Hey there,
How are you holding up there? If you’re feeling a bit Zoom-fatigued and sick of screen time, you’re not alone.
Although online shopping, constant connectivity and web surfing aren’t new concepts, they’ve certainly become a bigger part of our lives in 2020. More people are moving towards having to use technology for things they would have previously done in-person. That means accessibility is more important than ever, and if it’s something you haven’t thought about in terms of your content, it’s high time you do.
What is web accessibility?
At the basic level, web accessibility means that digital platforms (like websites, technology and apps) are designed so that anyone can use them, including if they are differently abled. Unfortunately, there’s been a long running myth that only a small portion of people face accessibility issues. As such, it’s not always a company’s first priority to make sure they’re catering for everyone.
That belief couldn’t be further from the truth though, seeing as one in six Australians have a disability. Companies also need to take into consideration that accessibility guidelines make life easier for many different people, including:
- People who speak English as a second language or have a low literacy level
- Older people with low tech skills
- People with physical impairments that may make it harder to navigate technology. This includes temporary impairments, like having a broken arm
- Issues that crop up situationally and make it harder to use technology. For example, take someone trying to watch a video on a crowded tram without headphones. Not providing subtitles makes it impossible for them to enjoy the media you’ve spent so long creating.
How can I make my content more accessible?
Knowing how broadly the issue spans, where do you even start in making sure the content on your website is accessible? WCAG is a comprehensive set of guidelines designed to help content builders, organisations, and developers make their websites and content accessible to as many people as possible.
Some quick wins for applying WCAG guidelines to your content include:
- Adding descriptive, accurate alt tags to your images
- Making sure anchor text provides context to where the link will take a user
- Writing in plain English
- Utilising headings to split up content and make it easy to navigate.
If you’d like to know more about accessibility, or check that your content is up to scratch, you can always get in contact with us. We’re passionate about making sure content is accessible to everyone, no matter what their circumstances, and we’re always happy to help businesses achieve that goal.
Until next time,
Mel & the Avion team
CONTENT TIPS AND TRICKS
INTERVIEW WITH AN EXPERT: WHY DIGITAL ACCESSIBILITY IS NOW MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER
By Jacinta Koelewyn, Avion Communications
Speaking of accessibility, Avionite Jacinta recently had a chat with accessibility pro Chris Burke to learn more about best practices. Take a deep dive into the ways the Coronavirus pandemic has made accessibility more important than ever, and what that could mean for your business.
7 GUIDELINES FOR WRITING ACCESSIBLE MICROCOPY
By InVision
Continuing on with the accessibility theme, InVision has put together some guidelines for making sure your microcopy is user-centric for all users, not just some. Microcopy is often overlooked when considering things like writing for a screen reader, so getting across these guidelines can be a real game changer.
MY PERSONAL STRUGGLE WITH RUNNING REMOTE
By Natalie Khoo, Avion Communications (Medium blog)
While most of us have found ourselves working remotely this year, things look even more remote for our fearless leader as she works to build the US branch of Avion Communications. In her latest blog post for Medium, Nat talks about the unique challenges that COVID-19 have brought her way while trying to work remotely on the other side of the world.
WHAT SMBS CAN LEARN ABOUT CONTENT MARKETING FROM TIGER KING
By SmartBrief
Remember when everyone was bingeing Tiger King? Love or hate Joe Exotic and Carole Baskins, the docuseries sure got people talking. In this article from SmartBrief, they unpack what the show does well and how content marketers can learn from it.
