Having a mandate to make tools accessible to all has meant that my team needs to create clarity with good design and employ a variety of accessibility techniques. This isn’t meant to be an exhaustive list but these are some simple choices to keep in mind that will help keep your web pages readable for everyone:

 

  • Use clear and simple language
  • Ensure that text and background colors have sufficient contrast for legibility
  • Use relative font sizing to improve visibility on different devices
  • Avoid images to display text or unnecessary animations
  • Never convey information with color alone to emphasize or highlight text
  • Create proper headings and a logical tab order allowing screen-readers to easily bypass information
  • Ensure all images have alt text to convey equivalent information
  • Simplify table structures and avoiding complicated nesting
  • Use aria attributes strategically so a variety of screen readers can properly interpret different elements
  • Use native HTML elements because they give you focus, keyboard support, and built-in semantics