Boost Your Product’s Accessibility with WCAG: Make it Inclusive!

Web accessibility refers to designing websites that adhere to specific design principles to ensure that individuals facing challenges or restrictions have an experience comparable to those without such impediments. This guarantees that your content is accessible to every user, promoting a seamless experience on your product for all visitors, regardless of their abilities. 

From a user experience design perspective – every user should be able to successfully complete their desired tasks or goals through your product or service. To achieve this, accessibility requirements are established through principles and laws that set the criteria for declaring a website, product, or service as accessible. 

It’s crucial to recognize that many of these global laws are grounded in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), providing a comprehensive framework for building products that are usable and accessible by everyone, regardless of their abilities.

And therefore, ensuring accessibility is not just a moral responsibility but also a legal imperative.

Let’s now understand the significance of WCAG, how it can enhance your product’s accessibility and some tips to implement these in your product.

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has formulated the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which are technical standards for web accessibility. These guidelines have been established through collaboration among various stakeholders such as disability organizations, government, and accessibility research organizations, representing a globally adopted standard.

The primary objective of WCAG is to enhance the accessibility of websites, apps, electronic documents, and other digital assets for individuals with diverse disabilities, encompassing sensory, intellectual, learning, and physical challenges. 

Failing to make your website accessible may expose you to legal consequences.

To elevate your product’s web accessibility follow these four key principles: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust, often abbreviated as POUR. They serve as a comprehensive framework to ensure your digital content is accessible to a broad range of audiences.

• Perceivable: Information and controls should be clear and easy to perceive, regardless of a user’s abilities.

• Operable: Users must be able to interact with your product or service easily and navigate without difficulty.

• Understandable: The language and content should be clear and easy to comprehend for everyone.

• Robust: Your product or service should be compatible with various assistive technologies and function reliability under different circumstances.

Now that we’ve grasped the essence of these guidelines, the question arises as to how to implement these to actually make the product accessible. Let’s go through each of the POUR aspects and understand a few tips to implement them.

1. Perceivable

• Provide alternative text (alt text) for images: Describe the content and purpose of each image using clear and concise language.
• Use sufficient color contrast: Ensure adequate contrast between text and its background for optimal readability. Tools like WebAIM’s Contrast Checker can help.
• Offer captions and transcripts for video content: Ensure users with hearing impairments have access to the information conveyed in videos.
• Design for different screen sizes and resolutions: Cater to diverse devices and user preferences by ensuring your product renders effectively on various screen sizes.

2. Operable

• Enable keyboard navigation: Allow users to navigate your product using a keyboard, making it usable for individuals with motor limitations.
• Follow clear and consistent focus order: Ensure elements receive focus in a logical and predictable manner, facilitating intuitive use.
• Design for touchscreens: If your product is intended for touchscreens, optimize touch targets for accurate interaction.
• Minimize the need for complex gestures: Avoid complex touch or mouse gestures that might be challenging for users with motor limitations.

3. Understandable

• Use clear and concise language: Avoid jargon and technical terms, opting for plain language that is easy to comprehend.
• Structure content logically: Organize information in a clear and hierarchical manner, making it easier for users to navigate and understand.
• Provide appropriate instructions and labels: Label elements clearly and provide concise instructions for completing tasks.
• Offer multiple ways to access information: Consider offering different content formats, such as audio descriptions for visual content and text transcripts for audio content.

4. Robust

• Ensure compatibility with assistive technologies: Make sure your product works seamlessly with screen readers, voice recognition software, and other assistive technologies.
• Use semantic HTML: Employ HTML elements correctly to convey meaning and structure to assistive technologies, enhancing their ability to interpret your content.
• Test with diverse user groups: Engage people with disabilities in your product testing process to identify and address accessibility issues.

Following WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) isn’t just about meeting legal requirements but also about transforming your product and benefit both your users and your business. Here’s how:

1. Reach to a Wider Audience

Imagine a visually impaired user who can navigate your shopping platform with a screen reader, due to clear product descriptions and alternative text for images. WCAG helps you reach users who might otherwise be excluded.

2. Create a Smoother User Experience for Everyone

WCAG guidelines recommend clear and consistent website layouts. This not only benefits users with cognitive differences but also improves navigation for everyone, making them feel comfortable and in control.

3. Retain Users

A user with motor limitations might struggle with a website that relies heavily on complex mouse interactions. WCAG encourages keyboard navigation, allowing this user to access information and complete tasks efficiently, leading to a more positive and likely return visit.

4. Build a Positive Brand Image

By prioritizing accessibility, you demonstrate your commitment to inclusivity and social responsibility. This resonates with a growing audience who values companies that stand behind these principles.

5. Enhanced Search Visibility

Search engines like Google consider accessibility when ranking websites. Following WCAG can improve your search engine ranking, making your product more visible to potential users.

By prioritizing web accessibility, you’re not just complying with regulations, you’re actively building a loyal user base by ensuring they access and navigate your digital product with ease. We understand that as a product owner, or a product manager, or even a stakeholder, sometimes these accessibility guidelines can seem complex. Let’s collaborate to elevate your user experience and reach your product’s full potential. Get a free UX audit done today and connect with us to make your digital product truly inclusive.