In tech, "accessibility" can seem abstract until you face a situation showing its importance. My journey to grasp it started with a life-changing personal experience.
In 2017, I got to work on a website for a startup I was creating with a classmate during my last year in school. The startup's name is Soft Outlets. We wanted a platform to share their clothes, fashion tips, events, resources, and news. The project seemed straightforward, but it turned out to be an eye-opener accessibility.
The wake-up call happened in a meeting with classmates while presenting "Soft Outlets" to some with disabilities. During the demo, I saw some having trouble with the site. They mentioned small fonts, poor colour contrast, and missing image descriptions. It was humbling; we left out part of our audience.
I knew I had to make things right. Here are some specific accessibility improvements we implemented:
Text Adjustments: We increased the font size and used clear, legible fonts. This simple change immediately made the website more readable for everyone.
Color Contrast: We improved the colour contrast to ensure that the text was distinguishable from the background. This helped users with visual impairments navigate the site with ease.
Alt Text: Every image on the website received proper alt text. This was vital for screen readers, helping users grasp image content, like event flyers and posters.
Keyboard Navigation: We made sure the site can be used with a keyboard, helping those who can't use a regular mouse.
Video Subtitles: We included subtitles for website videos, aiding those with hearing issues.
This experience underlined that accessibility goes beyond a project task. It's about ensuring everyone, regardless of abilities, can enjoy our content. It reminds us of empathy and that we all have unique needs and challenges.
This image reveals the sections we considered for alt text, making images accessible to all. A small change, but it improved the experience for those with visual impairments.
To sum up, understanding accessibility changed my career. It emphasized catering to diverse user needs, making the digital world inclusive. Our project's small steps were big leaps toward a more inclusive internet.
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