When it comes to NDIS web design, accessibility is a crucial consideration. If you are an NDIS service provider and you don’t build a disability-friendly website which can be accessed easily by people with various disabilities, then you are doing something wrong. Values of inclusivity and accessibility come at the core of NDIS, and your website should reflect those values if you aim to make a difference. To help you on this front, as a team specialising in web design in Melbourne, we will take you through everything you need to know about accessibility when it comes to web design. Stay with us and gather all the necessary information to build an accessible NDIS website.
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Importance of Accessibility for NDIS Websites
- For NDIS websites, accessibility is not an extra consideration but a fundamental requirement. As an NDIS service provider, your target audience would be people with disabilities. So, you have to ensure that everyone, regardless of their abilities or disabilities, can access your website and utilise the information provided. It promotes inclusivity and ensures there is no disparity in accessibility.
- In most instances, the NDIS websites are accessed by the primary caregivers (family) of the NDIS participants. However, an accessible website encourages the participants to navigate it independently, empowering them to do things independently.
- Today, accessibility is also a legal requirement. When it comes to web design in Adelaide or all of Australia, website accessibility is a matter of legal compliance requirements. As per Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA), Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and other government policies and standards that mandate accessibility in terms of web design.
- If you wish to exhibit yourself as a trustworthy and reliable name within the NDIS space, building an accessible NDIS website is critical. The participants and their families will trust a team that meets accessibility standards.
Accessibility Features for NDIS Web Design
Now that you know the importance of an accessible NDIS website, let’s skim its key features.
Alt Text for Visual Content
If a person with a visual impairment visits your website, they will use the screen reader feature to skim through it. To best use this functionality, all your images and videos should be embedded with alt texts. That way, all the content on your website can be conveyed to the visitor without limitations. Also, adding captions or transcripts for multimedia content helps people with hearing disabilities access the content. When writing alt texts or captions, there are certain things you need to keep in mind –
- Add a descriptive alt text which conveys all necessary information. Don’t give into abbreviations and avoid redundancy.
- Make sure the captions that you add are in sync with the video.
- Use clear and legible font for the text.
By adding alt text, your website and the content can be easily viewed, accessed and understood by people with different disabilities.
Keyboard Accessibility
Many individuals, especially those with motor disabilities, rely on a keyboard to navigate your website. So, you have to ensure that all the content on your website, including CTA’s and forms, are accessible via keyboard. This allows you to ensure universal accessibility.
- Add navigational cues like “skip to main content” or “go back to top” to help the users quickly reach the desired section without having to scroll through the entire content.
- Make sure that all your menus, forms and other contact options can be accessed through the keyboard.
- Highlight the focus elements in different colours or highlight their borders to help users understand which element is currently active. For instance, if one hovers over the CTA, that element should be highlighted.
People with certain disabilities might be unable to use a mouse, so make sure all elements of your website can be easily navigated and accessed using a keyboard.
Colour and Font Choices
Colour and font choices are key considerations when building an accessible website. These two aspects determine the overall visibility of your website, especially for those with some visual or cognitive impairment. Think for yourself: if there is no clear contrast between the background and font colours and the font size is too tiny, anyone would have trouble reading the content. So, your colour and font choices determine your website’s overall readability, more so if you are considering accessibility. Here are some points to keep in mind –
- Follow the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) and use contrasting colours for your text and the background colours. As per WCAG, the minimum contrast ratio should be 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. Pair dark text with a light background or vice versa.
- Pair colour-coded information with other symbols or texts to make it navigable or understandable for individuals with the inability to perceive colour.
- Make sure links stand out from the rest of the content via your font size or colour choice.
- Avoid the use of decorative styles and stick to basic readable fonts like Arial or Sans-Serif.
- Make sure there is a clear content hierarchy by using H1, H2 and other tags and different font sizes.
Conclusion
These three categories cover most of the accessibility requirements for any NDIS web design. For more clarity, make sure to skim through the WCAG standards and know exactly what you need to incorporate. As a trusted team specialising in web design in Adelaide, we have years of experience building accessible NDIS websites. We are familiar with the accessibility standards and use our knowledge to build inclusive and legally compliant websites. So, if you are an NDIS service provider looking to design and build a disability-friendly website, contact our team at Make My Website and our team would be happy to guide you.