Unlocking the Power of Accessibility in the Digital Era

Accessibility is the talk of the digital town these days. Do you know how we usually think of it as ramps and such? Well, surprise! In our digital world, being accessible online is just as important. One of our product designers, Eloy, spilled the beans on why it's crucial for all things digital. 

Growing up with a strong empathy for different abilities, his work in public service and media like TV and radio, which reach diverse audiences, reinforced the importance of accessibility in his daily routine. As he transitioned into design, his curiosity led him to consider how people using the internet differently feel about it. This prompted him to research ways to improve their online experience and make it more inclusive. 

Here's the lowdown from Eloy: 

1. Inclusivity and Equality: Making things accessible means no one's left out. Like a party where everyone's invited.  

2. Legal and Ethical Obligations: We care about fairness at Tadaweb. By 2025, digital products in Europe need to be accessible by legal requirements. 

3. Broad User Base: An accessible product means more people can use it. Ignore accessibility, and you might lose up to 15% of users.  

4. Aging Population: The population is getting older, which means we need products that work for everyone. Think about those who might find things a bit tough. 

5. User Experience: Accessibility isn't just for a few – it makes things better for everyone. User experience level-up, right here. 

6. Innovation and Futureproofing: Invest in accessibility now, and we're ready for the cool stuff down the road, like talking gadgets. 

Tadaweb is all about how humans feel augmented by technology. We make cool products, sure, but we also care about people using them. Accessibility isn't just for people with special needs – it's for everyone. Think of adding languages to your product; it's like giving users a smoother ride and they'll keep coming back. 

Now, let's get practical. Feeling a bit lost in the accessibility maze? Eloy got your back with an accessibility checklist that will help you understand where you're at and how to do better. Check out the following list: 

Images 

• Do all images have alternative text? Alternative text will show up if the image can't be loaded and will be read by screen readers to their users. It also has SEO benefits. 

Headings 

• Are headings nested correctly? 
• Is there one H1 tag followed by H2 tags? 
• Are H3 tags nested underneath H2 tags and so on? 

Colors 

• If there are some colors, do they have the right contrast? WCAG 2.0 level AA: 4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text (bold and 18px or higher or normal and 24px or higher) WAG 2.0 level AAA: 7:1 for normal text, 4.5:1 for large text Use the WebAIM Contrast Checker tool 

Forms 

• Do all the fields have a label? Every field needs to have a label so screen readers can describe the field to their users. 
• Can the tab key navigate through and fill out the form using just the keyboard? Most assistive technologies use something like the tab functionality to move through pages and forms. If you can tab through your form and fill it out, there will be problems. 

Links 

• Are the links descriptive and not just "click here"? This can help give context about where the link goes to. You could instead say, "Click here" to learn more about (some topic). 

Tables 

• If there are tables, are they only used for tabular data? Tables should only be used to show data, like numbers and similar items. They should not be used for laying out parts of the page. 

Testing 

• Can a keyboard be used to navigate through the web page? A lot of assistive technology uses a form of tabbing to go through a page. You've got some issues if you can't tab through the page. 
• Have you tested it with an accessibility checker tool?  Use the WAVE tool, Axe by Deque, or the HTML_CodeSniffer to check your page for accessibility issues 

Other tools like A11y Audit from Luxembourg Gov and Figma Contrast checker might be useful to improve accessibility in any stage of your product 

• A11y Audit from Luxembourg Gov: This is the accessibility outlet model from the Luxembourg government for digital products. It includes a list of criteria based on the type of product. 
• Figma Plugin: Check the contrast while you are designing. 

Accessibility isn't just a term – it's about welcoming everyone in the digital realm too. Eloy's insights highlight why accessibility matters and why it enhances the overall experience. As we step into the digital future, Eloy's message rings clear – let's make technology a friend to all.