In this webinar, Bet Hannon, Founder and CEO of AccessiCart, gave non-technical, practical tips for improving website accessibility and discuss the benefits of having an accessible site.
4. Avoid Legal
Issues
ADA Title III Website Accessibility
Lawsuits in Federal Court
Five years of ADA web and app lawsuits
- key observations and trends -
UsableNet , 12/21/22
13. Most accessibility devices
are keyboard driven &
screenreader users use keyboard navigation
Start testing your
site by navigating
using only the
Tab & Enter keys
14. Use semantic
markup
Semantic markup also
includes other tags
properly applied
H1 Page title
H2 Section 1 title
H3 Subsection 1.1
H3 Subsection 1.2
H2 Section 2 title
H3 Subsection 2.0
15. Use alt text
on Images
Alt text describes images
<img alt=”text that will
convey the
Image to people who can’t see
it”>
NOT: “img987983.jpg”, “photo”
17. Avoid Color Coding
Particularly red vs. green, as this is the most common form of
colorblindness
Red Box = Don’t Green Box = Do
Box Dos and Don’ts
Check site with color checkers or grayscale
monitor
Use color coding alone
Pay attention to contrast in
lightness/darkness
Use red/green alone
Red X = Don’t Green + = Do
Box Dos and Don’ts
Check site with color checkers or grayscale
monitor
x Use color coding alone
+ Pay attention to contrast in
lightness/darkness
x Use red/green alone
18. Use Descriptive Link Text
Links should be indicated by something IN ADDITION to color
Link text should always be descriptive enough to stand on it’s
own out of context
Link text should not be repetitive on a page
Not This:
Click here to read
the report on
campus crime
This:
Click here to read
the report on
campus crime
Not This:
Click here to read
the report on
campus crime
19. Use actual Lists, Tables & Columns
Don’t use “-” or “>” to create what appear to
be lists.
Don’t use spaces to create what appear to be
tables or columns
This:
• Item A
• Item B
• Item C
Not This:
- Item A
- Item B
- Item C
20. PDFs and other docs
Use semantic markup: H1=title, H2 for main points, etc.
All the other tips: color, alt text, descriptive links, etc.
Use table of contents for long docs
Take special care with tables & charts
Use editor tools in Adobe, Word, etc.
21. Multimedia Files
Audio files must have a written transcript
Videos should use captions and/or transcripts
Be sure to correct/proofread auto-generated captions & transcripts
22. Checkout/Signup Process
Checkouts and signups are a
common place to find accessibility
issues
Check for keyboard navigation &
ability to make changes to fields.
23. PSA: Avoid “overlay” Plugins!
They can actually make things worse! And they
don’t stand by you for any lawsuits.
Overlay Fact Sheet
Why AI & Overlay Widgets Fail to Protect or Serve,
Accessibility Works
AccessiBe will Get you Sued, Adrian Roselli
Beware: WordPress Accessibility Plugins Can Make Your
Site LESS Accessible, AccessiCart
24. Resource:
ADA Tax Credit
Businesses may qualify for
a 50% tax credit for making
their website accessible!
Must be either:
Under 30 employees, OR
Under $1M in gross revenue
Entire website project fees are included!
About form 8826, Disabled Access Credit, IRS
32. Statements Usually
Include:
“ongoing commitment to achieving the
highest levels of satisfaction for all
customers”
Committed to WCAG (Web Content
Accessibility Guidelines published by the
Web Accessibility Initiative ("WCAG").
“While we strive to adhere... if you
nevertheless encounter any difficulty...
contact us.”
33. Resource: Accessibility Audits
Does in-depth testing of your site to find all
accessibility issues.
Beware of cheap AI or automated only audits
Look for “human testing” but doesn’t have to be
disabled persons
Typically, a “sampling audit” is more affordable
You can get an audit and have your own developer do
the remediations