There are lots of great web accessibility software you can use to improve the usability of your website, but finding the best ones can be a bit tricky. In this article, we’ll talk about some different kinds of web accessibility software and what makes them so great to use when creating your own website or improving an existing one. Are you interested in learning more? Great, let’s get started!
Many web designers know just how crucial it is to make their sites accessible. After all, an inaccessible site isn’t just poor design; it’s a business issue. If someone can’t access your site and buy your product, that means lost revenue for you. That’s why it’s important to use some of these tools when building a website to ensure maximum usability by everyone. Here are some of our favorite web accessibility programs. This software is usually used during development, so you may not need them after launching your new website, but they’re great resources while creating something big!
The Best Free Software
If you’re interested in improving web accessibility, a free and powerful tool to have in your arsenal is NVDA. This text-to-speech program will allow you to scan for common web design issues and offer suggestions for how to make your site more accessible. While it may not be an all-inclusive resource (the website claims that using its evaluator mode can bring down many sites), it’s a great place to start if you’re new to web accessibility. Other top contenders include Lexitron, Contrast Analyzer, and WAVE Web Accessibility Toolbar.
The Best Low-Cost Software
There are several free online tools that enable you to check a website’s accessibility. But if you need something more robust, there are also several low-cost (or even free) web accessibility applications available to download and install on your computer or device. A great resource for learning about web accessibility is WebAIM (Web Accessibility in Mind). It’s a non-profit organization dedicated to making sure websites are accessible for everyone and provides a wealth of resources for anyone interested in learning more about web accessibility. Its open source software is perfect for testing and fixing issues related to screen readers, keyboard navigation, color contrasts, media alternatives, etc. For example, it enables users to run reports using your own site as well as test sites found online.
Consider Professional Services
Although web accessibility services can be complicated to understand, they’re also crucial for many businesses. For example, a 2012 study by Google revealed that 42% of people with disabilities said they were less likely to visit a website due to its poor design. To ensure your business isn’t one of them, it’s important to work with web-accessibility experts who know how and when you should provide proper accommodations for those with disabilities. As an added bonus, these services can also help improve your search ranking and convert more visitors into paying customers.
NVDA for me is still the best. Very user-friendly especially if you’re not yet familiar with web accessibility 👍👍👍
Hiring professionals who are well-versed with the accessibility guidelines is still the best option but the major downside here is that they’re very costly. I suggest using automated solutions like Accessibe or Equalweb to lower down the costs.