Creating Accessible Websites

Web accessibility means that a website is designed and developed so that everyone, regardless of their abilities, can use it. By making your website accessible, you are ensuring that all of your potential users, including people with disabilities, enjoy a good user experience. By following accessibility best practices, you are also improving the usability of your website for all users.

Carleton strives to be inclusive in all ways. Web accessibility is a key part of that effort.

We have a picture in our heads of “normal” use of the web.

When we imagine our site visitors, we picture them as having full use of a keyboard and monitor, a mouse or other pointer (including fingers), and a way to hear audio.

Not everyone uses the web in the same way.

Visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive disabilities can all impact how people use the web.

Many people use tools that help them browse the web — screen readers are one example.

Web accessibility is both a legal and an ethical responsibility.

There are several laws that require web accessibility. Many schools have been investigated or sued for accessibility problems.

Our mission leads us to ensure that our websites are accessible for all users.

Web Services & Disability Services are working on this.

We are working on improving the accessibility of:

  • Web templates
  • Interactive elements (menus, slideshows, etc.)
  • Forms
  • The administrative interface of Reason and WordPress

What can you do?

There are five key things Carleton’s web content editors should do:

  1. Provide good image descriptions.
  2. Use descriptive link text.
  3. Use headings.
  4. Write & edit text for readability.
  5. Add captions to videos.