Keanu Reeves may not be able to view your website (gasp!)
Picture this: the legendary Keanu Reeves, known for his breathtaking performances on the silver screen, visits your website. Completely feasible, because your business is awesome. So yeah, he’s at home reading scripts and remembers that he wants to look up your website. He gets to your home page and your color palette is a confusing blur. Why? Well, this iconic actor is reportedly color-blind. While I haven’t discussed this with Keanu per se and to ensure your website reaches and resonates with every visitor, let's explore how free web accessibility checkers can help you achieve WCAG and ADA compliance while keeping Keanu, and everyone else, captivated. To learn more about what it’s like to be colorblind, this is a super helpful read penned by Andy Baio at The Verge.
In a world where online experiences dominate, web accessibility emerges as the hero of inclusivity. It ensures that individuals of all abilities can engage with and navigate your website seamlessly. With Keanu's hypothetical color blindness scenario as an example, it becomes evident that accessibility is vital for leaving a lasting impression on a diverse audience.
Enter free web accessibility checkers, the trusty sidekicks that aid in the quest for an inclusive online presence. These tools provide a range of benefits to help you fine-tune your website's accessibility with ease. Free accessibility checkers swiftly analyze your website against WCAG and ADA compliance guidelines. By simply inputting your website URL, you'll receive a detailed report outlining potential accessibility hiccups.
These sites dig into your website's code and content, examining elements like alt tags, heading structures, keyboard navigation, color contrast, and more. The generated reports act as your trusty guide, pointing out violations and offering practical recommendations for improvements.
For most, watching your expenses is vital. The beauty of free accessibility checkers lies in their cost-effectiveness. Here are a few popular champions at your disposal:
WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool: Developed by the web heroes at WebAIM, WAVE scrutinizes web pages for accessibility gaps. It generates detailed reports and even offers a browser extension, allowing real-time evaluations while you browse your own website. WebAIM is a non-profit organization based at the Institute for Disability Research, Policy, and Practice at Utah State University.
Axe Browser Extension: Axe comes to the rescue as a powerful accessibility testing tool available as a browser extension. It quickly identifies violations and provides actionable insights to save the day. It's used by technical and non-technical users!
Lighthouse: As part of Google Chrome's Developer Tools, Lighthouse stands tall as an open-source tool with a comprehensive auditing suite. It covers accessibility, performance, best practices, and more, ensuring your website meets the highest standards.
It’s the right thing to create a website that speaks to everyone, Keanu Reeves included. For a more detailed conversation about what might suit your needs, reach out to our studio manager at hello@boldtype.is.
Enjoy!
Noelle ✨
