Website accessibility depends on the website's code as well as its content. If you are using a Joomla or Wordpress site built by Marketing & Communications, much of the following functionality has already been programmed into your site. If you are creating a website or other online content, you should keep the following in mind.
ARIA landmarks and other semantic elements to communicate document structure
The structure of your site is important for providing users of screen readers a positive experience. If you are coding a page yourself, mark up different regions of pages (headers, footers, content, etc.) so that they can be properly identified by web browsers and assistive technologies. Provide "skip to main content" links to allow visitors to bypass redundant navigation links.
Verify your page is keyboard navigable
Using just your keyboard, make sure that each input and interaction on the page can be triggered. This includes noticing if the order in which a visitor tabs down the page is logical and that each element has focus when it is selected. Interactive elements should be:
- reachable via keyboard only,
- visible when in focus by the keyboard,
- usable once focused, and
- presented in a logical tab order.
Create accessible forms
Forms need to function without a mouse and must be labeled clearly — fields and labels must be programmatically associated with one another. Keep your forms as simple as possible — visitors may give up on long forms or forms that ask for irrelevant information. Read more about form options on UAB websites here.
Allow magnification of text without losing functionality
When users zoom into text or increase their browser’s font size up to 200%, the page content should still be readable and navigation or other interactive parts should still function.
Resources
Give visitors control over audio and video content
- Features that scroll automatically, such as slideshows, should have controls allowing users to easily pause, stop, or advance them. See the W3C guidance on Pause, Stop, Hide.
- Video and sound features must have accessible controls, and preferably do not autoplay. See the W3C guidance on audio controls.
- If your page contains an element which requires a visitor to complete a task in a certain amount of time, warn them in advance and give them an opportunity to extend the time. See the W3C guidance on time limits.
- Avoid flashing or flickering content. See the W3C Three Flashes or Below Threshold guidance.