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 🤝 |
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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:
Perceivable: The content presented must be presented in a way where users are actually able to perceive it without any issues.
Operable: Users must be able to operate all features presented on the site and easily navigate the different pages.
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.
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:
Level A: This is the minimum level. Websites at this level cover the most basic accessibility features, but the website is still considered accessible.
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.
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.
Accessibility Resources
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.