Do you want to launch a WCAG website plugin in Joomla relatively quickly? To launch a website that meets the requirements set out by WCAG, you'll first need a Joomla site. We're going over here today with this software and some basic knowledge about how it functions in each step.
Joomla is an excellent platform for launching a website that complies with WCAG guidelines. Here are the steps you should take to ensure your site is accessible and usable by visitors on every device they use.
What is Web Accessibility?
Web accessibility is about more than just making websites, tools and technologies designed so people with disabilities can use them. It involves ensuring that all of these devices are intuitive for everyone to navigate, regardless of their physical limitations.
You should be aware that web accessibility encompasses all disabilities that affect access to the Web, including auditory, cognitive, neurological, physical, speech and visual. It is expected that WCAG is associated only with changing the font size or page contrast. This approach is inappropriate because, as we indicated above, many people with various disabilities need websites to be accessible.
Why does your website need to be ADA-compliant?
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a law regarding discrimination against people with disabilities. It includes protections prohibiting businesses from denying housing or jobs based on a person's abilities and requiring fair access to education, transportation, public spaces, and more. These protections extend to all electronic and information technology as well. ADA compliance impacts almost all websites, and it's always worth ensuring that your site is accessible to as many people as possible.
We all know that accessibility makes the world a better place. But did you also know it can be good business? Studies show over one billion people have disabilities, which amounts to around 15% of the global population. That means there are lots more potential new customers out there waiting for our products and services!
Internet accessibility features
Internet accessibility is important because everyone should enjoy the benefits of modern technology without barriers or limitations. This list includes some standard, easy-to-use features which make your website user-friendly for all:
- 1. Smart contrast: invert colours, Monochrome, Dark contrast, Light contrast, Low saturation, High saturation, Highlight links, Highlight headings.
- 2. Screen reader: browser reads aloud the selected text on the page in the site's language.
- 3. Keyboard navigation: this option should be easily accessed and enabled without using a mouse.
- 4. Mobile friendly: responsive panel and option to set the button position for mobiles separately.
- 5. The customizable icon changes the button design simply by uploading the image.
- 6. Change the typo: quickly adjust the text by setting the font size, line height, and letter spacing.
The best Accessible Joomla plugin should contain all of those features.
Let's build an Accessible Joomla Site
Your website should provide a welcoming and consistent user experience for all users, regardless of their abilities or preferences.
➤ The content should be clear and simple
The most important thing to remember about ADA compliance is that your content needs to be readable. It means having 7-10 words per line and ensuring you can read it without problems on a mobile device or with narrow columns of text. You also want media query adjustments, so people using different types of devices have access as well.
You should also ensure that your text is not sitting on top of the background colour with alpha transparency. It will cause an error when you test it in most cases, and we recommend using hexadecimal numbers for these types of colours against lower degrees of transparency instead.
Lastly, you'll want to ensure that your text's colour has enough contrast against its background. A good accessibility plugin for WordPress can help by providing a tester for different combinations.
➤ ALT text is an image's best friend
ALT tags are a great way to add context and accessibility information about an image. You should add these while designing your site, so you don't have any headaches later! Adding ALT descriptions on images is an excellent way to improve your website's SEO. It can also help you rank better in search engine results pages (SERPs).
➤ Stand out from the competition by using explicit, unique calls-to-action to maximize conversion rates
We recommend changing your call-to-action link text to something unique. So instead of saying "Learn More," change it so that people will be more drawn in and engaged with what you have links for on the page (e.g., learn more about this service). If all CTAs are titled simply as "learn more," then this can confuse screen readers, which may cause them not to work correctly or give an error message when they try navigating through pages using their sound function.
➤ Check your site with the WAVE browser extension
When you use the WAVE browser extension, it will check your website for ADA compliance and highlight any errors on a global level. Fixing these problems in one place can be enough to bring all areas of our site up to speed with accessibility standards, so don't lose hope!
➤ Instal dedicated accessibility plugin for Joomla
A WCAG plugin should provide a bunch of options to improve the accessibility of your Joomla-based website. Accessibility is vital for all websites, and good plugins should have all the features. The Dj-Accessibility plugin can fix some of your site's compliance issues and add features such as intelligent contrast or keyboard navigation.
Create a WCAG-compliant website in Joomla today!
Creating and maintaining a website can be time-consuming, so why not make it easy on yourself? You could have your ADA-compliant site up in no time with our Joomla Accessibility plugin and even use a ready to use WCAG template for Joomla 4.
How can you grow your business if people are being refused service? Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant websites ensure that all customers, regardless of disability or location, will be able to enjoy what's on offer at any given moment. A website should not only serve its original purpose but also consider new needs and trends for future growth.
So don't wait, create your WCAG-compliant website in Joomla today!
