Home
>
Web Design
>
Web Site Accessibility

Web Site Accessibility

Making your site accessible means making it available to be used by all. It's too easy to think that what looks ok to you will do for all. Unfortunately, things aren't that simple.

Websites are no longer just looked at by people sitting down in front of a PC. Today, websites are viewed on PCs, laptops, palmtops, all manner of mobile devices, digital TV, they are viewed by non-human automated systems or robots and are read aloud by special software to the visually impaired. If your site cannot be used by all these browsers you are reducing your audience and it's not a small minority you're losing.

Content is king

The essence of accessibility is to put the content of a web page first and the design second. As an example, if you want to find out the opening time of a museum, you go to the site, navigate to the opening times page from the home page and read the time. You've got what you came for. Whether the times are set out in a table, in a stylish font with an attractive colour scheme really isn't that important.

Now imagine you're looking at the same site from your mobile browser. You type in the museum site's address and it connects. But wait. All you can see is the very top left of the page, the size of a postage stamp. You need to scroll across to find the navigation section. And then when you do find the opening times link it doesn't work. You can't find the information you need so you decide against going to the museum that day. Put yourself in the museum owner's shoes - you can see the impact this could have on your business.

How do you make a site accessible?

There are lot of things you can do but the simplest method is to use something called CSS. CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheet and is a file which sits along side the content file telling the browser how to style the content. For each section of the page you can preset a style (colours, fonts, sizes, etc.). Now, when the browser comes to the page it displays the content first and then according to its own settings accommodates the styling as best it can. You can see that using this 2 tier system, content first, styling or design second, the information is always accessible.

Making your site accessible not only means you are able to reach a greater audience but also helps with search engine rankings. The top search engines' robots scan through your pages on a regular basis. They're trying to establish the content and relevance of your site in order to rank it. Some robots are set to place more emphasis on the opening section of a page, for example, the first 25 words it finds. If your first 25 words are bogged down with instructions on which fonts to use, table widths, etc. it stands to reason that your page won't do as well as one with 25 first words of pure content.

If your site is not accessible, rebuild it now. The cost of a new accessible site is nothing compared to the money you could be losing.

Chris Smith works as a web designer, developer and internet marketing consultant. For further information on cheap web design solutions and accessible sites please visit Chris's website - cheap web design (cheap web design)

cheapest limo Akin .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare

In The News:

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says using outdated computers and software leaves them vulnerable to security risks and malware.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals how WalkON enhances walking and jogging with sensors and artificial tendons.

Old-fashioned check fraud is back in style, quintupling over the past year. Here are a few low-tech, practical means of protecting yourself.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson discusses how 600,000-plus records, including checks and property data, were left exposed online by an information service provider.

That weird text from a friend may actually be from a hacker. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson tells you what signs to look out for.

Scammers can wreak havoc on your life just by having your phone number. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson addresses how to avoid becoming a victim.

PongBot is an artificial intelligence-powered tennis robot and a smart training partner available to play 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains how to update your iPhone to add Apple Intelligence, which he says can transform your interactions with your phone.

University scientists have trained a robotic surgical system to do work with the skill of human doctors, possibly transforming the future of surgeries.

As more companies implement artificial intelligence for daily tasks, some industry leaders are working to push back against certain aspects of the technology.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says the Batagaika crater in Siberia expands 35 million cubic feet yearly due to thawing.

While fewer than 30% of farmers reportedly use emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, experts believe AI could help producers and farmers make food quicker and more efficiently.

Amazon becomes a prime target of scammers during the holiday shopping season trying to steal Social Security numbers, bank information and Amazon credentials.

Spammers have found a way to target Spotify playlists and podcasts to push pirated software, cheat codes for games and spam links and malware sites.

Sharing information online like your vacation plans and relationship status can make you a target for scammers; here's what to avoid posting to keep yourself safe.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explores six sneaky holiday season gift card tricks, providing tips on how to outsmart scammers trying to rip you off.

Apple Watch's Translate app gives you your own personal interpreter, allowing you to have live two-way conversations in up to 20 different languages.

With kids facing a seemingly increasing amount of threats from creeps on the internet, here's how you can respectfully ask people not to post photos of your children on social media.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals how to regain your Facebook access if you get hacked or locked out.

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson explains how to safeguard retirement accounts from cyber threats with a VPN: encryption, anonymity, secure access.

I’m going to Europe soon, and planning my trip was a breeze. Yes, really! AI did a big chunk of the work for me — and it can help you plan your next getaway, too.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says North Korean hackers hide malware in macOS apps, bypassing Mac security checks.

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals how iPhone’s new Automatic Mic Mode adjusts settings for optimal call quality automatically.

Jeff Hancock, an expert on AI and misinformation, has been accused of fabricating an expert declaration by citing a study that was allegedly made up by AI.

Web Site Accessibility

Web Design