Millions of Blind People: Their Inclusion on the Web is Not Optional
Imagine for a moment being visually impaired and trying to use a smartphone or read an online article. This experience highlights the importance of making web content more accessible. A few good practices can transform the digital experience of the blind and visually impaired.
In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a report on vision problems: according to their estimates, over 2.2 billion people worldwide are visually impaired or blind. This means that one quarter of the planet's population suffers from some degree of visual impairment.
Existing tools: magnifiers and screen readers
Some users use a magnifying system to enlarge the information displayed on the screen. This can be a real magnifying glass or a tool built into the browser.
Other people use screen readers. These programs read aloud the text displayed on a given page. These assistive tools therefore allow users to know where each element is located on a page and interact with them. Navigation is done using a keyboard instead of a mouse.
Good practices for making the web more accessible
This video illustrates the importance of elements that are sometimes overlooked when creating content for the web.
Alternative text for images
When publishing an image on a website or social network, it is possible to fill in a field called "Alternative text". This allows to describe what is on the chosen visual. This text will be read by screen readers, making this visual content accessible to all users.
- Provide a detailed alternative text for each image.
- For example: "two teenagers playing soccer on the lawn".
Different levels of headings
Structuring text carefully makes it easier to represent the organization of information. A screen reader selects the main headings, then the subheadings (etc...) to quickly identify the relevant content. When writing an article, it is possible to make navigation simpler for everyone.
- Insert as many headings (H1, H2...) as necessary and create well-delimited paragraphs.
Text of links
Thanks to screen readers, people with visual impairments can navigate the different links on a page using their keyboard. Problem: if the text of all links is identical (for example, "click here"), it is difficult to know where they are or where they lead to. Being as explicit as possible on the text of links makes the site more understandable.
- Carefully craft the text of links to clearly indicate where they lead.
- For example: "(...) as demonstrated by the general accessibility improvement reference, published by the interministerial digital affairs department (DINUM)".
Other frequently used elements on websites and applications, such as contact forms and tables, also deserve our attention. The goal is to make them understandable for all visitors.
In addition to these elements, other frequently used items on websites and applications, such as contact forms and tables, also deserve our attention. The goal is to make them understandable for all visitors.
It's worth noting that this work also makes it easier to index content, as the robots that index websites are unable to see.
[Cover photo: Tyler Lastovich]
