All
Web 2.0

How do you ensure that your web application is accessible and inclusive for all users?

Web 2.0 applications are interactive, dynamic, and user-centered, but they also pose challenges for accessibility and inclusion. Accessibility means that your web application can be used by people with different abilities, devices, and preferences, while inclusion means that your web application respects and values the diversity of your users and their needs. In this article, you will learn some practical tips on how to ensure that your web application is accessible and inclusive for all users.

1 Use web standards and best practices

One of the most important steps to make your web application accessible and inclusive is to follow the web standards and best practices established by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the organization that develops and maintains the guidelines for web development. Web standards ensure that your web application works across different browsers, platforms, and devices, and that it follows the principles of universal design. Best practices include using semantic HTML, separating content from presentation, validating your code, and testing your web application for compatibility and performance.

Add your perspective

Hafiz Muhammad Waqas

Empowering Brands | Strategic Business Analyst | AI-Powered E-Commerce Growth | SaaS Visionary Entrepreneur
Report contribution
To ensure that your web application is accessible and inclusive for all users, you have to take care these points. Clear Design: You have to keep things simple and organised. Use Descriptive Text: You have to describe images and buttons. Keyboard Accessibility: Make sure it work without a mouse. Test with Screen Readers: Ensure compatibility with tools like JAWS or NVDA. Color Contrast: Good contrast for readability. Responsive Design: It should be responsive design. Closed Captions: Include for videos. Alt Text for Images: Describe visuals for screen readers.

Like

2 Apply the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are a set of recommendations that provide criteria and techniques to make your web content accessible to people with disabilities. The WCAG are organized into four principles: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. Each principle has a number of guidelines and success criteria that you can use to check and improve your web application's accessibility. For example, some of the guidelines are: provide text alternatives for non-text content, ensure that your web application can be navigated by keyboard, use clear and consistent language, and avoid content that may cause seizures or physical reactions.

Add your perspective

3 Design for different devices and screen sizes

Another aspect of accessibility and inclusion is to design your web application for different devices and screen sizes, such as desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. This means that your web application should be responsive, adaptive, and flexible, so that it can adjust to the available space and resolution of the device. You can use CSS media queries, breakpoints, grids, and flexbox to create responsive layouts, and use relative units, such as percentages, ems, or rems, to scale your fonts, images, and other elements. You should also avoid using fixed widths, heights, or positions that may cause horizontal scrolling or overlapping.

Add your perspective

Maximiliano Firtman

App developer, course instructor, writer, speaker, and workshop trainer. World Traveller, 74 countries.
Report contribution
Don't just design for a phone, tablet, or desktop size. There are infinite possibilities these days, and your content should be appropriately rendered on every window size: from foldable phones, tablets with floating windows, installed PWAs with narrow windows, widgets, smartwatches, smart TVs, and more. Remember to keep your content semantic, and readable anywhere and on any context, including when JavaScript is not available (such as when ChatGPT or other AI can read your website).

Like

4 Incorporate user feedback and testing

One of the best ways to ensure that your web application is accessible and inclusive is to incorporate user feedback and testing throughout the development process. User feedback and testing can help you identify and fix any issues or barriers that may prevent your users from accessing or enjoying your web application. You can use various methods to collect user feedback and testing, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, usability tests, or accessibility audits. You should also involve users with different backgrounds, abilities, and preferences, and use tools such as screen readers, keyboard navigation, or color contrast checkers to simulate different user scenarios.

Add your perspective

5 Provide options and customization

Finally, you can make your web application more accessible and inclusive by providing options and customization for your users. Options and customization allow your users to adjust your web application to their needs, preferences, and situations. For example, you can provide options to change the font size, color, or contrast of your web application, or to switch between different modes, such as dark mode, light mode, or high contrast mode. You can also provide customization to allow your users to choose what content they want to see or hide, or how they want to interact with your web application, such as using voice commands, gestures, or touch.

Add your perspective

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

Add your perspective

Roman Medvedev

Africa @ Sber | Tech | Emerging and Frontier Markets
Report contribution
From a business perspective, the most important thing is that you don't actually have to make your service accessible to all Internet users! All you need is to make sure you know your customers' profile and what this specific group of users is used to. For example, if your entire community is Android-based and doesn't use tablets, there's no reason why your team shall test the app on an IPad. Remember that your resources are limited and it might be wise to use them elsewhere!

Like

How do you ensure that your web application is accessible and inclusive for all users?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Use web standards and best practices

2 Apply the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

3 Design for different devices and screen sizes

4 Incorporate user feedback and testing

5 Provide options and customization

6 Here’s what else to consider

Web 2.0

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

More articles on Web 2.0

More relevant reading