I’ve had many conversations with people about website design and development. One of the most common questions I get asked is, “How do I design a website that is accessible to people with disabilities?” It’s a great question and one that I think we should all be asking ourselves.
The first thing to consider is what type of disability you’re dealing with. There are several types of disabilities, but the most common ones are physical, cognitive, and emotional.
Physical disabilities include visual impairments, hearing impairments, mobility impairments, and motor impairments. Cognitive disabilities include memory loss, attention deficit disorder, and learning disabilities. Emotional disabilities include anxiety disorders, phobias, and depression.
Each of these disabilities has its own set of challenges, so let’s take a look at each of them individually.
Visual Impairments
Visual impairments are one of the most common types of disabilities and affect about 20% of Americans. Visual impairments can range from low vision to blindness. Low vision is when someone has difficulty seeing objects that are close up or in bright light. Blindness is when someone cannot see any light at all.
If you have a visual impairment, it’s important to make sure that your site is designed in a way that will help people understand it. For example, you may want to use large text and bolded words, or you may want to use color to highlight important parts of your site. If you have a lot of information on your site, you may also want to use bullets, numbers, or symbols to help people navigate through the site.
Hearing Impairments
Hearing impairments are another common disability. People with hearing impairments have trouble understanding speech, so they need to make sure that their site is written in a way that will help them.
You may want to use larger text and bolded words, as well as use a different font size for important parts of your site. You may also want to use a different background color, or you may want to play a sound when someone clicks on an important link.
Mobility Impairments
Mobility impairments are another common disability and affect about 3% of Americans. People with mobility impairments have trouble moving around and getting around. They need to make sure that their website is designed in a way that makes it easy for them to move around and read.
You may want your site to be easy to read and navigate by using large text and bolded words. You may also want to make sure that your site uses color to help people navigate around the site.
Motor Impairments
Motor impairments are another common disability affecting about 1% of Americans. People with motor impairments have trouble using their hands to perform tasks. They need to make sure their site is designed in a way to help them.
You might want to make sure that your navigation buttons are large and easy to find. You may also want to place important links on the bottom of your site. You may want to use color to make the links stand out, or you may want to change the color of the text on the links.
Cognitive Disabilities
Cognitive disabilities are another common disability affecting about 7% of Americans. These disabilities are usually caused by problems with the brain, which causes someone to have difficulty thinking, remembering, or focusing. People with cognitive disabilities need to make sure that their sites are designed in a way that helps them.
You may need to use large text and bold words to make the site easier to read. You may also need to use color to highlight important links.
Emotional Disabilities
Emotional disabilities are another common disability affecting almost 8% of Americans. These disabilities can range from phobias to depression. People with emotional disabilities need to make sure that they are able to navigate around the site without being overwhelmed.
You may need your site to be simple and easy to navigate. You may also need to make sure that you use color to highlight important links, and that you use large text and bolded text to make the site easier to understand.
