4 Ways You Can Make The Written Content On Your Website ADA Accessible
Every website must be ADA-accessible. And, in order for your website to be considered ADA accessible, it must abide by these four basic principles:
Perceivable.
Operable.
Understandable.
Robust.
If your website isn’t those things, then it will not be considered ADA-accessible.
Going over the ways in which you can make the written content on your website ADA accessible and speaking with an ADA-compliant website lawyer who can help you if you receive a lawsuit will protect you from an ADA web accessibility lawsuit.
4 Ways You Can Make The Written Content On Your Website ADA Accessible
01: Organize Your Content
Right away, the best way you can make the written content on your website ADA accessible is to organize it.
Some of the best ways you can organize your written content are as follows:
Rely on clear, descriptive headings and subheadings.
Make use of numbered lists.
Make use of bullet points and bulleted lists.
If applicable, include images that illustrate what is being communicated.
Every single one of these tips will allow you to develop organized content that is ADA-accessible.
02: Always Include Alternative Text
Many of those who use the internet are unable to see and/or perceive images. And, with this in mind, even if your website is reliant on images, this does not mean that those people should be unable to understand your content.
To ensure that everyone can understand the content on your site, including its images, you must always include alternative text.
Every piece of alternative text that you develop should:
Serve as a clarification of what the image contains.
Serve as a clarification of the image’s purpose/relation to the content.
Serve as a clarification of what the image conveys.
Outside of the above, it is wise to produce alternative text that is short, concise, and informative. If a piece of alternative text is too long, then your readers may not enjoy going through it.
03: Use An Effective Presentation Style
A poor presentation style can make the content on your website both ADA inaccessible and nearly unreadable to anyone else. But, a good presentation style allows for easy reading for those who are disabled and those who are not.
To ensure that the presentation scheme your written content abides by is effective, you should make sure it:
Relies on an effective color contrast, such as black text and a white background.
Relies on an effective font size, such as 12 to 14.
Makes use of easy-to-read fonts, such as “Times New Roman” or “Arial.”
If your written content makes use of the principles outlined above, then it possesses an effective presentation style that works for those who are disabled and, in turn, those who are not.
04: Rely On Clear Link Text
Many websites rely on links to other websites. But, no matter the link within your content or the purpose of this link, it must be clear and effective.
Some of the best ways you can ensure that the link text on your website is clear and effective are as follows:
Describe where, exactly, a particular link will take your reader.
Go over the purpose of this link.
Clarify the relationship between this link and the content.
If you rely on the tips outlined right above, then those with disabilities – and, furthermore, those without disabilities – will understand the nature of each link and where it will take them.
