A Brief Introduction to Web Accessibility
As early as 1997, Tim Berners-Lee – one of the founders of the Internet – stated:
The power of the web lies in its universality. Accessibility for everyone, regardless of disability, is essential.
If we are literally talking about access to the internet, we are not at all wrong in the Netherlands. Almost everyone has WiFi or a mobile data subscription. The question is therefore more: to what extent can people with a disability get the same out of a website as people without a disability?
To help developers get started, the Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C) has developed international accessibility guidelines: the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). These guidelines are based on 4 underlying principles.
Perceivable
Users need to be able to consume the content in some way. While most users use their sight to read a text, for example, this is not possible for someone who is partially sighted or blind. This means sweden telegram datathat you need to offer alternatives, such as audio as an alternative to text, and subtitles or transcripts as an alternative to audiovisual content.
Operable
Users must be able to interact with all controls and interactive elements on the website. That means that anything a user can do with a mouse or touchscreen must also be available to users who can only use a keyboard or other assistive device.
Understandable
The content and operation must be understandable and avoid confusion. This means, for example, that the website works in a predictable and consistent way and that users can correct any errors (in a form, for example), regardless of the device or tool they use to visit the site.
Robust
The website must be built in such a way that it is supported by as many browsers, devices and supporting technologies as possible.
Accessibility Guidelines
The guidelines are very comprehensive. You can find a full description and a shorter version on the WCAG website . You can also find out exactly which techniques you can use to implement each point on your website.
Each guideline is further specified to 3 levels: A, AA and AAA. If you implement a guideline at level A, you go for the most basic version, while level
