When it comes to making university websites easy for everyone to use, choosing the right tools is super important. Here's a simple guide to some of the best options for checking and improving your website's accessibility.
WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool): WAVE shows you how accessible your web content is. It adds symbols and markers on your page to help you see problems like missing alt text or hard-to-read color combinations.
axe Accessibility Checker: This is a helpful browser add-on that finds possible accessibility mistakes automatically. It works well in Chrome and Firefox, making it easy to check any page right away.
Lighthouse: Built into Chrome DevTools, Lighthouse creates a report about different aspects of a webpage, including how accessible it is. It gives detailed suggestions to help improve the quality of your site.
WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines): These are important rules that explain how to make web content easier for people with disabilities to use. Learning these guidelines is crucial to understanding what accessibility means.
Keyboard Navigation: You can check how easily someone can use your site without a mouse. If all parts of your website can be accessed with just a keyboard, it’s likely easier for everyone to use.
Screen Readers: Tools like NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access) or JAWS show how users with vision problems experience your site. Testing your website with these tools can reveal areas that need improvement.
Accessibility Checklists: Making a checklist based on WCAG guidelines can help you remember to check all important parts of accessibility during your development process.
By using these tools and resources, you can create a friendly online space for all visitors to your university’s website. Remember, making a website accessible isn't just something to check off a list; it’s an ongoing effort to make sure everyone can easily navigate and interact with your content.
When it comes to making university websites easy for everyone to use, choosing the right tools is super important. Here's a simple guide to some of the best options for checking and improving your website's accessibility.
WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool): WAVE shows you how accessible your web content is. It adds symbols and markers on your page to help you see problems like missing alt text or hard-to-read color combinations.
axe Accessibility Checker: This is a helpful browser add-on that finds possible accessibility mistakes automatically. It works well in Chrome and Firefox, making it easy to check any page right away.
Lighthouse: Built into Chrome DevTools, Lighthouse creates a report about different aspects of a webpage, including how accessible it is. It gives detailed suggestions to help improve the quality of your site.
WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines): These are important rules that explain how to make web content easier for people with disabilities to use. Learning these guidelines is crucial to understanding what accessibility means.
Keyboard Navigation: You can check how easily someone can use your site without a mouse. If all parts of your website can be accessed with just a keyboard, it’s likely easier for everyone to use.
Screen Readers: Tools like NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access) or JAWS show how users with vision problems experience your site. Testing your website with these tools can reveal areas that need improvement.
Accessibility Checklists: Making a checklist based on WCAG guidelines can help you remember to check all important parts of accessibility during your development process.
By using these tools and resources, you can create a friendly online space for all visitors to your university’s website. Remember, making a website accessible isn't just something to check off a list; it’s an ongoing effort to make sure everyone can easily navigate and interact with your content.