Website accessibility
What is website accessibility?
What is website accessibility?
The term “website accessibility” has been frequently mentioned in various contexts over the past few years. To provide you with a comprehensive understanding of this topic, I will be organizing and addressing all essential aspects in this article.
A little background
It is evident to everyone nowadays that the Internet has become a vital component of our existence and aids us in numerous areas and subjects on an almost daily basis.
While websites are accessible to most of us, individuals with disabilities often face difficulties in browsing and accessing website content due to various reasons.
The concept is to ensure that websites are as easily accessible for individuals with disabilities or those who use wheelchairs, just like restaurants, cinemas, government offices and residential buildings.
Which populations should benefit from the accessibility of websites?
- Individuals with intellectual disabilities, like those who struggle with reading or comprehension woes, may also include surfers.
- Individuals who experience visual impairments, such as color blindness and other conditions, while surfing.
- Individuals who surf but have a physical disability that hinders their ability to efficiently use a keyboard or mouse.
- Various challenges may arise, including difficulties with reading comprehension or grasping the language among others.
It should be noted that this particular group accounts for approximately 25% of the surfing community in Israel.
- Individuals with intellectual disabilities, such as difficulties in reading or comprehension, who enjoy surfing.
- Individuals who engage in surfing and experience visual constraints, such as color blindness or impaired vision.
- People who surf and have a physical disability that poses challenges to their ability to use keyboard or mouse effectively.
- Various barriers can be faced, including issues with reading comprehension, struggling to comprehend the language used, and various other challenges.
The regulations for website accessibility, known as the “service accessibility regulations,” were incorporated into the 1998 equal rights law for individuals with disabilities.
Website owners have been granted a fortunate extension as the law’s implementation has been postponed until October 2017, thereby allowing them to make their website accessible before this deadline.
What is an accessible website?
An accessible website is one that permits individuals with disabilities to navigate it easily and access its content without any hindrance.
In this article, we will not review the conditions and steps required for full website accessibility. It is a long and complex process that involves numerous steps and developments. However, we can provide some tips here:
“Accessibility Plugin: If you have a WordPress site, there are accessibility plugins that can help improve navigation. These allow users to adjust text size, change contrast levels and eliminate flickering effects.”
An accessible website is a platform that permits individuals with disabilities to navigate it easily and access its content without any hindrance.
In this article, we will not be able to review all the necessary conditions and steps for achieving full website accessibility. The process is both lengthy and complex, requiring numerous developmental stages. Nevertheless, here are some tips that may prove helpful:
Accessibility Plugin: If you have a website built using the WordPress platform, an accessibility plugin can enhance navigation and enable text size adjustments, contrast changes, flickering cancellation and other features.
To sum up:
The website accessibility law’s implementation has been rescheduled to October 2017, leaving it uncertain what the future of the legislation holds and how enforcement will take shape with respect to specific requirements.
I strongly suggest familiarizing oneself with the topic of accessibility in a systematic way by visiting “Accessibility Israel” website and striving to comprehend how to effectively adhere to the guidelines and regulations.
It is recommended to wait patiently for a clearer understanding of the accessibility requirements and which websites will be affected by the law before taking action.
The author:
Yossi Levy is the director of the digital program and an internet marketing lecturer at Rupin College.
Comi To Go’s CEO, who is also the proprietor, spearheads website promotion and internet marketing for their media business.
