Accessibility

Irishluck is for everyone. Accessibility is important for us and we consider it as one of our main values. We drafted an Accessibility policy with all users in mind. Learn more about what this policy entails below.

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Irishluck's Official Mission Statement about Accessibility

We want our website to be easily accessible to everyone. That's why we're committed to making Irishluck accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. As a brand, we recognise the importance of creating a user-friendly interface whether you're navigating our site with a screen reader, alternative input devices, or browsing with different preferences. Our dedication to accessibility reflects our belief that everyone deserves equal access to the digital world, and we're continually working to ensure that our website meets the needs of all users.

Every two months, we do a sitewide assessment and improve to make sure Irishluck is more accessible.

Irishluck: Accessibility For All 🀝

Understanding the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

The main aim behind the WCAG is to make the web accessible to everyone. It provides a set of guidelines and resources for online websites to follow. Once these are completed, a badge is awarded. These standards and guidelines are internationally recognised to ensure access to digital content for all users, including those with disabilities. These guidelines cover various aspects, such as:

  • Text-alternatives for non-text content

  • Keyboard accessibility

  • Color contrast

  • Navigable structures

  • Making content available for all senses

  • Functionality through different input methods

  • Making content clear and easy to use

The most recent update, the WCAG 2.2, breaks down 13 comprehensive and very detailed guidelines into 4 main categories:

  1. Perceivable: The content presented must be presented in a way where users are actually able to perceive it without any issues.

  2. Operable: Users must be able to operate all features presented on the site and easily navigate the different pages.

  3. Robust: The content must be strong enough to be understood by all types of devices used by users, including those that help people with disabilities.

  4. Understandable: Lastly, the content has to be understandable. Websites must present content that can be easily read and understood. This also applies to the several features websites make use of.

WCAG Levels of Accessibility

The WCAG provides different levels of accessibility to websites:

  1. Level A: This is the minimum level. Websites at this level cover the most basic accessibility features, but the website is still considered accessible.

  2. Level AA: Websites at this level have addressed more comprehensive and technical accessibility guidelines. Some of these guidelines include improved navigation and interaction and better readability of the content.

  3. Level AAA: Lastly, this is the level you want to be at for full accessibility. Here, websites have enabled the most stringent accessibility criteria and require the highest level of commitment to accessibility.

With each level, the strictness of accessibility increases. Achieving these levels shows that your website is top-tier in providing accessible digital content and inclusivity.

Accessibility Challenges

As part of our accessibility policy, we fully understand users' challenges. These include:

  • Visual impairments

  • Motor disabilities

  • Hearing impairments

  • Cognitive disabilities

  • Technological barriers

  • Speech disabilities

Being aware of these challenges is crucial because we can then work on addressing them. In the next section, we will discuss what Irishluck has done and what we have lined up.

How Irishluck Is Addressing Accessibility Challenges

Irishluck is committed to adhering to these guidelines. Here are specific examples of what has been done and what's being done to ensure full compatibility with the WCAG:

Accessible Design Features

Having accessible design features is an important requirement of the WCAG.

Alt Text for Images

We ensure that all images uploaded on our site have alt text containing a description of the image. This helps to provide a visual description of the image for visually impaired users who rely on screen readers or have images turned off.

Clear and Consistent Layout

Irishluck went through a whole design revamp at the start of the year, and accessibility was kept in mind throughout. Consistent menu navigation, page structures, and visual design elements helps users predict where the information is located, and as a result, this helps them navigate the site more easily. When going through our re-design plans, the placement of the main menu was important for us. We kept the main menu at the top of each page to ensure easier access to important pages on the site.

Skip Navigation

Irishluck uses skip navigation at the top of each page, marked by emojis and text to allow users to bypass their desired section instead of having to scroll to different parts of a page. Skip navigation links are particularly helpful to users who use screen readers to navigate a website.

Accessible Forms

Forms on our website, such as contact forms, are readily accessible and user-friendly. We did this by providing clear labels, proper form field markup, and implementing error validation messages.

Headings and Labels

Our content is strategically divided to make it more understandable. Instead of presenting a big block of text, we use different headings (H2s, H3s, and H4s) to divide the content. Labels in content help by providing a clear description of elements such as form fields, buttons, and links. These are especially helpful to users who rely on screen readers.

Assistive Technologies Compatibility

Irishluck understands the importance of assistive technologies. As a result, our team is busy developing these features. Take a look at what's to come in the near future:

Screen Reader Compatibility

Irishluck will soon be equipped with semantic HTML markups and ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) to ensure compatibility with screen readers. With this feature, users with visual impairments can still easily access our site.

Keyboard Navigation

Keyboard navigation is another feature in the pipeline. This functionality will be fully enabled, allowing users to navigate and interact with the website using only keyboard inputs. Once in place, users can browse on our site using keyboard commands such as Enter, Tab, and the arrow keys.

Voice Recognition Software

Our developers are developing voice recognition software that will allow users to browse via voice commands. Users will be able to dictate text, navigate webpages, and perform other activities by speaking commands.

Alternative Input Device Support

These types of devices include head pointers, mouth sticks, and switches. We are implementing measures where users can use these devices and have a good experience on our site.

Accessible Content Standards

When it comes to content, we follow certain standards and principles in light of our accessibility policy.

Clear and Concise Content

When creating pages and writing our content, we ensure that it is clear and concise, not only in the language and writing style but also in its layout. Our pages are divided to be both visually pleasing and accessible.

Use of Plain Language

We don't like to make use of big words. Our content is straight to the point without extra fluff or content to fill in the gaps. Irishluck writers use simple and understandable English that everyone can grasp, no matter their level of English.

Video Transcripts

This is still a work in progress for Irishluck. Video transcripts provide a written version of the video. This ensures that all users can access and understand the information that is presented in a video on Irishluck.

Irishluck's Compliance Status

While we have accessibility measures implemented and many in the pipeline, we don't yet have the WCAG badge. However, this is a goal of ours as a team. We are making great efforts to become WCAG 2.1 AAA level compliant, which is the highest level.

Accessibility Feedback

Our team is here for feedback you might have or if you encounter accessibility issues. Visit our Contact Us page and get in touch with us today.

User Testing

We engage with users, especially users with disabilities, to better understand the barriers they face. We also observe how users navigate our website and then gather feedback through surveys and forums. This data helps us make the necessary improvements to make our site accessible.

FAQs

Is Irishluck committed to providing accessibility for all users?

Yes, we are. Accessibility is a policy of ours. We already have many measures in place and we are working on adding more in the near future.

How can I report accessibility issues on Irishluck?

Visit our Contact Us page and drop us an email with your query.

Why is web accessibility important?

Firstly, it promotes inclusivity for everyone. Inclusivity is another value we hold close at Irishluck so we want to make sure everyone has proper access to our site. Secondly, proper accessibility removes barriers to discrimination and helps everyone feel more welcome.

What are common accessibility features users face?

Some barriers include color contrast, complicated writing style, inaccessible forms and controls, complex navigation structures, and more.

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