mobility accessibility, along with innovative tools for non speaking individuals or those at risk of losing their ability to speak. 

Tim Cook said it best: 'At Apple, we’ve always believed that the best technology is technology built for everyone.

5. Outrank SERPs

Search engines, like Google, love websites that are easy for everyone to use. So, if your website is accessible and uses descriptive alt text for images, it is not just helpful for users—it also tells search engines what your images are all about, which can boost your site's ranking in search results.

How can we help you be WCAG Compliant ?

As a UI/UX design agency, accessibility is a top priority because we believe that no user should be left behind. From the initial brainstorming sessions to project execution, we conduct deep discussions on accessibility.

If you have concerns about your website's WCAG compliance, the first step is to assess its accessibility. First we start by conducting a thorough UX audit. We use a combination of manual testing and automated tools to identify common issues users encounter. Here is a detailed checklist we follow for this purpose. 

WCAG ACCESSIBILITY CHECKLIST

1. Provide descriptive alt text for all images.

2. Ensure all multimedia content has captions or transcripts.

3. Use accessible fonts for readability.Allow users to resize text for flexibility.

4. Ensure adequate color contrast for readability.

5. Avoid flashing animations to prevent discomfort.

6. Ensure all content is accessible via keyboard navigation.

7. Use descriptive headings and titles for clarity.

8. Provide options to change language for accessibility.

9. Ensure consistency in navigation design across pages.

10. Use familiar design patterns for user ease.

11. Test website accessibility with screen readers.

12. Ensure compatibility with assistive technologies.

13. Provide clear error messages and instructions.

14. Regularly update and maintain accessibility features.

Once accessibility barriers are identified, we address them using WCAG 2.1 AA best practices. This may involve 

• enhancing color contrast, 
• providing text descriptions for images and multimedia, and 
• ensuring proper heading structure.

After making these adjustments, we encourage our clients to conduct further testing to ensure all issues are properly addressed. Throughout the process, we maintain transparent communication between our team and the client.

If you have concerns about your website's WCAG compliance, reach out to us. We're here to help.