Accessibility is the Future of Coding

Hey there, and welcome back to the Clever Coding blog. We’re a mobile app and web development company located in Lehi, Utah, but we’re more than happy to help out anyone who wants to bring their app or site idea to fruition! We’ve been in the coding game for quite some time now, just long enough to notice some of the trends surrounding the industry. In the last few years, web developers, specifically frontend developers, have been trying to make their sites more user-friendly. Because the internet has an ever growing user base, it’s important to stay on top of the ways in which developers can implement accessibility tactics so that a wider range of people can use the site. If you’re interested in creating a website, it’s imperative that you Put accessibility into the equation. Here are a few ways in which you can do that.

Sectioning Elements/ WAI-ARIA Roles

If you were to inspect the source code of any site, you’d see that the code looks nothing like the actual web page. You’d also notice that the content in the code is surrounded by tags, which essentially defines what that content is doing. While these tags don’t change the way the page looks on your screen, they do a lot for accessibility by defining what the content means. Assistive technologies, like screen readers, can then differentiate what the content means. These tags are referred to as sectioning elements and WAI-ARIA roles, as they assign meaning to the content.

Assistive Functions

Accessibility isn’t that easy to implement, and it sometimes takes some thinking. When working with JavaScript, for example, you need to try to understand the user and their needs and channel that into assistive functions. One common example would be forms and dates. When filling out a date, a site usually requires a specific date, such as mm/dd/yyyy. An assistive function would make this process easier, such as allowing the user to select from a dropdown menu. Our web development service urges our clients to consider the little things, as they sometimes matter the most!

Color/Visibility Elements

Yes, we understand that the aesthetic of the page is important, but does it matter if half of your user base can’t read it? Probably not. When designing, put visibility and before design. We promise, your site can still look pretty and be easy to navigate at the same time.

Button Locations

When designing a site, you’re likely going to put in buttons that when clicked, either export you to a new page or produce some sort of action. Usually, these buttons are important to helping the user navigate and understand the site. However, if the buttons are placed in areas where it takes a lot of effort to move the cursor there, they are going to be less likely to be clicked. Accessibility is of the utmost importance in this day and age, and Clever Coding is doing our best to pave the way. If you’re in need of a website or mobile app, don’t hesitate to contact us today!