{"id":6050,"date":"2023-01-19T14:10:34","date_gmt":"2023-01-19T17:10:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/?p=6050"},"modified":"2023-04-17T22:24:59","modified_gmt":"2023-04-18T01:24:59","slug":"accessible-sites-for-people-with-disabilities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/blog\/accessible-sites-for-people-with-disabilities\/","title":{"rendered":"Accessible sites for people with disabilities: what are they?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In the United States, there are <strong>over 40 million people with a disability<\/strong>, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.census.gov\/newsroom\/facts-for-features\/2020\/disabilities-act.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">U.S. Census Bureau<\/a>. And did you know that<strong> less than 2% of websites are accessible to them?<\/strong> This fact shows us the urgency of this subject, <strong>as a large portion of the population is being excluded from the web<\/strong>!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is an accessible website?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>People with disabilities face <a href=\"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/blog\/accessibility-barriers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">numerous barriers<\/a> while performing basic daily activities. With our lives becoming more and more technological, many daily activities are carried out online, but unfortunately, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/blog\/accessibility\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">accessibility is still neglected by most of the web<\/a>, which triggers a series of <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/blog\/people-with-disabilities-in-the-digital-world\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>challenges for these people<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An accessible website for people with disabilities is a website with few, or if possible, none digital accessibility barriers. In other words, they <strong>offer the <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/blog\/assistive-technology-deaf\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>necessary resources and tools<\/strong><\/a><strong> so that these people can navigate with autonomy and comfort.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What does the legislation say about accessible sites for people with disabilities?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Digital accessibility, like other forms of accessibility, is a right guaranteed by law for people with disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/blog\/ada-compliance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)<\/strong><\/a>, for example, is <strong>one of the guidelines that protects people with disabilities and guarantees accessibility, just as other rights. <\/strong>It prohibits discrimination and ensures inclusion in all means, including the digital environment.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is the importance of accessible websites for people with disabilities?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Some key points that illustrate the importance of an accessible website for people with disabilities are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Promotes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/blog\/social-inclusion-what-is-our-role-in-promoting-a-fairer-society\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">social inclusion<\/a>;<\/li><li>It is directly related to<strong> <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/blog\/esg-three-letters-that-are-changing-the-global-market\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>ESG (Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance)<\/strong><\/a><strong>, which measures how much a business is seeking to reduce its impacts on the environment and create a better and fairer world<\/strong>.<\/li><li>It is directly linked to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/blog\/sdgs-and-digital-accessibility\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 10<\/strong><\/a>, which talks about <strong>reducing inequality<\/strong>;<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/blog\/ada-web-accessibility-demand-letter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Avoid fines that may be applied for not complying with the law<\/a>;<\/li><li>Reaches out to a <strong>public of over 40 million people, <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/blog\/accessibility-as-a-great-ally-of-e-commerce\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>increasing sales<\/strong><\/a>;<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/blog\/how-accessibility-can-be-a-key-for-growing-your-brand\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>It is positive for the brand&#8217;s image<\/strong><\/a>, as it reinforces an inclusive positioning;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Among other benefits!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How many sites are accessible?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Returning to the data we brought at the beginning of the text, according to the 2020 Web Accessibility Annual Report, around <a href=\"https:\/\/www.isemag.com\/professional-development-leadership\/article\/14267164\/98-of-websites-fail-to-comply-with-accessibility-requirements-for-people-with-disabilities\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>98% of the websites in the USA are not accessible<\/strong><\/a><strong> to the disability community from a legal perspective. <\/strong>This means that less than 2% of the sites in America are accessible for people with disabilities!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Therefore,<strong> it is urgent for companies to start implementing accessibility features on their pages.<\/strong> It&#8217;s time to use technology to include and not to exclude people!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What has been done to include people with disabilities on the internet?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To ensure the inclusion of people with disabilities on the internet, there is a global accessibility standard called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/blog\/wcag-2-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>WCAG, which stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>This is a guide that all websites must follow to ensure accessibility for as many people as possible.