5 Common Digital Accessibility Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)

5 Common Digital Accessibility Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)

Digital accessibility isn't just a niche concern or a legal checkbox; it's a fundamental aspect of good design and development. It ensures that everyone, including people with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive disabilities, can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with your website or application. Despite its importance, many teams overlook key principles, creating barriers that exclude a significant portion of the population. Let's explore five of the most common digital accessibility mistakes and, more importantly, how you can fix them.

1. Insufficient Color Contrast

One of the most prevalent and visually obvious issues is poor color contrast. Text that doesn't stand out sufficiently from its background is difficult for users with low vision, color blindness, or those viewing screens in bright sunlight to read.

The Mistake: Using light gray text on a white background, or placing red text on a green background without considering contrast ratios. This makes content illegible for many users.

How to Fix It:

• Use a Contrast Checker: Tools like the WebAIM Contrast Checker or built-in browser developer tools can analyze the contrast ratio between your foreground (text) and background colors.
• Aim for WCAG Standards: Strive for a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text (typically 18pt or 14pt bold). For AAA compliance, aim for 7:1 and 4.5:1 respectively.
• Don't Rely on Color Alone: Ensure that information isn't conveyed by color only. For example, form field errors should be indicated with both color and an icon or descriptive text.

2. Missing or Poor Alternative Text for Images

Alternative text (alt text) is a textual description of an image that is read aloud by screen readers. It's essential for users who are blind or have severe visual impairments.

The Mistake: Leaving the alt attribute empty (alt="") on informative images, or writing unhelpful, generic alt text like "image" or "graphic." Conversely, over-describing decorative images instead of using an empty alt attribute is also a common error.

How to Fix It:

• Be Concise and Descriptive: Describe the image's content and function in context. For a "Submit" button image, alt="Submit form" is better than alt="Blue arrow."
• Use Empty Alt for Decorative Images: If an image is purely decorative and adds no informational value, use alt="". This instructs screen readers to skip it.
• Describe Complex Images: For charts, graphs, or infographics, provide a short summary in the alt text and a longer description in the surrounding text or via a longdesc attribute or link.

3. Lack of Keyboard Navigation and Focus Indicators

Many users navigate the web using only a keyboard, due to motor disabilities or a preference for efficiency. A site that isn't fully keyboard-operable is a major barrier.

The Mistake: Interactive elements (links, buttons, form fields) that cannot be reached or activated using the Tab key. Another critical mistake is removing or hiding the visual focus indicator (the outline that appears around a focused element), making it impossible for keyboard users to know where they are on the page.

How to Fix It:

1. Test with Your Keyboard: Try to navigate your entire site using only the Tab, Shift+Tab, and Enter keys. Ensure all interactive elements are reachable and usable.
2. Never Remove Focus Outlines: Do not use CSS like outline: none; or outline: 0; without providing a custom, highly visible alternative focus style (e.g., a thick border or background color change).
3. Manage Focus Order: Ensure the tab order follows a logical sequence that matches the visual layout of the page.

4. Non-Semantic HTML and Inaccessible Forms

HTML is more than just a way to make things look a certain way; it provides semantic meaning that assistive technologies rely on.

The Mistake: Using <div> or <span> elements to create buttons or headings, or building forms without properly associated labels. A <div> styled to look like a button won't be announced as a button to a screen reader user.

How to Fix It:

• Use Native HTML Elements: Use <button> for buttons, <h1> to <h6> for headings, <nav> for navigation, and <label> for form labels. These come with built-in accessibility features.
• Associate Labels Explicitly: Always connect form labels to their inputs using the for attribute (matching the input's id). This helps screen readers and also makes the label clickable, improving usability for everyone.
• Provide Clear Error Messages: When form validation fails, clearly identify the problematic field and describe the error in text, not just color.

5. Auto-Playing Media and Inaccessible Dynamic Content

Unexpected sounds or content that changes without user control can be disorienting and disruptive.

The Mistake: Having audio or video that plays automatically when a page loads, or updating content dynamically (e.g., via AJAX) without notifying assistive technology users.

How to Fix It:

• Never Auto-Play Media with Sound: If you must auto-play media, ensure it has no sound or can be paused or stopped immediately by the user. Provide clear playback controls.
• Manage Dynamic Updates: When content updates dynamically (like a live feed or an updated shopping cart), use ARIA live regions (aria-live) to politely announce the change to screen reader users. Options include aria-live="polite" for non-urgent updates and aria-live="assertive" for critical ones.
• Give Users Control: For moving, blinking, or scrolling content (like carousels), provide a mechanism for users to pause, stop, or hide it.

Building a More Inclusive Web, One Fix at a Time

Addressing these five common mistakes is a powerful first step toward creating a more accessible and inclusive digital presence. Remember, accessibility is not a one-time project but an ongoing process that should be integrated into your design, development, and content creation workflows. By testing with automated tools, conducting manual keyboard and screen reader checks, and, most importantly, involving users with disabilities in your testing process, you can build experiences that are not only compliant but truly usable and welcoming for all.