3 Simple Tips for Designing Accessible Websites
Designing an accessible website ensures that all users, including those with disabilities, can easily navigate and interact with your site. Here are three simple yet powerful tips to make your website more accessible in 2024:

1. Use Clear and Descriptive Text Alternatives for Visual Content
Why it matters:
Visually impaired users who rely on screen readers need descriptive text (alt text) for images, icons, and other visual elements. Alt text helps them understand what the image or graphic represents.

How to do it:
Alt Text for Images: Ensure every image, video, and icon on your site has appropriate alt text that describes its content or function.

Meaningful Descriptions: For decorative images, use an empty alt="" attribute to inform the screen reader that the image is not essential.

Provide Context: For complex images (e.g., charts, infographics), offer a text summary or a detailed description.

2. Ensure Sufficient Color Contrast
Why it matters:
Color contrast is essential for users with color blindness or visual impairments. Poor contrast between text and background makes it harder for users to read the content.

How to do it:
Check Contrast Ratios: Ensure that text and background colors have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. Tools like WebAIM's Color Contrast Checker can help.

Avoid Relying on Color Alone: Don't use color as the sole means of conveying information. For example, use text labels alongside color-coded buttons or status indicators.

3. Make Navigation Keyboard-Friendly
Why it matters:
Not all users can interact with websites using a mouse. Users with motor impairments or those relying on keyboard-only navigation must be able to navigate your site efficiently.

How to do it:
Tab Order: Ensure that the tab order (the order in which elements are selected when users press the "Tab" key) is logical and intuitive.

Keyboard Shortcuts: Provide keyboard shortcuts for frequently-used actions, like submitting forms or navigating menus.

Focusable Elements: Ensure all interactive elements, such as links, buttons, and form fields, are accessible via the keyboard (using the Tab key).

Bonus Tip: Test with Screen Readers and Other Assistive Technologies
To make sure your site is truly accessible, use tools like VoiceOver (for Mac) or NVDA (for Windows) to test how your website interacts with screen readers. This will help you identify any issues that might hinder a disabled user's experience.