What are the most common web accessibility errors, and how can they be detected?

Web accessibility errors cause a significant group of society to lose the right to access information or services, whether public or private, available on the Internet.

This problem undermines people’s equality and fairness, as well as their fundamental right to stay informed.

You shouldn’t ignore these types of errors, and you must resolve them to ensure accessibility compliance. Let’s talk more about the mistakes you should avoid.

Web accessibility errors

You should stay attentive to your website’s proper functioning and always consider accessibility. That’s why we have listed some of the most common web accessibility mistakes that you should avoid.

Visual content without alt text

Since screen readers cannot interpret images to determine what they represent, alt text must be used to make this action possible.

This is why alt text should always be present in informative visual materials by applying short and concise descriptive texts that explain the image’s content.

Test your website by using a screen reader to hear how other users do it. If your content, including videos, images, and presentations, is not accompanied by descriptive text, much of it will not be accessible to many users.

Poorly optimized written content

Poor structure affects accessibility, so you must implement actions to make these texts easy to scan. Examples include descriptive subtitles, simple and clear language, and visual support to make it easier to read on screens.

Ignoring the various types of disabilities

Keep in mind that web accessibility doesn’t just benefit a group of people with specific disabilities. Optimization should never be designed only for one type of disability.

All web accessibility recommendations and standards should be followed to ensure that your website is fully accessible to all people.

Using only one color

Some users need help distinguishing colors, so using a single color or many shades of the same color could contribute to their disorientation. Therefore, you must make sure to use contrast and complementary indicators that highlight the hierarchy.

How to improve your web accessibility and fix these mistakes?

The first step is to become aware of the different needs of disabled and older people to apply web accessibility recommendations and standards best. Thus, web accessibility optimization will become a simple job that will benefit your web project.

Always remember that an accessible website will ensure that all users, disabled or not, can benefit from access to content and services. This will attract more traffic and dissemination, which in turn will become the greatest reward for the efforts made.

There are also automated software programs like QualiBooth that can detect accessibility errors on your website.

However, without supervision by a technical team with expertise in accessibility, it is tough to resolve them effectively and ensure that you comply with current regulations.

If you need a more detailed guide on detecting web accessibility errors, contact QualiBooth. Their software scans and analyzes every page of your website on each visit to check accessibility.

One of the key benefits is its real-time updates, providing helpful information whenever an issue arises.