As of 2021, there were about 2.2 billion people with visual impairments in the world. The majority can perceive information using glasses or lenses, but there is also a minority for whom ordinary content is inaccessible even with special means.
Adapting a site for people with visual impairments is not only a noble act, but also an effective way to create a good reputation for your organization.
Site adaptation: selection of tools
Increase the font
Sometimes it is enough to increase the font size for a comfortable perception of text information. Implement a few simple functions on the site: font enlargement and screen magnifier.
With the first, everything is clear, and the second works like a normal magnifying glass, only virtually – it helps to see problematic areas of the text without a general increase in the font.
Color contrast
Some visual impairments disrupt the recognition of some shades. Add features to increase contrast or change font color.
You should also choose graphic materials correctly: choose contrasting images and do not exaggerate with watermarks, which can interfere with the perception of the image.
Text dubbing programs
For completely blind people, there are programs that voice the text on the screen. In modern smartphones, it is enough to enable this function in the settings, but on a PC, voiceover of text is not supported by any of the most popular operating systems.
Add a text-to-text plugin to your site or simply link to related programs. It will not take much time, but it will greatly help people with visual impairments.
Site adaptation and various HTML tags
HTML-elements must be specified correctly so that programs for voicing text work correctly.
Remember that screen readers can only read text and code, so users can’t get the information contained in visual assets. If the image has no alt text, the screen reader will skip it. If it contains alt text, it will describe the content type (eg “image”) and read the alt text.
Add alt text for images, alt attributes for graphics, and alt content. Make sure they are short and to the point, and only include them if the information is important.
Structure headings and subheadings correctly
A logical semantic sequence of headings is essential for users of screen readers.
To find relevant information, visually impaired users will use screen readers to search for sections of interest. This is why it is important to follow the correct sequence of headings.
Enable keyboard only use
Since some visually impaired users rely only on the keyboard when using a computer, allow keyboard shortcuts and commands to make your site easier to navigate.
For example, users using a keyboard will use the tab key to move fields when filling out a contact form. Adapting the site in this case for greater convenience is the use of the “tabindex” attribute to indicate the correct order of the fields.
Reduce the number of ads on your page
Too many ads on your website can make the site less user-friendly, especially for text readers who have trouble distinguishing ads from the main content of the page.
For ads and banners, follow the same tips as for other types of visual content (such as adding alt text), but add the word “ad” at the beginning of the alt text. This way, visually impaired people will know what type of content it is and can decide whether they want to consume it or not.
Use the right tools
Fortunately, there are many free online tools that web designers and developers can use to ensure that site adaptations meet standards for accessibility for people with visual impairments. Here are some of the most popular tools:
- Color Safe provides AA and AAA compatible color scheme suggestions based on your existing website elements.
- Color Contrast Analyzer finds text elements that do not meet color contrast standards.
- NVDA helps you see a website from the perspective of a visually impaired person.
- WebAIM’s Wave shows elements that are difficult for visually impaired people to perceive.
How visually impaired people see
To give you a clear understanding of what people with visual impairments go through, in this segment we will talk about the main types of visual impairments and what the world looks like with them.
Daltonism
This disorder can manifest itself in different ways: as a slight distortion of colors, and complete color blindness. Sometimes glasses with special filters can help to solve the problem. Site adaptation is not required in this case, color correction is available to every user on their device.
Myopia
More often, this disease is called “myopia” and its name speaks for itself – a person with myopia clearly distinguishes only things at a close distance. It interferes with driving a car, playing some sports or watching TV. Special glasses are used to reduce the effect of the disease.
Hypermetropia
In colloquialism, “farsightedness”. Most people outgrow farsightedness in childhood. People with hypermetropia can see distant objects well, but books, knitting, and anything nearby are blurred. Symptoms include trouble reading, blurred vision at night, eye strain, and headaches. Glasses, contact lenses or surgery are used for treatment.
Astigmatism
With this disease, vision can be defocused at any distance. Astigmatism is an irregular shape of the cornea, due to which light rays cannot focus on one point and instead scatter. Astigmatism can be corrected with glasses, contact lenses or surgery.
Glaucoma
Simply put, it is damage to the optic nerve, which carries information from the eye to the brain.Glaucoma is a very insidious disease because it may not manifest itself until you begin to lose sight dramatically. Glaucoma is treated with medication or surgery.
Macular degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) damages and then destroys central vision, making it difficult to read or drive. Symptoms may include a central blurred spot or straight lines that appear wavy.
You are more likely to have the disease if you are over 60, smoke, have high blood pressure, are obese, are female, or have a family history of the disease. See your eye doctor regularly to check for AMD. Early treatment can help slow vision loss.
Cataract
Approaching the age of 80, most people will have symptoms of clouding of the lens. Cataracts slowly cloud your vision, making it difficult to read, drive, and see in the dark. Diabetes, smoking, or spending a lot of time in the sun increase your chances of developing cataracts. Effectively treated with surgical intervention.
Adaptation of the site for people with various visual impairments is quite universal, it does not really depend on diseases. But still, it makes sense to understand how different people will use the site.
Begin by entering your first and last name to establish your identity. The next crucial step is providing your email address; remember, it must be a business, branded, or corporate email, as generic email addresses are not accepted. This is to ensure a professional level of communication and to filter out non-serious inquiries.
You are also required to include your website’s URL. This is vital as it gives context and allows for a preliminary assessment of your online presence, which is integral to the audit process. Furthermore, you must clarify your status regarding NGO registration or your interest in Google Ad Grants. This information is essential for tailoring the audit to your specific needs and circumstances.
After you have filled in all these details with precision and care, review them to ensure accuracy and completeness. Submitting accurate and comprehensive information is crucial for a meaningful audit.