The Internet has become an essential part of our daily lives. Some might even consider it one of the necessities of life. It is so integrated into our routines that we often search for symptoms of health issues on Google before consulting a doctor. Everyone relies on the Internet to accomplish various tasks, including people with disabilities, such as visual impairment.

According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 285 million people worldwide have visual impairments, with 39 million being blind and 246 million having low vision.

Considering that visually impaired individuals also browse websites, there is a growing need to design websites that are accessible to them. This presents a challenge for website designers, as there are different visual impairments. Some users may be completely blind, while others may have colour blindness or low vision. Designing websites catering to all these users is a challenge and a responsibility for designers and developers. Accessible websites benefit visually impaired users and improve usability for all users by making navigation more intuitive and user-friendly.

The Principles of Accessible Website

According to W3C WCAG 2.0 Guidelines, a website must be perceivable, operable, understandable and robust to be accessible to disabled users (including visually impaired users).

Perceivable:

A website's content must be presented in a way that users can perceive. For example, people with blindness or severe visual impairment might not be able to see an image. To address this, websites should include alternative text (alt tags) for images that describe the image's content. Additionally, using captions for videos and providing audio descriptions can further enhance accessibility for these users. Designers should also avoid using images of text and instead rely on actual text that screen readers can interpret.

Operable:

The UI and navigation should be easily operable by everyone. For example, users should be able to navigate the website using only a keyboard. Implementing features such as skip links and keyboard shortcuts and ensuring all interactive elements are accessible via keyboard controls significantly improves usability for visually impaired users. Adding voice command navigation can also be a game-changer for users who rely on voice-controlled assistive technologies.

Understandable:

The content and UI elements must be straightforward for all users to understand. The text should be legible, readable, and structured logically. Clear instructions, concise language, and error prevention mechanisms (such as error messages with helpful suggestions) enhance the user experience. Offering content in multiple formats, such as text-to-speech options, further enhances comprehension for users with different levels of visual impairment.

Robust:

Content must be robust enough to be interpreted by different browsers and assistive technologies. Using proper HTML tags, ensuring compatibility with screen readers, and maintaining a consistent website structure help improve accessibility for visually impaired users. Regular updates and adherence to new accessibility standards ensure long-term compliance and enhanced functionality.

These principles are essential for creating an accessible website. Now, let's explore how to apply these principles effectively.

These principles are the essential ingredients for creating an accessible website. Let's see how you can apply these principles to build a website that visually impaired users can easily access.

Making Your Website Accessible to Visually Impaired Users

Ensuring accessibility is crucial for inclusivity and equal access to information. Here are some key factors to consider:

