Intro to Web Accessibility and SEO: Building Inclusive & Search-Friendly Websites

📘 Chapter 1: Understanding Web Accessibility — WCAG Guidelines and Legal Standards

🌍 Introduction: What Is Web Accessibility?

Web accessibility ensures that websites, tools, and technologies are designed and developed so that people with disabilities can use them. This means users can:

• Perceive the content (vision, hearing, cognitive abilities)
• Navigate the interface (using keyboard, screen readers, or other assistive tech)
• Understand and interact with the functionality
• Contribute to content creation, like filling out forms or submitting posts

Accessibility not only benefits users with permanent disabilities but also helps users with:

• Temporary impairments (e.g., a broken hand)
• Situational challenges (e.g., bright sunlight, noisy environment)
• Device limitations (e.g., slow connection or no mouse)

📏 What Is WCAG?

WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is a globally recognized set of rules developed by the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) to ensure accessibility on the web.

There are 3 key versions:

• WCAG 2.0 – Released in 2008 (stable baseline)
• WCAG 2.1 – Adds mobile and cognitive accessibility improvements
• WCAG 2.2 – (2023) Includes updated success criteria for users with cognitive and low vision disabilities

🧠 The 4 Principles of Accessibility: POUR

WCAG is organized around four core principles — POUR:

🔹 Example Breakdown

📘 WCAG Levels of Conformance

WCAG success criteria are classified into three levels:

Most organizations aim for WCAG 2.1 AA compliance.

🛠️ Common WCAG Techniques

✅ Text Alternatives for Non-Text Content

html

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<img src="profile.jpg" alt="Jane Doe smiling at the camera">

✅ Keyboard Navigation

html

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<a href="#content" class="skip-link">Skip to main content</a>

✅ Semantic Headings

html

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<h1>Page Title</h1>

<h2>Section Title</h2>

✅ Accessible Forms

html

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<label for="email">Email Address</label>

<input id="email" name="email" type="email" required>

⚖️ Legal Requirements Around the World

Web accessibility isn’t just ethical—it’s often legally required.

📍 Global Legal Frameworks

🔍 Penalties for Non-Compliance

Failure to comply can result in:

• Lawsuits (hundreds filed annually under the ADA in the U.S.)
• Government fines
• Damaged reputation and loss of user trust

Famous cases:

• Domino’s Pizza (U.S.): Sued for inaccessible ordering app
• Beyoncé.com: Sued for not being accessible to screen reader users

🧪 How to Test for Accessibility

🔧 Manual Testing Tools:

• NVDA or VoiceOver (screen readers)
• Keyboard-only navigation
• Color contrast checkers

⚙️ Automated Tools:

• Wave by WebAIM
• axe DevTools
• Lighthouse

⚠️ Note: Automated tools only catch ~30–40% of issues. Manual testing is essential.

📋 Quick WCAG Checklist

💡 Accessibility Is Ongoing

Accessibility is not a one-time fix — it’s a continuous process. As your site evolves, so should your accessibility testing. Integrate it into:

• Your design process
• Code reviews
• QA testing
• Regular audits

🧱 Real-World Benefits of Accessibility

✅ Accessibility-First Mindset Tips

• Use HTML first, JavaScript second
• Start with clean, semantic structure
• Test every UI change for keyboard and screen reader users
• Don’t rely solely on color to convey meaning
• Build for real people, not just devices