Information is everywhere, primarily online. And everyone has the right to access it while having a seamless experience. With that in mind, we at Botsplash are committed to website accessibility and ensuring a truly inclusive online space for all visitors.
By prioritizing accessibility, we not only comply with important regulations like the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), but also unlock a wealth of benefits for our business and our customers. This blog post will delve into the steps we've taken to achieve ADA compliance and how we've integrated accessibility into our development process.
What We've Done: Building a Website for Everyone
Here's a brief about how we have adhered to our commitment to website accessibility:
WCAG 2.1: A Roadmap for Accessibility
We leverage the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, a widely recognized international standard for web accessibility. These guidelines outline how to create websites usable by people with disabilities, including those who use screen readers, keyboard navigation, or other assistive technologies.
By conformance with WCAG 2.1 at Levels A and AA, we demonstrate a strong commitment to creating an inclusive online experience. Level A covers the essential accessibility features, while Level AA builds upon these, addressing a broader range of needs. This ensures our website is accessible to a wider audience with disabilities.
This version of our Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) reports our conformance with WCAG 2.1 at Levels A and AA and our compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, 1973, revised in 2017, based on the VPAT® Version 2.5 Section 508 template published by the Information Technology Industry Council (ITIC).
This report covers the degree of conformance with the following accessibility standards/guidelines:
Beyond WCAG: Upholding Section 508 Standards
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act ensures that electronic and information technology developed or procured by the federal government is accessible to people with disabilities. While not directly applicable to all businesses, it sets a high bar for accessibility best practices.
We've taken this further by ensuring compliance with Section 508 using the VPAT® (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template). This document details our website's accessibility features, providing a clear picture of our commitment to inclusivity for all visitors.
Our Approach to Accessibility: Building with Inclusion in Mind
Here's how we weave accessibility into the very fabric of our website development process:
Integration by Design
Accessibility isn't an afterthought; it's a core principle from the get-go. In compliance with ADA guidelines and VPAT standards, our design team prioritizes creating and maintaining design patterns and components that emphasize accessibility and consistency throughout the website. These patterns ensure consistency in layout, color contrast, and functionality, making the website more accessible for everyone to navigate and understand.
Building Accessibility In
Accessibility isn't bolted on; it's built-in. Our development team takes a proactive approach by embedding accessibility features directly into the core web components they develop. Our developers seamlessly incorporate accessibility evaluations into both unit and integration testing procedures. By making them inherently accessible, we ensure accessibility is a foundation for every aspect of the user experience.
To achieve this, they are trained to utilize cutting-edge automated accessibility testing tools. Any success criteria that are not addressed by automated tests are meticulously examined through the manual testing procedures conducted by our quality assurance testers, which encompass testing with various assistive technologies.
Testing and Verification: A Multi-Layered Approach
Accessibility evaluation isn't a one-time fix; it's an ongoing process. We integrate accessibility testing seamlessly into both unit and integration testing procedures during development. This ensures we catch and address any accessibility issues early on.
Our developers are trained to utilize cutting-edge automated accessibility testing tools. These tools efficiently scan the website for potential accessibility barriers. However, we don't rely solely on automation.
Trained QA personnel conduct thorough manual testing using various assistive technologies employed by users with disabilities. This allows us to experience the website from their perspective and identify any areas requiring further refinement. Combining automated and manual testing with assistive technologies ensures a comprehensive and robust approach to website accessibility.
Conclusion: A Journey of Continuous Improvement
Our commitment to website accessibility is an ongoing journey. We constantly strive to improve and ensure everyone has an equally positive experience on our website.
By following best practices like WCAG 2.1 and integrating accessibility into our development process, we're building an inclusive and user-friendly website for all.
If you have any questions or feedback about our website's accessibility, please don't hesitate to contact us. We value your input and appreciate your help in making our website a genuinely inclusive space for everyone.
To learn more about Botsplash click the button below to schedule a demo with our team.
