Web accessibility means that websites, tools and technologies are designed so that everyone can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with them.

All GEM components and templates follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) level AA. At Macquarie we create accessible user experiences not only because it is a legal requirement, but also because it means creating inclusive and clear content means more people can interact and benefit from our website.

Recognising disability

Each individual is unique. People have diverse abilities, skills, tools, preferences and expectations that affect how they use the web. It's important to consider the broad diversity of functional needs rather than to categorise people according to medical classifications.

Age-related impairments

People who develop age-related impairments may share the same functional requirements as others with disabilities, but may differ in their level of computer skill, their use of assistive technologies, and use of the web generally.

Multiple disabilities

Different combinations of disability can make accessing the web more complex – for instance someone who is deaf and has low vision might benefit from captions for audio, but only if these captions have adjustable text size and colour.

Health conditions

Some people have health conditions that can affect their stamina, dexterity or concentration. For instance, they may experience fatigue, pain, or other symptoms that impact on their physical use of the computer, or limit the duration or extent of their use of the web.

Changing abilities

Progressive or recurring functional limitations can mean the same user needs different accessibility features at different times, as their condition changes or progresses.

Temporary impairments

People can experience temporary impairments due to injury, surgery or medication. Accessibility needs to be especially straightforward for them, as they may not know about or have access to accessibility solutions. They may not even be aware of their accessibility needs.

Situational limitations

Users can also be constrained by their surroundings and other situational factors. They might be unable to hear audio in a loud environment, read a screen in bright sunlight, or afford certain technologies.

Different kinds of needs

Auditory

To use the web effectively, people with auditory disabilities often rely on:

  • transcripts and captions of audio content – whether this is audio-only content or audio tracks in multimedia
  • media players that display captions, and allow users to adjust caption text size and colour
  • options to stop, pause, and adjust the volume of audio content (independently of the system volume)
  • high-quality foreground audio that is clearly distinguishable from any background noise.

Speech

People with speech disabilities often rely on:

  • alternatives to voice interaction when using web-based services, including web applications
  • web pages offering alternatives to phone contact when seeking to communicate with the organisation – such as email or feedback forms

Visual

People with speech disabilities often rely on:

  • changing the size of text and images
  • customising the settings for fonts, colours and spacing
  • listening to text-to-speech synthesis of the content
  • listening to audio descriptions of video in multimedia
  • reading text using refreshable Braille.

Cognitive, learning, and neurological

People with cognitive, learning and neurological disabilities often rely on:

  • consistently structured content with a clear hierarchy of importance
  • simple language supported by images, graphs or illustrations
  • consistent labelling of forms, buttons and other content parts
  • clearly visible elements, of sufficient size and contrast
  • the ability to suppress flashing, flickering or otherwise distracting content
  • different options for navigating a site, such as hierarchical menu and search

Physical

Web users with physical disabilities may be using specialised hardware and software such as:

  • an ergonomic or specially-designed keyboard or mouse
  • a head pointer, mouth stick, and other aids to help with typing
  • an on-screen keyboard with trackball, joysticks, or other pointing devices
  • voice recognition, eye tracking, and other approaches for hands-free interaction.

Best practice

Colour contrast

Ensure a strong colour contrast between foreground and background to make content clear for users with physical or situational problems.

Best Practice Do no.2
Do

Ensure that your design colours have an appropriate level of contrast.
Best Practice Don't no.2
Don't

Don’t use similar shades or tones of colour in your design, especially overlapping one another.

Icon contrast

Icons communicate meaning much like words do, so ensure they follow the recommended contrast ratios.

Best Practice Do no.1
Do

Stick to the contrast ratio recommendations.
Best Practice Don't no.1
Don't

Depart from the contrast ratio recommendations. This can make icons hard to discern against their backgrounds.

Visual cues

Visual cues – such as icons, bold text or italics – are used so that information is never conveyed solely by colour. This ensures users who can't perceive the colour still understand your meaning.

Best Practice Do no.3
Do

Use a visual cue in addition to colour when conveying a message.
Best Practice Do no.3
Don't

Don't use colour as the only indicator of an error or other message.

Readability

Short text makes pages quick and easy to navigate – especially for users with screen readers, who hear every element of the page read aloud.

Email: Patrickpetersloveshiking@gmail.com
Do

Write clean and short accessibility text.

The contact email for Patrick Peters is Patrickpetersloveshiking@gmail.com
Don't

Avoid writing longer text than is necessary to communicate your meaning.

Consistency

Consistently structuring and labelling your content makes it easier for users to understand.

Best Practice Do no.5
Do

Use components and terminology in predictable ways, so users know what to look for and where.
Best Practice Do no.5
Don't

Don't use components inconsistently, use random labels, or label equivalent content in different ways.

Alternative text

Alt text conveys the meaning of an image to users who can't view the image itself. It also helps search engine crawlers index your image content.

Best Practice Do no.6
Do

Write brief, relevant alt text for all your images.
Best Practice Do no.6
Don't

Don't use images without alt text or write overly long alt text.

Useful resources

There are plenty of online resources that will help you to ensure your online content is accessible.

World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Webaim Web accessibility evaluation tools
View images guidelines View grid guidelines