Inclusive Design: A Practical Guide To Accessibility
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By Laura Pettenuzzo
As we become increasingly reliant on digital technology in our everyday lives, it is vital that every aspect of digital design considers the access needs of its users, from web design to mobile apps.
Accessible design benefits users with permanent disability, but it is also useful for older individuals and those with temporary injuries or conditions. Furthermore, accessible design has undeniable economic benefits.
“Accessibility in digital design is of the utmost importance for an equitable online environment,” says Laetitia Thompson, Senior Digital Content Editor at Centre for Accessibility Australia.
“Everybody should have the right to digital access. Accessibility should not be about compliance; it should be a human right.”
The Centre also notes that by applying accessibility features into the very DNA of digital platforms, creators can ensure their reach is to a broader audience.
Simply put, do you want to maximise your reach? Then make your content accessible.
Web design
Let’s start by looking at the design of the pages on your site.
At a minimum, web pages should meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), a universal standard for internet accessibility.
If you’re new to the world of inclusive design, here are a few tips to get you started.
- Use a contrast checker to make sure that the text on your webpage can be easily distinguished from the background – and change the colours if you need to.
- Use a font that is easy to read. Vision Australia recommends sans serif fonts, such as Arial or Helvetica.
- Body text should be size 12 at minimum.
- Use descriptive hyperlinks rather than vague links such as “click here.” A more descriptive link might be “read more about xxxx at our website.”
- If you are using colour to convey information, make sure that you provide additional information, rather than colour alone. For example, if someone is red-green colour blind, and your form displays mandatory fields in red, that won’t mean anything to them. But if your form displays mandatory fields in red with an asterisk, they will be able to use the asterisk to identify mandatory fields.
- Group related content with appropriate headings and subheadings, and use white space to separate unrelated content. As well as indicating if content is related, this makes your webpage less overwhelming and increases the likelihood that users will keep reading or engaging with it.
- If your webpage has documents available for download, make sure you indicate the file type, such as Word or PDF. This will allow users to select the format that is most suitable for them.
Mobile apps
There are more than 6.5 billion smartphone users across the world, and 88% of the time spent on smartphones involves apps.
The number of smartphone users and apps available for download is predicted to increase over the next few years.
Consumers tend to use their mobiles more than other devices, such as tablets or laptops. For that reason, it’s essential to understand the additional accessibility considerations required of mobile apps.
The primary consideration for content design on mobile devices is that the screens of mobile devices are much smaller than tablet or laptop screens.
You should test your mobile app on devices of different sizes, and test with disabled users. It is best to have specific, distinct content for mobile users.
For instance, removing images that might appear on the desktop version of your webpage to minimise scrolling.
Your app should support both portrait and landscape orientation. Some users might not be able to turn their device to the other orientation (such as people who have their device mounted on a power wheelchair).
If the orientation of your app content changes automatically, you must make sure that screen readers can detect the change. If screen reader users are not aware of the change in orientation, they might struggle to effectively navigate your content.
If your app requires users to fill out fields in a form in portrait layout, make sure the form fields are below their labels. That way, users will be introduced to the label first and know what information to enter into the field.
You can read Web Accessibility Initiative’s Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines for more information.
Additionally, provide users with a clear method for sending their feedback or raising accessibility concerns about your mobile app. This might be a ‘Contact Us’ or similarly named item on the main menu.
If you receive user feedback about the accessibility of your mobile app, take action accordingly and let the user know that you have received and actioned their feedback.
It is important to tailor your content to the literacy levels of your audience, especially since approximately 44% of people living in Australia have low literacy levels.
All digital content should be clear and easy to understand, and use plain language as standard. Plain language is concise writing that gets straight to the point. Avoid jargon and terms that are likely unfamiliar to your audience.
If you must use jargon or unfamiliar terms, make sure you explain what they mean. You can find out more about writing accessible content in the Australian government style guide.
You can also copy and paste your content into a free tool called Hemingway Editor, which will give you an indication of the complexity of the content and what you might want to simplify.
And should you ask a disabled person to test your website, app or other digital interface, make sure you offer them meaningful pay for their time.
This article is an introduction to accessibility considerations for digital design rather than a complete or comprehensive list.
For more information, you can complete the Centre for Accessibility Australia’s six-part free resource for understanding accessibility.
Web and mobile accessibility are essential considerations in digital content design. After all, accessible digital design benefits everyone.
Laura Pettenuzzo is a mental health and disability advocate, and a plain and easy English content writer as well as a speaker and facilitator.
