In this digital age, browsing the internet has become an important part of our daily life. From ordering/purchasing items online to paying bills, digital technology offers unrivalled convenience. However, navigating the web can be challenging for disabled individuals and the ageing population. Recent studies by the Nigerian Optometric Association revealed that about seven million Nigerians are blind. Also, it notes that Nigeria presently has close to 50 million persons that have some form of visual disability or the other, limiting their ability to work, learn or access the web. In addition to making the website accessible to over 50 million Nigerians with disabilities, adhering to accessibility best practices also supports other business objectives like improving SEO, enhancing usability, and creating mobile-friendly designs.

Who Are the Visually Impaired?

Visual disabilities encompass a wide range of disorders and diseases, like complete blindness, colour blindness, refractive errors (short-sightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism), age-related disorders such as glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration, as well as impairments like amblyopia (lazy eye) or strabismus (eyes turned outwards or inwards).

The challenges

Visually impaired people experience Web accessibility issues when they encounter a website that is not coded to be both keyboard-navigable and to support assistive technology. Here is a list of the most common web accessibilities issues experienced by the visually impaired.

Semantic HTML

Some screen readers scan web pages for pertinent information by listing headings. It can create issues when the screen reader is determining what should be read first on the page. To avoid this issue, using appropriate HTML tags ensures that screen readers can interpret and narrate the content correctly.

Keyboard navigation

Navigating a website with a mouse can be either difficult or impossible for people with visual impairments. Hence, the keyboard should be used to navigate. People with visual impairments can navigate through a website using keyboard shortcuts and commands. Keyboards should have access to all functionality, including form-controls, input, and other user interface components.

Consistent structure

Some screen readers can detect and read the CSS of a page. However, others rely on the unstyled HTML. This can create issues when the screen reader is determining what should be read first on the page. To avoid this issue, the structure of the page should be consistent and structured in a predictable and consistent layout, so it makes sense when read from left to right, or top to bottom.

Navigation links

Navigation links can also be an accessible issue if clear language is not used to describe them. It makes it difficult for screen readers to detect navigation links. It means that screen reader won’t know to skip over it when found on a page. Hence visually impaired users will have to listen to the navigation every time a new page is loaded. A perfect solution will be to accurately assign ARIA roles to navigation menus to indicate its purpose and to make it navigable. Furthermore, ensure that a “Skip to main content” link is available so that the navigation can be skipped over by screen reader users.

Text contrast

One of the most common accessibility concerns is the low colour contrast between text and backgrounds. Colour contrast is an essential element of web accessibility as it helps users perceive content on a page. Low contrast on text is a common accessibility issue, as people with low contrast sensitivity, such as older people, or people with colour blindness may not be able to distinguish between text and background of certain colours of a low contrast ratio.

This issue can be easily fixed by adapting website design and themes to accessible colour combinations.

Descriptive or missing Alt text

The alt text should clearly describe what information the image conveys. Keep descriptions short and concise as screen reader users tend to navigate through content quickly.

Additionally, missing alt text negatively impacts your website in other ways too, like decreasing your SEO. If your image is missing an alt text, the screen reader will still announce the image without any description, which can be confusing for the user.

Poorly structured forms

Most websites have form fields for users to fill out (e.g., a search box) and these form fields often present accessibility issues for individuals with visual impairments. One of the biggest issues with forms is that they often do not have the correct labels and instructions that screen readers need to convey information about the form. Each field should have an accessible label for screen reader to read so the user knows what to fill in. buttons should also have a clear text, so the user knows what to select after completing the form. If CAPTCHAs are being used on the page, then there needs to be an audio or other accessible alternative for users with visual impairments.

Additionally, think about what happens when the form is filled out incorrectly. Normally, websites will return the form with the incorrect fields in red. This obviously presents an accessible issue for those who are unable to see the red field. Instead, there should be text to be read out which explains which part of the form returned the error.

Why should we care?

In a time where digital technology drives almost all our activities, access to the internet for everyone is a fundamental right. Additionally, Nigerian businesses may also miss out on a significant portion of potential clients when their sites are not accessible.

How can we help?

The solution would be to follow the W3C Accessibility Standard when creating websites, and web/mobile applications. They are relatively easy to fix and avoid once you are aware of them.

Conclusion

The lack of websites that meets the W3C accessibility standard presents a barrier to information, opportunities, and participation in the digital technology society.

Tim Bernes-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, states that, “The power of the web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of their disability is essential.”

I believe it is most effective and efficient to incorporate accessibility from the beginning of projects.