In order to make a website more accessible to the public, the site may have to simplify some of its elements and sacrifice some of the appealing or flashy visuals that it may display. A question that a website owner must ask themselves is: what is more important to them, creating a fascinating website or providing an accessible medium for visitors to feel comfortable with? Sometimes it is all about making compromises, where a website can still present a certain level of attractiveness, as well as accessibility.

The audience that a website owner is trying to attract has many different layers to them, including special circumstances that arise when a site is trying to be viewed. This usually occurs when visitors to a site are either visually impaired or disabled, using alternate approaches in order to view a website.

Offer a Basic Version of the Website

When a website is designed, it should offer a site that everyone can enjoy and use. Sometimes it is impossible to please everyone, depending on the type of site that is needed to efficiently present the company’s material. Another way to make sure that the site can be accessed by all, is to have a basic version of the website.

When making a basic website, all of the graphics and visual components are not included. With this basic presentation, there is no need to add colored text, link colors or a background. When an easy-to-use website is created, unnecessary graphics have been removed, but the content is unaltered or not affected by this change.

Flash vs. Html Versions

This approach is often seen when a website offers visitors the choice of viewing a Flash version or an html version of a website, which is often found on the main intro page of a website. When the Flash version is chosen, the site displays a loading bar informing the user of how long the site will take to load. Then the website takes it time to situate the graphics and animations that the site has to offer. When the html version is selected, the page will load quicker because usually there are not a lot of files and graphics to load as opposed to a Flash or JavaScript website. Having the option of selecting an html version of a website not only helps disabled Internet users, but makes it easier for users to view websites when they are working with slow Internet connections or an older browser.

Balancing Web Design and Accessibility

For website owners who want to keep a website appealing, as well as increase accessibility, there are a few things they can do to achieve this goal, such as:

Balance the Layout Visuals
Often a website owner will find that removing a few graphics won’t hurt the design of the site. If the website looks as if it can do without one of the graphics in the display, then it should be eliminated. If it is a “must-have,” it should be positioned where it will not interrupt the flow of the main content or decrease the usability of the site. A simpler, attractive website could be one that shows few graphics, but maximizes the use of color throughout the site.

Assign ALT and TITLE Tags
Make sure that visual essentials have ALT or TITLE tags attached to them. This will help disabled users to get a sense of what the graphics entail. Speech-based and Braille browsers also use these tags to decipher the meaning of the graphics within a website.

Provide a Liquid Design
Liquid designs are websites that can adapt to the size or shape of the browser/ computer screen that it is being viewed on. This means that when this type of design is utilized, disabled users are able to manipulate their own browser and settings preferences, allowing them to understand what is being shown on a website.

Avoid Creating Websites Composed Solely of Graphics
If there are a lot of graphics on a particular website, there should be text accompanying the images. Disabled users will not be able to properly view the website if their browser is set to ignore graphics.

When a website design is complete, the accessibility of that site can be tested by turning off the graphics and viewing the final result. If the website is still usable, including clear navigation elements and content, then disabled users will also be able to find it easier to work with.

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