
Many may think that it is difficult to promote diversity and inclusion actions in companies. We will show you how small attitudes can make all the difference, both internally and with your audience. But first, let’s contextualize the importance of accessibility and how it contributes to this promotion!
Did you know that 1 billion people in the world have some kind of disability?
People who are blind or have low vision need alternative text on images to inform themselves about the visual content available, as they surf the web with the help of screen readers. Deaf or hearing-impaired people need subtitles and/or a Sign Language window for audio or video content. For people with motor disabilities, accessible keyboards that enable navigation on devices are needed. For people with cognitive disabilities, the ideal is the production of texts with simple language, without repetition of words, and a screen with a well-organized layout.
Including accessibility tools on your company’s website is to act consciously, allowing your information to be accessible to all audiences. It is also important to make your company’s communication and selection processes accessible, this way you will be opening up a wider range of possibilities.
More than ever it is important to address the issue in order to raise awareness and put actions into practice! Inclusion must become part of the company’s DNA, promoting accessibility for employees and customers, besides valuing diversity. This way, it is possible to collaborate for a fairer world for all people. The benefits of adopting these measures are countless, not only culturally, but also financially, as the company gains an advantage over the competition by having a more creative and innovative team.
You just have to be willing to make a difference. With small actions, it is possible to make the web more accessible and increase diversity and inclusion in companies. Below, we have selected some tips on how different professionals can contribute to this.
In addition to deaf and hearing impaired people, the Sign Language interpreter window makes content accessible to autistic people, people with Down syndrome, and hearing people with cerebral palsy and aphasia who may have difficulty speaking and who use Sign Language in their communication. But what is the best way to implement this window in my content?
Is the video spoken in a language that the user does not understand? Does the user want to watch the video without audio? The user cannot hear or is hard of hearing? Add subtitles! Subtitles are an accessibility feature that can be used in so many situations that it is even weird to see videos that do not have this option.
Producing material in a simple and clear manner makes your content understandable to a much larger number of people. People with dyslexia or who have intellectual disabilities are examples of some of them.
There are many low-effort adjustments you can start practicing when creating text:
Alternative text is used to describe the appearance and function of an image on a page, be it a blog, a website, or even social media posts. It is used so that visually impaired people can understand the main information being conveyed in that image.
To write good alternative text, you should take care to:
Two hundred and fifty million people in the world have low vision, and the use of high-contrast is the key for all of them to be impacted by your communication. It facilitates vision by intensifying the difference between text and background. And how to ensure this?
This is a way to align these points and seek creative graphic solutions that positively impact all audiences!
When we talk about accessibility in User Experience Design (UX Design), we are talking about promoting better usability and more autonomy to a larger number of people, products and services.
Some points that you should look at carefully can influence a good experience:
You see? Accessibility is not so complicated to implement. Through simple and practical measures, you and your team can positively impact the lives of millions of people, contributing to a more diverse and inclusive world.