Web Accessibility

Why should I care about this?

When and How to Use WAI-ARIA Attributes 

In the world of the internet today, not being accessible isn’t just poor UX and business practice, it can cause legal issues. To combat this, frontend developers write highly semantic HTML to help move people around a website using properly structured layouts, correct use of headings, clean and descriptive alt text, and other practices. 

At Mediacurrent, we believe that the web should be accessible to everyone. 

Our new guide is designed for content editors, marketers, developers, and key stakeholders seeking to expand their knowledge of website accessibility, learn how a holistic approach to website accessibility can strengthen an organization, and take advantage of actionable steps to improve their website.

Topics include: 

If you’re in Higher Education you’re likely becoming increasingly aware of the pressures for websites to be accessible, and really, it’s no wonder. Hundreds of Accessibility Lawsuits, Complaints, and Settlements have been filed against schools for having non-compliant websites and materials. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this big, scary monster waiting to get you. There are ways to help avoid complaints all together, and if you get one, there is a process to go through on your way to 508 compliance. 

If you’ve ever talked to someone who’s performed an accessibility audit you’ve heard us go on an on about the need for manual testing. Each of us loves the automated tools available that help make the web more accessible, but there are limitations to those tools: only 20-30% of errors can be reliably found with automated testing. They may generate false positives as well. When it comes to accessibility testing, you need to include the human element in the testing process.

I’ve been known to say that if a website audit is like an elephant being born, then auditing a website for PDF Accessibility is like platypus being born. Both are mammals but one’s a really big undertaking and the other is a bunch of eggs and you have no idea what you’ll find inside each one. That is because every PDF has the opportunity to present its own set of challenges beyond the fact that PDFs are not inherently accessible.

Happy Friday everyone. On this our 50th episode, we are happy to welcome Becky Cierpich to talk more about her great blog post 5 Tools for Establishing an Accessible Web Color Palette.

The five resources are:

Your brand colors make a big emotional impact, but how do they appear to site visitors who are partially sighted, color blind, or faced with environmental factors that decrease visibility? Color and contrast levels are crucial to communication, and for the accessibility-minded designer, getting these details just right is a key element for a successful project.

What exactly is the role of a Front-end developer?

What exactly does it mean to be a 'front-end developer'? From company to company? From website to website? Really, from day to day? Does your colleague actually do the same job as you? For example, some days I’m working in InDesign or Photoshop all day, the next I’m writing jQuery or building theme components. The very next day I am writing a blog post, prepping for a presentation, or doing research on the latest trends.

Search engine optimization and web accessibility are complementary processes. Focus on one and you likely positively affect the other without additional effort.