If you feel daunted by the idea accessibility testing and don't know where to begin, this resource from accessibility engineer Rachele DiTullio can help. This includes an accessibility testing spreadsheet, along with guides on how to prepare for testing.
Rachele DiTullio
Accessibility Testing - Rachele DiTullio
Hundreds of folks have expressed an interest in watching someone go through an accessibility test. I perform accessibility testing regularly and cr...
Consistent layout makes websites easier to navigate and understand as it helps users learn what elements to expect and in what order. This is especially helpful to low vision users or blind users using a screen reader. It also helps those with cognitive and learning disabilities.
When creating PDFs, avoid using "Print to PDF." A screen reader user may still be able to access the text of PDFs created this way, but heading structure, alternative text, and any other tag structure will be lost. Using "Save As" or "Export" can preserve these tags.
Avoid emoji icons in alt text. Emoji icons are a visual element, so it's counterintuitive to add them to non-visual content. You'll likely confuse people with messages that don't make sense. In alt text, use plain text, free of symbols, icons, or any weird special characters.
Get in the habit of bringing up accessibility at meetings, in stand-ups, and in demos. Bring up things you've done to address accessibility. Likewise, don't be afraid to ask, "Have we tested this on a keyboard?" or "What's the experience like on a screen reader?"
Hyperlink text should make sense when read out of context. Screen reader users can navigate from link to link, and can listen to links in a list. When navigating this way, only the link is read. So "click here" or "read more" won't make sense.
People who want to make the web accessible need to understand the many different ways that people with disabilities use the web. This W3C resource offers a good introduction to how disabled people navigate the web, and barriers they commonly encounter.
Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
How People with Disabilities Use the Web
Introduces how people with disabilities, including people with age-related impairments, use the Web.
For people just getting introduced to accessibility concepts, the number of resources can be overwhelming for people who don't know where to start. These 10 tips from Lireo Designs can be a good way to introduce your team to the basics.
Lireo Designs - Thoughts on nature, gardening, writing, and technology
10 Ways to Improve Accessibility on Websites and Social Media - Lireo Designs
My 10 tips for making your website and social media more accessible, whether you're a blogger, photographer, writer, designer, or developer.
When using Microsoft Word or Google Docs, don't just make text bigger and bolder to make it a heading. That will work for sighted users, but screen reader users will miss that and just hear it as normal paragraph text. Use actual heading styles, like level 1 through 6.
Cognitive load refers to how much working memory or short-term memory someone is using at a time. Minimizing the cognitive load it takes to use your site makes it more accessible for people with cognitive disabilities. Limit what you're asking users to remember to use your site.