How to Improve the Accessibility of Strapi-Powered Websites

Introduction

Have you ever been in a noisy environment, and then turned on subtitles to follow along with a video you were watching? Or perhaps you've relied on a screen reader while driving because you could not divert your attention from the road to glance at your phone screen. Those interactions were possible because the platform was accessible. These everyday scenarios highlight the importance of accessibility in our interactions with digital products.

You may wonder what accessibility is and how you can improve the accessibility of your Strapi-powered website. You'll find answers to these questions in this article.

What is Accessibility?

Accessibility is the design of products, devices, services, vehicles, or environments so that they are usable by people with disabilities. In other words, it is the practice of making a product (physical or digital) usable by as many people as possible. In the web context, accessibility means anyone can benefit from your content, regardless of their ability, location, technical limitations, or other circumstances.

How to Measure Web Accessibility

Over the years, there have been some significant movements to establish guidelines for web accessibility. The foremost among them is The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), put forward by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). This initiative developed the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) that explain how to make web content accessible to all, including individuals with disabilities.

The most recent version of these guidelines (WCAG 2.1) covers a wide range of criteria for making web content more accessible. These guidelines serve as a measure of website accessibility. They are organized into four principles:

1. Perceivable
2. Operable
3. Understandable
4. Robust

Perceivable

This principle requires that information and user interface components be presented to users in ways they perceive. It can't be invisible to all of their senses. So, if they can't see it, they should at least be able to hear it.

One common way web content is made perceivable is by using text alternatives (alt texts) for non-text content, such as images and multimedia. The essence of this is to have a textual description that conveys the content and function of the visual element to users who may not be able to see it. Text alternatives benefit not only users with visual impairments but also those who may not have a disability but have a slow internet connection that prevents them from viewing the image.

Operable

Users must be able to operate the web interface. The interface cannot require interaction that a user cannot perform. This means making sure that people can use all the features of the website just by using a keyboard. For instance, someone with a motor impairment might find it challenging to use a mouse but can navigate the web effectively using keyboard shortcuts.

Understandable

The content of a website should be accessible for people to understand. Information should be organized logically and coherently, with clear headings, subheadings, and sections that guide users through the content in a structured way. Users should receive clear feedback when interacting with the website, such as confirmation messages after submitting a form or error messages if something goes wrong.

Robust

Web content must be robust to remain functional and accessible across different platforms, devices, and assistive technologies even as technology evolves. This involves using coding methods and technologies that work well with different web browsers and devices. If someone's web browser doesn't support certain features, there should be alternative ways for them to still access the content.

Improve Your Website Accessibility with Strapi CMS

Accessibility isn't a feature you consider after building your website. It's an integral part of your web development process. With Strapi CMS, you can easily integrate accessibility into your development process immediately.

Strapi builds and maintains plugins that extend the functionality of a core Strapi application. These Strapi plugins allow you to customize your application to your specific needs. If you need to make your application accessible, third-party plugins exist on the Strapi marketplace. One is the All-in-One Accessibility Plugin developed by Skynet Technologies.

All-in-One Accessibility Plugin

The Strapi All-in-One accessibility plugin is an AI-powered tool that improves websites' compliance with WCAG and ADA standards. It is a flexible & lightweight widget that can be changed according to law and reduces the risk of time-consuming accessibility lawsuits.

Key Features

The paid version gives you full access to all the plugin features. However, you can enjoy essential features in the free version. Some key features include: 1. High Contrast With one click, the high-contrast color theme allows you to increase the contrast of all website elements, including texts, buttons, and form fields. High contrast makes text and graphics stand out more distinctly against their backgrounds. This feature makes it easier for low-vision users to perceive and distinguish content elements. 2. Content Scaling This feature allows users to scale (i.e., zoom in and out) content on a web page. This feature is necessary for users viewing your website on a smaller screen like a mobile phone. 3. Accessibility Profiles The Accessibility Profiles feature lets you tailor your content to suit the needs of different groups of people with disabilities. These profiles include options for blind users, those with motor impairments, visual impairments, color blindness, dyslexia, cognitive learning difficulties, seizures and epilepsy, and ADHD. You can select which profiles to accommodate using simple toggle switches. This feature is available in the paid version. 4. Highlight Links The Highlight Links feature emphasizes links, buttons, and interactive elements with high-contrast colors. This feature makes them easier to recognize and navigate, especially for users with visual impairments or color blindness.

Practical Tips for Improving Your Web Accessibility

Using the Strapi All-in-One Accessibility plugin will undoubtedly make it easier for you to integrate accessibility as you build your website. However, knowing practical ways to do it yourself will benefit you so that accessibility becomes a conscious endeavor and not something relegated to an accessibility tool. 1. Use Semantic HTML Semantic HTML helps screen readers and other assistive technologies understand the content's organization. Ensure proper HTML markup, including headings, lists, and landmarks, to provide structure and clarity to your content. 2. Provide Alternative Text for Images Include descriptive alt text for all images to provide context and meaning for users who cannot see them. Alt text should convey the purpose or function of the image. To illustrate, look at the image below.

Bad alt text: Dog Good alt text: A golden retriever dog running on a green field with a tennis ball in its mouth. 3. Use High Contrast Colors Choose color combinations with sufficient contrast to improve readability for users with visual impairments or color blindness. Avoid relying solely on color to convey information. For instance, a good practice is to underline links rather than using only color to differentiate links. 4. Caption Multimedia Content Provide captions and transcripts for multimedia content, such as videos and audio files, to make them accessible to users who are deaf or hard of hearing. This process ensures that all users can access the content regardless of their abilities.

Conclusion

We've seen how vital accessibility is and how you can make your website more accessible using one of the Strapi plugins, the Strapi All-in-One Accessibility plugin available. So, what's the next step?

Learn more about accessibility and the WCAG standards. Check out more Strapi plugins from the Strapi marketplace. Install the Strapi accessibility plugin to get a head start on improving your website's accessibility.

Resources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessibility#Web_accessibility
• https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/
• https://www.skynettechnologies.com/all-in-one-accessibility