4 Myths about Web Accessibility

Transcript:

Hi, my name is Jorge Pacheco and today we’ll talk about 4 myths about web accessibility.

Web Accessibility is a must in every web development project, yet it seems to remain a mystery for many businesses.

Let’s talk about 4 accessibility misconceptions.

1. Accessibility is so hard to do - while implementing accessibility to your website code is time-consuming, it is not difficult. A seasoned programmer should be able to fix and prevent many of the issues highlighted in the WebAIM Million report

2. ADA compliant websites are ugly and too simple - Not true, there are accessible websites that are very well designed and offer a great UX, and there are non-accessible websites that are really ugly... and vice-versa. Some of the accessibility requirements will indeed limit the creativity of designers and developers but there are ways and tools to help with that

3. Accessibility is for people with disabilities - this is false. Accessible websites are not only for people with vision or hearing impairment. There are other instances that can impair people temporarily, such as breaking a bone, sleep deprivation, ear infections, migraines, etc. All these can lead to lack of focus, hearing loss, clouded vision and more.

4. Overlays are enough - This is one of the most widely accepted myths. A lot of business owners think that an overlay such as Userway or AccessiBe is enough to reach accessibility, but the truth is that these act more as a band-aid.