At NAViGO, we're passionate about making our services inclusive and accessible to all - and that includes the digital content we create on a daily basis.
According to the RNIB, 250 people begin to lose their sight every day in the UK. One in 100 people are on the autistic spectrum; that's 700,000 people nationwide. And 10% of us are believed to be dyslexic.
Below we've outlined some of the things we do to make this website, our social media channels and our other digital output accessible to all.
Spotted something we've missed? Is there something else we could be doing to improve accessibility? Tell us about it!
Use simple colour schemes and contrasts that stick to NAViGO's colour palette
- Users on the autistic spectrum struggle with bright, contrasting colours
- Low colour contrasts are difficult for users with low vision
Maintain consistent, linear layouts on all webpages
- Complex and cluttered layouts can be confusing and triggering for those on the autistic spectrum
- Screen readers may find it difficult to interpret text if it's not consistent
Align text to the left
- Aligning text to the left and maintaining a consistent layout can assist users with dyslexia
- Screen readers may find it difficult to interpret text if it's not consistent
Have a full suite of accessibility options inbuilt to the website
- HTML can be interpreted and manipulated through the website's accessibility tools at the bottom of the page, including contrast and text size options
- Users with dyslexia can change the contrast between the background and text to their preference
Use large descriptive buttons instead of 'click here'
- Descriptive buttons inform the user what an action will result in, without any mystery over what could happen
- Users with physical or motor disabilities find it easier to click on large buttons rather than small ones that require precision
Structure content using HTML tags
- Screen readers can interpret text easier when using these tags compared to ad hoc formatting
Optimise website for desktop, laptop, mobile and tablet
- It's important that we do not limit who can access the site. Some people do not own a laptop. Similarly, some don't own a smart phone. Therefore, the site works seamlessly across all mediums.
Use simple sentences and short paragraphs, with bullet points where appropriate
- 'Walls' of text are unfriendly to all users - particularly for those on the autistic spectrum
Use a consistent, readable font in an appropriate size (Montserrat for headers and Source Sans Pro for body)
- Users with low vision may find it difficult to read more extravagant or stylistic fonts
- Users on the autistic spectrum may find it difficult to cope with lots of vastly different fonts
Simplify language for a wide audience, minimising acronyms, idioms and jargon
- Users on the autistic spectrum can struggle with figures of speech and idioms
- Members of the public can be confused or disheartened by jargon and complicated language
Avoid using PDFs where possible and instead create fully accessible HTML pages
- Most PDFs are inherently inaccessible for users with low vision and can't be read by screen readers, either
- Contrastingly, HTML can be interpreted and manipulated through the website's accessibility tools at the bottom of the page, including contrast and text size options
Make important information clear and explain the next steps of any processes
- Being clear about the next steps limits confusion and uncertainty for users who may be living with anxiety
- Providing offline contacts for completing tasks makes it easier for users to find 'real-life' support
Ensure all images, including GIFs, have an 'alt text' attribute added to them which describes the image itself
- If a person uses a screen reader, they are relying on this description to describe the image, as they can't see it
- If an image does not load correctly, 'alt text' tells the user what was supposed to be there
Limit use of flattened copy on images, for example in social media posts, and link out to statements instead
- Screen readers are unable to read flattened copy that does not have an 'alt' tag
- Copy on an image is likely to be too small for many people to read and cannot be adjusted
Provide captions or a transcript for all speech and voiceovers in videos
- Users who are deaf or hard of hearing can still understand and interpret videos when captions are provided
Avoid using flashing lights or strobe effects in videos
- Individuals who suffer from photosensitive epilepsy may have seizures triggered by flashing lights
Use hashtags in moderation and camel case them (i.e. #WeAreNAViGO instead of #wearenavigo)
- Screen readers will read all of your hashtags, which isn't very user-friendly
- Camel casing hashtags makes it easier for users with low vision to read them - and looks neater, too!
Use emojis in moderation
- Screen readers do not get along well with emojis as they read out their description as detailed on Emojipedia