Accessibility Training for Designers

Accessibility training for designers helps designers learn how to design digital products that are accessible and usable by everyone, regardless of their abilities. This training equips designers with accessibility principles, guidelines, and best practices to create inclusive interfaces that comply with standards like Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

This article explores the importance of accessibility training for designers, why it is important to implement inclusive design, and the principles of accessible web design.

What is Accessibility in Web Design?

Accessibility in web design refers to creating websites and digital experiences that can be used by people with diverse abilities, including those with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive impairments.

These considerations shape how users perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with digital interfaces in diverse ways. Accessibility covers everything from readable typography and keyboard navigation to screen reader compatibility and color contrast.

Designing accessible websites favours everyone regardless of specific needs. Voice commands help both blind users and those with temporary hand injuries. Captions serve deaf users and anyone watching videos in noisy environments.

High-contrast modes assist users with visual impairments and those using devices in bright sunlight. Clear, well-structured content helps users with cognitive differences and anyone trying to complete tasks quickly.

Digital products need to work across different situations and user needs. Someone might need larger text due to vision impairment, forgot their glasses, or is viewing on a small screen. Another person might use keyboard navigation due to a motor disability, a broken mouse, or personal preference.

Understanding these scenarios helps create more versatile, usable products.

Why implement an Inclusive Design?

Implementing an inclusive design offers benefits such as the ones listed below:

• Expanded Reach: By implementing inclusive design, you expand your reach into a significant segment of the population with various levels of abilities, increasing your customer base.
• Improved User Experience: By Implementing inclusive design in your website means an improved user experience for everyone regardless of their abilities.
• Compliance: Many jurisdictions have legal requirements related to accessibility and inclusive design, so implementing these principles helps businesses avoid legal challenges and ensure compliance with regulations.
• Build Brand Image: By demonstrating a commitment to inclusivity, businesses can build trust and foster positive relationships with their customers, which can lead to a stronger brand reputation and increased market share.
• Innovation: Inclusive design encourages designers to think creatively and develop innovative solutions that can benefit a wider range of users, often leading to more intuitive and user-friendly products.

It is a social responsibility to implement inclusive design. Inclusive design promotes equity and ensures that everyone has an equal opportunity.

Principles of Accessible Web Design

The POUR framework stated by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is an acronym for Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust. It outlines the four core principles of accessible web design. These principles guide designers and creators in creating websites and digital products usable and inclusive for all users, regardless of their abilities or special needs.

Here is a more in-depth look at what each of these principles means.

1. Perceivable: This principle advocates that information and user interface components must be presented to users in ways they can perceive.

This includes providing text alternatives for non-text content, offering captions and other alternatives for audio and video, ensuring content is presented in different ways (e.g., larger text), and making it easier for users to see and hear content.

Think of it as making sure all users, regardless of their special needs, can “see” or “hear” what is on the website.

Here are some ways to achieve this:

• Text alternatives: Provide alt text for images, so screen readers can describe visuals to users with visual impairments.
• Captions and transcripts: Add captions to videos and transcripts of audio content to assist users who are deaf or hard of hearing.
• High contrast: Use sufficient colour contrast between text and background to improve readability for users with low vision.
• Scalable text: Allow text resizing and zooming without content loss, supporting users with diverse visual needs.

2. Operable: This principle ensures that user interface components and navigation are operable. Users should be able to use a website with a keyboard, mouse, voice control, or other input devices.

It ensures users are provided support in the form of enough time to read and use content, not designing content in a way that is known to cause seizures, and helping users navigate, find content, and determine where they are.

Here are some ways to achieve operability:

• Keyboard accessibility: Ensure all interactive elements, like buttons and links, can be accessed using only a keyboard, benefiting users who cannot use a mouse.
• Clear navigation: Provide a logical and consistent navigation structure, so users can easily find and move between content sections.
• Sufficient time: Avoid setting time limits on actions or provide options to extend time, supporting users who may need extra time to complete tasks.
• Avoiding seizure triggers: Limit flashing or blinking content to prevent triggering seizures in users with photosensitivity.

3. Understandable: This principle focused on making information and the operation of the user interface understandable. This includes using clear and concise language and providing clear instructions.

This means that users must be able to comprehend information as well as how to use the interface.