<\/strong> However, like everything related to technology, it is always going through changes, seeking to keep up with the metamorphosis of the internet, communication channels and content. Therefore,<strong> even when the website is already functioning with accessibility, it is important that the professionals responsible for it stay tuned for possible updates on the guideline.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, social networks have been used by people with disabilities and enthusiasts of the cause to <strong>make the population aware of social inclusion and how to contribute to it.<\/strong> With this incentive, <strong>more people started to implement accessibility features in their channels<\/strong>. For example, adding <a href=\"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/blog\/accessibility-of-deaf-people\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">subtitles in videos<\/a>, which is useful for everyone, but especially for deaf and hard of hearing people, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/blog\/alt-text\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">writing image descriptions<\/a>, which benefit blind people that navigate with screen readers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to make your site accessible for people with disabilities?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The best way to make your site accessible and promote <a href=\"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/blog\/learn-how-to-reach-a-larger-public-with-accessible-uxui-design\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>a better user experience<\/strong><\/a> <strong>for those with disabilities<\/strong>, is to <strong>follow the WCAG guidelines,<\/strong> as it gives broad guidance on accessibility for pages. We are taking the opportunity to <strong>give you some simple and practical tips of what cannot be missing from an accessible website<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Alternative texts (ALT):<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Writing ALTs, which are image descriptions, in the photos and illustrations on the page, allowing blind or visually impaired people to fully consume that content.<\/strong> They normally navigate using screen readers, which transform images into audio, as long as they contain a written description of the visual elements present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">American Sign Language (ASL) Plugin&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Installing an ASL accessibility plugin is a good tip for including deaf and hard of hearing people who communicate in this language!<\/strong> The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/plugin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Hand Talk Plugin<\/strong><\/a>, for example, is a solution that, with the help of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/blog\/meet-maya-the-hand-talks-new-virtual-translator\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">friendly virtual translators<\/a>, translates the entire text of the website from English to American Sign Language. <strong>It will soon be available in the USA!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Subtitles and interpreter window:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/blog\/accessible-videos\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Including subtitles<\/strong><\/a><strong> and interpreter windows ensures that the audiovisual contents are accessible<\/strong> for deaf and hard of hearing people. Besides, the <strong>subtitles also benefit hearing people<\/strong>, who can consume the videos without audio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Fonts with good readability:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Choosing easy-to-read fonts impacts the comfort of all users, but especially those with visual or cognitive impairments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">High contrast:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Thinking carefully about layout and font colors, ensuring adequate high contrast, benefits everyone, not just the visually impaired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Search by voice command:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This tool makes it possible for blind people or those who have physical disabilities to search pages and subjects on your page more easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Accessible codes:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Developing accessible codes in the programming of the site is important for search engines to understand that you offer a website accessible to more people.<\/strong> This also facilitates navigation for those who use screen readers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Content hierarchy:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Build a hierarchy between titles. Start with the main title in the largest font (H1) and subsequent titles in smaller fonts (H2, H3, and so on).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Building an accessible website for people with disabilities is not as challenging as most people think.<strong> It is possible to start making your page more inclusive right now, contributing to a fairer society and also benefiting your brand image<\/strong>. If you still don&#8217;t know where to start, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/blog\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">count on our blog to keep learning<\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the United States, there are over 40 million people with a disability, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. And did you know that less than 2% of websites are accessible to them? This fact shows us the urgency of this subject, as a large portion of the population is being excluded from the web!&nbsp; [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":6053,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[631,626,632],"tags":[637,639,641],"class_list":["post-6050","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-accessibility","category-digital-accessibility","category-inclusion","tag-digital-accessibility","tag-inclusion","tag-social-good"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6050","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6050"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6050\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6283,"href":"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6050\/revisions\/6283"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6053"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6050"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6050"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6050"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}