A recent report on the accessibility of corporate websites shows that much progress still must be made to eliminate roadblocks that users with disabilities often encounter.
Audio Eye’s Digital Accessibility Index found an average of 36+ errors per page on some of the most visited corporate websites. The analysis was conducted through a combination of automated AI findings coupled with expert audits from members of the disability community. It identified the most common digital accessibility issues across 40,000 websites, starting at the homepage and following links until it scanned up to 100 pages per site.
In total, more than 3 billion site-specific elements (images, links, headers) were tested against Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standards. The most frequent barriers, according to the report, were related to image accessibility, descriptive links and keyboard navigation, elements which are important to consider for an inclusive website experience.
Highlights from the report include:
- More than half of the 32 million images scanned had faulty or missing alt text for images, making it difficult for people using screen readers to understand the full context of image-heavy pages.
- On average, each enterprise page had five links that lacked critical context for people with disabilities, making it hard to navigate between pages or know where clicking a link would take them.
- Nearly 25% of forms were missing clear labels and instructions for people with disabilities, preventing them from submitting information to customer service, completing purchases or other essential activities.
The survey also reviewed company web pages in a variety of industries and reported on barriers keeping users from accomplishing core site objectives.
Retail
Testers encountered barriers keeping them from being able to complete a purchase, such as needing to be alerted when forms in the checkout process required additional information. Users also experienced no alert when adding an item to the cart, leading to confusion and incorrect orders.
Media
Media sites generally have more video content than other industries, and testers encountered unlabeled video player controls that made it difficult to start, stop or pause videos. Additionally, keyboard accessibility issues prevented keyboard-only users from clicking between articles, sometimes getting stuck in slideshows with no way to exit.
Travel
Testers encountered pop-up windows that contained no information about flights or rooms for screen reader users and no way to close the window using a keyboard alone.
Becoming More Accessible
In a world that is increasingly digital, ensuring accessibility for all individuals, regardless of ability, is crucial. Often, it doesn’t take much additional effort for businesses (and web designers and developers) to make their digital content and services more accessible. Below are a few tips on making content more inclusive.
Caption Your Videos
In addition to making your content accessible to members of the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community, captions have been shown to improve comprehension, engagement and retention for all and not just those requiring accessible content.
Describe Your Videos
Audio description makes your videos more accessible to individuals who are blind or with low vision through the insertion of audio narrated descriptions of a video’s key visual elements into natural pauses between the dialogue.
Provide a Transcript
Provide a transcript for video and audio. Transcripts benefit all users by allowing them to access content quickly.
Add Alt Text to Images
Use alt text – written text that describes an image on a page – to provide access to the content of images for individuals who cannot see them, including people using screen readers or braille devices.
Provide Color Contrast
Be sure the foreground and background have adequate contrasts to support people who are color blind.
Avoid Using Small Fonts
Some users may not realize that they can increase font size, so it’s a good idea to use a large font size by default. Users then can have the option of making the text smaller based on their preference.
Use a Website Navigation Menu that Works for All Users
Create a navigation menu that users can operate using just the keyboard. Ensure that navigating the menu is simple and doesn’t require multiple keystrokes.
Test, Test and Test Again
Test your website using high-contrast color schemes to make sure your content is visible, test the site to make sure it’s compatible with assistive technologies, like screen readers, braille displays, and screen magnifiers, and test the site on mobile devices to make sure the content is accessible to the growing number of users viewing on phones, tablets, and other devices.
Consider Access from the Start
One of the best ways for companies to make sure their website is up to date with the latest web accessibility standards is to always consider accessibility when you’re creating or updating pages. If your business can build accessibility into the site from the outset, it will save you time down the road.
Verbit provides captioning, transcription, and audio description services for a wide range of domestic and international companies, including those in the software, retail, pharmaceutical, banking and finance, and telecom sectors. Speak to one of our experts to learn more about our digital accessibility solutions.