{"id":16144,"date":"2021-05-18T10:53:42","date_gmt":"2021-05-18T14:53:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/webservices\/?p=16144"},"modified":"2026-03-18T05:41:53","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T09:41:53","slug":"web-accessibility-overview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/webservices\/2021\/web-accessibility-overview\/","title":{"rendered":"Web Accessibility Overview"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n Web Accessibility Overview\n <\/h1>\n \n \n <\/header>\n\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n

Here at Carleton, accessibility is a priority, both on campus and on the web. As Thursday, 21st May is Global Accessibility Awareness Day<\/a>, we thought we would bring you a brief overview of web accessibility as well as resources that will guide you through your web accessibility journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accessibility Overview<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The web offers unprecedented opportunities, especially for people with disabilities, so important to implement accessible software for all web content. Accessible software can be anything from screen readers to closed captioning. Everyone can benefit from accessibility strategies, such as adding alternative text to describe an image. Therefore, it is always a good practice to include them on websites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A developer can learn the basics of web accessibility in just a few days so it is worth the initial time and expense to implement accessibility strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes an accessible website?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Web accessibility refers to a set of guidelines, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)<\/a>, that specify how to make digital content accessible for all users, despite differences in ability. WCAG is organized around four principles: Perceivable<\/a>, Operable<\/a>, Understandable<\/a>, and Robust<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WCAG outlines around 60 various forms of success criteria when it comes to web accessibility. Some examples include headings, tables, hyperlinks, and images. Refer to this<\/a> website to learn more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creating accessible content<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The web services department has outlined 12 key practices to implement in order to create accessible content. These practices fall into four broader categories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n