Simply put, accessible design is a design that considers ALL users. Accessibility isn't an afterthought or a compliance issue. But it can seem overwhelming, so we're here to help.
“26% of adults in the United States have some type of disability..”
Here are some ways we make more inclusive content that also improve accessibility for a variety of permanent, temporary, or situational disabilities.
Your site doesn't have to be black & white, but it should still make sense without color. Supplementing representational color and meeting minimum standards for color contrast also ensures that content can be understood by users with color blindness and low vision. For example, draw attention to error messages with a symbol in addition to using red text.
Cause and effect should never be too far apart. This ensures that users can easily understand what is happening on the screen, and is particularly important for users with restrictive eyesight. You can look at things through a straw to see if the changes caused by clicking a button are close enough to the initial click - this is called the straw test.
The last thing you want is to make your users feel sick. Fast or flashing animations can cause nausea, dizziness, vertigo, or epileptic seizures. Make sure any animations are purposeful and can be disabled by the user.
Alt text ensures that content within an image can be described to users regardless of any visual disabilities. Captions and audio transcripts will allow users who are deaf, hard of hearing, or holding a sleeping baby to interact with your audio and video content.
Content should be organized so that it can be easily understood by users, interpreted by screen readers, and navigated intuitively with only a keyboard. It should also be clear and easy-to-read. This will help all of your users, including users who are non-native speakers, are distracted, or have a cognitive disability.
Your content should work on mobile, and not just the latest-and-greatest tech. Text should be big enough to read on a small phone, required gestures should be simple, and the user should be able to zoom in on content as needed.
Our team will think about color contrast, straw tests, and screen readers, so you don't have to.
It's never too late. We can help identify and solve accessibility concerns within HTML, structure, visual design, code semantics, and mobile functionality.
We'll make sure design decisions made working on a computer will translate seamlessly to users on mobile phones and tablets.
We can provide training on accessible design and help you become more proactive in managing accessibility throughout your product lifecycle.
Be The Source (formerly Foster Source) provides training, resources, and support to foster and kinship parents. In 2021, Fusionbox began a pro bono partnership with Be The Source to provide design and accessibility services.
Fusionbox reviewed heatmaps and other analytics data to improve the organization of the site so users can more easily find what they need. We also conducted an accessibility audit and worked with Be The Source to make the site more accessible to their users, including improved keyboard access, sufficient color contrast, alt tags, and more.
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