1. Screen Reader Compatibility: Ensure that your website is compatible with screen readers by using semantic HTML, providing alternative text for images, and structuring content logically. Screen readers like JAWS and NVDA rely on proper HTML markup to convey information effectively. Using ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) attributes can further enhance the experience for screen reader users. Avoid using tables for layout purposes, as they can confuse screen readers—use CSS instead for design elements.
2. Keyboard Navigation: Make sure that all interactive elements, such as links and forms, can be accessed and operated using a keyboard alone, without requiring a mouse. Users should be able to navigate menus, submit forms, and interact with all website elements using the keyboard (Tab, Enter, and Arrow keys). Implementing focus indicators helps users track where they are on the page. An easily accessible "Skip to Content" link allows users to bypass navigation menus and get straight to the main content.
3. Colour Contrast: Use sufficient colour contrast between text and background colours to make content readable for users with low vision or colour blindness. The WCAG recommends a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for standard text and 3:1 for large text. Tools like the WebAIM Contrast Checker can help designers ensure proper contrast levels. Additionally, avoid using colour alone to convey information; use text labels, patterns, or symbols as supplementary indicators.
4. Font Size and Style: Use legible fonts and provide options for users to adjust the font size to meet their needs. Avoid using overly decorative fonts that may be difficult to read. Providing a font-size adjustment tool empowers users to customize text size according to their comfort. Setting a default text size that meets accessibility standards (such as 16px for body text) ensures readability for most users.
5. Alternative Text for Images: Provide descriptive alternative text for all images to convey their content and purpose to users who cannot see them. Ensure that alt text is meaningful and contextually relevant rather than generic descriptions like "image" or "photo." This helps screen reader users understand the content better. For complex images, such as infographics, providing a long description or a text-based alternative ensures all users can access the information.
6. Legal and Compliance Considerations: Ensuring website accessibility is not just a best practice but a legal requirement in many regions. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and other global regulations mandate digital accessibility. Non-compliance can lead to lawsuits, fines, and reputational damage. By following these legal frameworks, businesses can avoid legal risks while providing a better user experience.
7. Testing Website Accessibility: Regular testing is crucial to maintain an accessible website. Tools like WAVE, Lighthouse, and AXE can help identify accessibility issues. Manual testing with screen readers and keyboard navigation is also essential. Conducting user testing with visually impaired individuals provides real-world insights and helps in continuous improvement.
8. User Feedback & Continuous Improvement: Gathering feedback from visually impaired users is essential for ongoing accessibility enhancements. Providing accessibility feedback forms and actively seeking user insights help businesses refine their websites. Accessibility should be an evolving process, adapting to new technologies and user needs over time.
9. Accessible Forms: Ensure that forms are well-labelled and easy to navigate, with clear instructions and error messages.
10. Video Accessibility: Provide captions for videos to make them accessible to users who are deaf or hard of hearing.
11. Responsive Design: Ensure your website is responsive and adapts to different screen sizes, including mobile devices, to accommodate users with varying needs.
12. Accessible Navigation: Use clear and consistent navigation menus that are easy to understand and navigate using assistive technologies.
13. Testing with Assistive Technologies: Regularly test your website with screen readers and other assistive technologies to identify and fix accessibility issues.
14. Accessibility Guidelines: Follow accessibility guidelines such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to ensure that your website meets the needs of visually impaired users.

Give Users Control Over the Text Size

The font size must be large enough for users to read the text. However, some users might not need 2x large fonts, while some might even need fonts larger than that. To cater to these people's needs, you can provide a button that users can use to enlarge the text as much as they want.

Embraceme.org provides three text size options so users can enlarge the text size if the current size is too small to read.

The text size becomes more important when it comes to CTA buttons. If a CTA has "Contact Us" text that is not visible to such users, they are unlikely to click on it. This means you can forget that such users would do business with you.

Don't Left Color Blind Users Out

Colour and contrast are the most basic and essential parts of a design. The right colour scheme can affect users' moods; the proper contrast will get their attention.

However, not everyone sees colours the same way. Some people cannot perceive specific colours correctly. Designing for visually impaired users, especially users with colour blindness, is a great challenge for designers. This is more so because there are not one but three types of colour blindness.

The key to designing for colour-blind users is to ensure high contrast between foreground and background elements and not rely entirely on colours. You must also ensure that the page's text content is easily readable on a grey scale (black text on a white background or the opposite of that).

Facebook uses warning icons and popup messages to show errors or invalid requests instead of solely relying on red colour.

Colour and contrast also become necessary when it comes to CTA. For example, a green CTA on a red theme might not stand out much for colour-blind users. This issue can be tackled by using a more prominent CTA button with large text to make it visible to even a colour-blind user.

Making Everything Accessible Over a Press of Keys

One of the biggest hurdles for blind users could be using the navigation menu, especially if it has dropdowns and submenus. Blind users use screen readers to tell what labels are in the navigation menu. However, it may be difficult for them to click the Home button.

To solve this issue, most browsers have a built-in keyboard focus function. This means users can, for example, press the Tab key to jump to links on a page. The screen reader will read the link's label, and the user can press the Enter key to visit the desired link.

To make it even easier, you can provide a list of keyboard shortcuts on your page so users know how to navigate using only their keyboard.

Jacksonchurch's website provides a short list of Access Keys to make it accessible and "as user-friendly as possible."

Avoid using certain keyboard traps to ensure keyboard navigation. For example, some designers disable keyboard focus on their websites, thinking that it doesn't look good. This makes it difficult for users to navigate a website using a keyboard.

Conclusion

The Internet should be open to everyone, including individuals with disabilities. Accessing your website is an ethical responsibility and a legal and business advantage. By prioritizing accessibility, you enhance user experience, reduce bounce rates, and increase conversions. Now is the time to take action and make your website accessible to all users. A well-designed, accessible website fosters inclusivity and demonstrates a commitment to digital equality.

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