Digital Accessibility – For an Inclusive Digital World

An adequate color contrast between text and background ensures that content is easily readable for people with visual impairments or color vision deficiencies. Additionally, text sizes should be flexible and adjustable to cater to various needs and devices, such as smartphones or tablets. This ensures that individuals with visual disabilities can access and read the content effortlessly.

A clear and structured navigation helps users find their way around a website or app, regardless of their abilities. With a well-planned layout, intuitive menu structure, and the use of easily understandable terms, the user experience is enhanced for everyone, especially for individuals with cognitive impairments or learning disabilities.

Websites and apps should not rely solely on mouse input for navigation. A keyboard-friendly design ensures that all interactive elements, such as links, buttons, and forms, can also be accessed and used via the keyboard. This is particularly crucial for individuals with motor impairments or those who depend on keyboard shortcuts.

The use of clear, simple and precise language helps to make information accessible to all users. Complex technical terms or long, convoluted sentences can make it difficult for people with cognitive impairments or non-native speakers to understand. Comprehensible language therefore facilitates the user experience and promotes inclusion.

Optimizing the HTML code ensures that screen readers - software that reads content to blind or visually impaired users - can display all relevant information correctly and in the right order. Semantic HTML, such as the use of correct headline structures and old text for images, ensures better accessibility. CSS and JavaScript elements should also be designed in such a way that they are interpreted correctly for these tools.

Forms, tables and interactive elements must be designed in such a way that they are also accessible for people with disabilities. This means that form fields are clearly named and grouped, error messages are understandable and easy to read and tables are structured in such a way that they can be read correctly by screen readers. The interactivity should also be designed in such a way that it works smoothly for all users with different input devices (e.g. keyboard, touchscreen).

ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) is a collection of attributes that make it possible to make dynamic content and complex user interfaces more accessible. By implementing ARIA attributes, developers can provide additional information on interaction options or state changes that are important for screen reader users, for example when dealing with modal windows or interactive widgets.

As more and more people use mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, it is crucial that these devices are also accessible. This includes adapting the user interface to smaller screens, optimizing touchscreen operation and ensuring that all interactive elements are accessible and usable on mobile devices. This also includes ensuring that mobile websites and apps load quickly and respond well to different screen sizes.