Here are some ways to achieve understandability in accessibility:

• Simple language: Use clear, straightforward language, avoiding jargon, to ensure content is accessible to a wide audience.
• Consistent navigation: Maintain a consistent layout and navigation structure across all pages, helping users predict where to find information.
• Error assistance: Provide helpful error messages and guidance for forms and other inputs, so users understand how to correct mistakes.
• Readable text: Ensure text is easy to read by using familiar fonts, sufficient spacing, and logical headings.

4. Robust: This principle ensures that the content is robust and can be reliably interpreted by various user agents, including different browsers, assistive technologies, and ensures long-term accessibility.

Here are some ways to achieve robustness in accessibility:

• Semantic HTML: Use proper HTML elements and structure to help assistive technologies interpret and interact with content accurately.
• ARIA attributes: Apply ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) roles and ARIA labels to enhance the accessibility of dynamic content for screen readers.
• Compatibility testing: Regularly test content on different devices and with various assistive technologies to ensure functionality and compatibility.
• Error-free code: Maintain clean, valid code to prevent technical issues that could disrupt accessibility.

The Importance of Accessibility Training for Designers

Accessibility training is important for designers because it empowers them with the knowledge and skills to proactively incorporate accessibility into their design process from the early stage.

Without proper training, designers may unknowingly create barriers that exclude individuals with special needs. Accessibility training for designers promotes a mindset of inclusivity.

• Understand Global Standards: Accessibility training empowers designers to learn and understand global standards such as WCAG, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Accessibility for Ontarians with Disability Act (AODA) and incorporate them into their designs.
  Compliance with these standards not only promotes equal access but also enhances the user experience for all individuals, regardless of their abilities.

• Improves the Customer Experience: Another important aspect of accessibility training is teaching designers how to design and develop digital products that are more accessible and navigable for all users, particularly those with special needs. A more accessible website results in a better user experience, less frustration, and more customer loyalty.
• Equal Access for All: Accessibility training empowers designers to break down barriers that prevent individuals with disabilities from fully participating in the digital world.
  By removing those barriers, individuals with disabilities can easily access online content and pursue their educational, professional, and personal goals.
• Creates a Culture of Inclusivity and Accessibility: Embedding accessibility principles into your organization ensures accessibility is a fundamental part of your culture.
  Even as digital accessibility laws and standards change, your employees have the knowledge and skills needed to maintain accessibility and continue to provide an accessible, inclusive digital experience.
• Utilize Accessibility Tools: Designers become proficient in using various tools and techniques for evaluating and improving accessibility.
• Advocate for Accessibility: Designers champion the importance of inclusive design within their teams and organizations.

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10 Best Accessibility Training Programs for Web Designers

Here are ten highly recommended accessibility training programs that can empower web designers to create more inclusive digital experiences:

1. Google’s Web Accessibility Compliance Course

This free course from Google provides a comprehensive introduction to web accessibility principles and best practices, focusing on compliance with WCAG, and Accessible Rich Internet Application (ARIA) and accessibility testing.

The key concepts covered in this course include: Accessibility Testing (Automated, manual, and assistive testing), ARIA, How to measure digital accessibility, keyboard navigation order and style, Color contrast, and web elements to consider when building accessible websites.

Check out the course here.

2. Digital Accessibility Foundations by W3C

This course was developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the creators of web standards, Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Information Technologies in Education (IITE).This foundational course offers a thorough understanding of digital accessibility principles and WCAG guidelines.

The key concepts covered in this course are as follows:

• Coding web applications to meet international W3C standards.
• Designing interfaces to meet the needs of people with disabilities, including older users.
• Writing a business case to present to management.
• Advocating for accessibility by understanding real-life experiences of how accessibility is essential for some and useful for all.
• Managing accessibility in projects and in organizations.
• Checking web pages for basic accessibility issues and improving accessibility.

Check out the course here.

3. Accessible Design Bundle by A11y Collective

This course consists of two courses packed with tips and tricks designers can immediately apply in their work. The course consists of two parts. Web accessibility, the basic, and Accessible design, the basic that serves varying skill levels, beginners and intermediate.

The key concepts covered in this course include:

• Guidelines and legislation
• Designing web content
• Team governance and responsibility
• How users interact with the web
• Inclusive design principles
• Animation
• Gestalt design

Here is the link to the course bundle.

