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Imagine you’re playing a video game for the first time and the instructions are hard to understand. That’s how the internet feels people with learning disabilities. This is where digital accessibility comes in to make sure that online spaces are easy to navigate for everyone, regardless of their ability.
Alt text is an essential element in making documents, images, and infographics accessible to individuals with visual impairments. It provides a textual alternative to visual content, enabling screen readers to convey the message to users who cannot see the images. However, the creation of alt text often presents challenges for organizations, leading some to seek external solutions.
Disability affects many Canadians. Over 22% currently have a disability and this figure increases to 38% for those over 65. With 1.85 million Ontarians affected, the prevalence of disability is expected to grow from one in six today to one in five in the next 20 years. These numbers will have an increasing influence on many Canadians as they consider the accessibility of businesses and services, often influenced by family members or friends with disabilities.
Those with disabilities deserve the right to communicate and engage with society as easily as those without disabilities do. Although there are international laws to initiate accessibility standards, Canada has taken extra steps toward becoming a more accessible country for individuals.
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines were developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and have been around since 1999. The W3C launched multiple versions of WCAG over time to ensure the guidelines evolved with the accessibility needs of society.. At the moment, the latest version is WCAG 2.1 with version 2.2 pending approval.
There are an estimated 1 billion people with disabilities worldwide. So not only is creating an accessible website the right thing to do, but it’s also good for business.
An accessible website is helpful to everyone. This includes users who are blind or have other visual impairments with low vision that rely on screen readers and audio description, deaf or hard of hearing users that depend on video captions, and those with limited mobility or cognitive abilities that rely on keyboard-friendly site navigation.
And while creating an accessible website can seem daunting, it doesn’t have to be.
Over the years, the financial industry has adapted to the convenience of online banking. It has become an essential service that provides loans, checking and savings accounts, and investment opportunities that millions of people rely on at the click of a button.
The ever-evolving digital world has brought about a revolution in the way we communicate, share information, and complete daily tasks. These changes have become an essential part of our lives, both personally and professionally.
Web accessibility is often associated merely with websites, but it extends well beyond that. It also includes digital documents, mobile and web apps, and just about anything that is housed online. As we strive to create an equitable digital space, understanding the crucial step of document remediation in achieving accessibility compliance is paramount.
Today, websites serve as windows to businesses, services, and information as our world continues to shift online. Because of this shift, ensuring equal access for everyone is more important than ever.
