Learn from the Best
The Best in Blogging series gives you proven strategies from top industry experts.
Without ramps and other forms of accessibility, nearly 3.3 million wheelchair users in the United States would be denied access to the country’s’ 600,000+ restaurants. It would be an incredible loss to the wheelchair bound as well as to the chefs who want to share their delicacies with the world.
While 3.3 million is a large number, it pales in comparison with the more than 57 million Americans living with disabilities. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities considers access to information and the Web a fundamental human right, and that makes it imperative for bloggers to take these users into consideration as they develop their blogs.
The recent accessibility updates from WordPress and Genesis will make it easier than ever for food bloggers to create content that delights and engages all readers, and our Tasty theme will be one of the first to support this update with screen reader- and skip navigation-friendly design.
In order to guarantee that your posts are accessible to the widest audience of readers, follow these steps to cook up an inclusive blog experience and then visit the World Wide Web Consortium to gather more detailed information on web accessibility.
Increase white space
Not only is whitespace, or negative space, a fundamental element of good design, it is also invaluable to increasing accessibility. Whitespace improves legibility, aids in comprehension, and makes interactive elements such as buttons easier to identify and use.
Who benefits?
- Users who are visually impaired.
- Users with reading impairments.
- Users with diminished fine motor skills.
Use the most readable font variations
Several factors determine how easily a font can be read, and whichever fonts you choose, limit the number of variations on a page. Too many font faces create confusion and pose challenges for users who already have trouble reading on a screen. Other suggestions when choosing fonts include choosing a font that is:
- available on most devices,
- designed for use in electronic media,
- large enough to be clearly legible,
- not distracting, e.g. flashing, blinking, or overly stylized.
Who benefits?
- Users who are visually impaired.
- Users with reading impairments such as dyslexia.
- Users with attention deficit disorders.
- Users with learning disabilities.
Make your best content easy to find
Skip navigation provides an easy way for keyboard and screen reader users to skip less important elements such as your navigation links and blog icons and get straight to the good stuff – your writing. This can be particularly important for users with motor skills disabilities that would be forced to click through several keyboard actions in order to get to the main content.
Who does this benefit?
- Users who are visually impaired.
- Users with diminished motor skills.
Provide text alternatives to non-text elements
While websites rich in images and interactive objects offer an engaging experience for many users, visually impaired users rely on screen readers to tell the story of a site. Be sure that non-text elements have text alternatives that allow these users to “see” your website as well.
Who does this benefit?
- Users who are visually impaired.
- Bloggers. Alt text can improve SEO when keywords are part of the text.
Develop content that flows logically
Again, logical flow is a fundamental of good web design that also happens to increase usability for readers with limitations. Implement both design and content to be easy to follow and navigate. Use headers, lists, and other organizational elements to highlight important content.
Who does this benefit?
- Users who are visually impaired.
- Users with reading impairments such as dyslexia.
- Users with attention deficit disorders.
- Users with learning disabilities.
- Everyone.
Use “excerpts” on blog listing pages
While many of your readers are capable of quickly clicking back and forth between pages and scanning to see if content is of interest, for readers who are dependent on screen readers and keyboards this can be time consuming and discouraging. Provide short excerpts on blog listings pages that allow users to find exactly what they’re looking for without hassle.
Who benefits?
- Users who are visually impaired.
- Users with reading impairments such as dyslexia.
- Users with attention deficit disorders.
- Users with learning disabilities.
- Users with diminished motor skills.
Choose mobile friendly
Most smartphone users surf the internet directly from their phone. In order for content to be easily navigated and read on these smaller screens, sites should be mobile-friendly. Otherwise, the size of the screen will limit the accessibility of the content.
Who benefits?
- Users who are visually impaired.
- Users with diminished motor skills.
- Everybody.
Be consistent
In order to make your site easily navigable, be consistent in your design throughout the site. Elements of your design such as navigation, sidebars, and other interface elements should be in the same place on every page.
Who benefits?
- Users who are visually impaired.
- Users with reading impairments such as dyslexia.
- Users with attention deficit disorders.
- Users with learning disabilities.
- Everybody.
Keep an eye out for our upcoming “tasty” theme!
How are you making sure there’s room at the table for everyone in your blogging community?
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