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Accessibility Matters.

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by

Shirah Bamber
in ,
This graphic has a white background. It is a line illustration of people sitting in 4 rows, all facing away from the screen. Some are looking at their phones.

Digital accessibility has come a long way in recent years. It is no longer left to the devices of highly technical IT teams and web designers, it has thoroughly landed in the laps of communications teams. Whether you’re working with WordPress, Instagram or LinkedIn (to name a few) there are ever-increasing foolproof ways to make your content more accessible to a wider audience. 

X (or Twitter as the rest of us still call it) even makes it abundantly clear when ALT Text is added…making it painfully obvious when it is not.

I am not an accessibility expert, but there are a lot of tips and tricks i have learned along the way. Because if making your online content more inclusive and easily accessible to a more diverse audience isn’t enough of a motivator, Google (and other technology giants) have increasingly prioritised accessibility in their algorithms and SEO. Why? Because accessible websites offer better user experience.

Here are a few easy ways to quickly improve accessibility for your online content:

  • Use capitals in your hashtags (screen readers struggle to interpret multi-word hashtags.
    •  Instead of #bestinclass use #BestInClass and you have immediately made your content more accessible.
  • Make ALT Text a habit –  add it to every image you use online.
    • Once you get into the swing of writing ALT Text, it doesn’t take long at all.
    • Not sure how to do it? GOV.UK has a useful blog post with examples.
    • If your image has text make sure you include “Image Says: xxxxxxxxxxx”
  • Add subtitles to every video
    • This helps a wider set of audiences than you think – a lot of us are watching sound free!
  • Make sure your graphics have enough contrast and use a legible font!
    • It is all too easy to make a graphic that looks good in isolation, large on your screen, but when in situe is impossible to read for anyone with any sight issues. 

It is worth acknowledging that not all accessibility measures are pain-free. 

For example, we all love using emojis as bullet points on a list – the data shows it can often increase engagement… except it makes it really confusing for people who are using screen readers, which have to describe each emoji while reading out the list. Similarly, to be fully accessible you need to look at the language you use, ensuring it is all in plain english – which can feel like it is taking away from your clever slogan or campaign headline. 

Ultimately, how extensive an approach you take to accessibility is up to your business. You have to decide what adjustments are reasonable and which are currently not appropriate. But it is important to recognise that your online content is a reflection of your organisational values and a key contributor and marker to your approach to equality and diversity.