4. Coursera – Introduction to Accessibility and Universal Design: Offered by the University of Illinois

This course teaches the fundamentals of web accessibility and Universal Design for Learning. It covers why accessibility is important in the online space, guiding principles for making accessible digital content, and the governing bodies of web accessibility. It also examines the principles of Universal Design for Learning, a framework for creating accessible and successful content for all learners regardless of ability.

The key concepts covered in this course include:

• Common digital accessibility concepts.
• Core principles of Universal design
• Importance of accessibility

Here is the link to the course.

5. Interaction Design Foundation (IDF) – How to Design Accessible Experiences

This course focuses specifically on how UX designers can create accessible and inclusive user experiences.

Here are the key concepts in this course:

• How to prepare a strategy for inclusion and accessibility
• How to create an accessible style guide
• How to conduct co-design and participatory design
• How designing with people with disabilities benefits your products
• How to communicate accessibility features through prototypes and wireframes
• How to establish an understanding of accessibility for design systems

Here is the course link.

6. Udemy – How to Design for Accessibility: For UX Designers

This beginner-friendly course provides practical guidance for UX designers on incorporating accessibility best practices into their design workflow.

The key concepts covered in this course include:

• Designing interactive states.
• Color independence and contrast.
• Wording interactive elements.
• Styling interactive elements.

Here is the course link.

7. LinkedIn Learning – Accessibility-First Design

Knowing the benefits of an accessibility-first approach enables you to build more useful, resilient, and inclusive products. This course shows learners how to put accessibility first when designing digital experiences.

The key concepts covered in this course include:

• How to question complexity
• Accessible content design
• Accessible visual design
• Accessibility testing

Here is the link to the course.

8. Treehouse – Web Accessibility Compliance Course

This course teaches developers the standards in creating a web that is accessible to all users as well as techniques to help bring projects up to those standards.

The key concepts covered in this course include:

• Accessibility at a Glance
• NonVisual Desktop Access
• WCAG 2.0
• Semantic HTML
• WAI-ARIA
• Testing for Accessibility

The link to the course can be found here.

9. AudioEye’s Accessibility Training

AudioEye offers various training resources and programs focused on digital accessibility, catering to different roles and levels of expertise.

Key concepts covered in AudioEye’s accessibility training include:

• Accessibility testing.
• Accessibility coding with JavaScript, HTML, and ARIA.
• Accessible design practices.
• Accessibility leadership.

Here is the link to the course.

10. Learn Accessibility course by web.dev

This free course by web.dev offers a comprehensive, hands-on guide to mastering web accessibility fundamentals. It helps developers and designers understand the importance of accessibility and how to practically implement it across websites and applications.

The course focuses on real-world techniques to build inclusive digital experiences while aligning with accessibility standards like WCAG.

The key concepts covered in this course include:

• Introduction to accessibility fundamentals.
• How users with disabilities experience the web.
• Practical techniques to build accessible content.
• Testing and improving accessibility.

Here is the link to the course.

Why test the Accessibility of a Website on Real Devices?

Testing website accessibility on real devices is important because it ensures the website functions as intended and is usable by everyone, including those with specific needs, on a variety of devices and browsers.

Real devices offer a more accurate representation of how users interact with the website compared to emulators or simulators.

Ensuring a website is accessible requires thorough testing on real devices, and there are tools to make this easier. BrowserStack Accessibility Design Toolkit is a Figma plugin specifically created to test the accessibility of design components on your webpage.

The BrowserStack Accessibility Design Toolkit enables users to do the following:

• Automatically detect accessibility issues across websites and apps.
• Integrate accessibility checks into design workflows within Figma
• Check color contrast for text and UI elements in real time.
• Validate designs against WCAG guidelines effortlessly.
• Get actionable insights to fix accessibility problems early in the design phase.
• Test entire web pages, not just individual elements.
• Prioritize issues based on severity to enhance usability for all users.
• Improve compliance and create more inclusive digital experiences quickly.

Conclusion

By understanding the principles of accessible design, leveraging available training resources, and prioritizing real-device accessibility testing, designers can build a more inclusive web for everyone.

Embracing accessibility benefits users with special needs and enhances the overall usability and reach of digital products.

Try Accessibility Design Toolkit