What is Web Accessibility, and Why Does It Matter?
Web accessibility is about ensuring that ALL users can use online content. It’s about giving everyone a fair chance to be involved in education and the learning process.
Accessibility
We have both a moral and legal obligation to make our online courses accessible to people with disabilities. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights explains accessibility in the following way:
Accessible means a person with a disability is afforded the opportunity to acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services as a person without a disability in an equally effective and equally integrated manner, with substantially equivalent ease of use. The person with a disability must be able to obtain the information as fully, equally, and independently as a person without a disability” (emphasis added). They clarify that “although this might not result in identical ease of use compared to that of persons without disabilities, it still must ensure equal opportunity to the educational benefits and opportunities afforded by the technology and equal treatment in the use of such technology.1
We at BYU, and by extension BYU Continuing Education, are committed to following this charge. BYU’s accessibility policy states:
BYU is committed to providing a working and learning atmosphere which reasonably accommodates persons with disabilities who are otherwise qualified to participate in BYU’s programs and activities. It is the policy of BYU to prohibit unlawful discrimination against persons with disabilities and to provide reasonable assistance in bringing them into the mainstream of campus life. To accomplish this, BYU complies with all applicable disability laws.2
Who Does Accessibility Help?
One of the best parts about web accessibility is that it can make websites more usable for everyone, no matter who they are or what their circumstances are. For example, if your desktop mouse breaks, keyboard accessibility can allow you to continue using your computer. If your internet connection is too slow or if an image breaks, alternative text can let you know what content you’re missing from the images that won’t load. And if you’re trying to watch a video in a crowded place, captions can make that a lot easier.
But while web accessibility is helpful for most users, for some it’s a need. Watch the following video for an overview of disabilities and temporary impairments that accessibility can aid.
Video: Intro To Course Accessibility
The One
We must never forget that the Savior taught us to seek after the one, not just the ninety and nine.
Sometimes, it can be difficult to imagine how a user with different needs from our own might interact with the content we create, and it can seem tempting to say, “Most users will be fine, so does it really matter?” But as Elder Wirthlin taught,
If only we had more compassion for those who are different from us, it would lighten many of the problems and sorrows in the world today. It would certainly make our families and the Church a more hallowed and heavenly place.3
User Stories
Read the perspectives of diverse web users on W3’s Stories of Web Users page (just read the overview page).
Then watch the following videos, which share a variety of perspectives from people need web accessibility.
Web Accessibility Perspectives
Understanding the Diversity of Users
Common Accessibility Errors & Solutions
Based on our review panel, we look for several key categories of errors to ensure digital content is perceivable and operable for everyone.
Image & Media Errors (Perceivability)
- Non-descriptive Alt Tags: Images must have appropriate, equivalent alternative text that describes the image’s function or content.
- Decorative Images: Images that do not convey content should have an empty alt attribute (
alt="") so screen readers can skip them. - Transcript/Caption Issues: Video and audio require text transcripts and closed captions to be accessible to users with auditory impairments.
- Broken Images: All images must load correctly; a broken image link provides zero information to any user.
Color & Contrast
- Contrast Ratios: Text must maintain a ratio of at least 4.5:1 (or 3:1 for large text). Low contrast makes content unreadable for users with low vision.
- Conveying Content: Color should never be the only method of conveying information or distinguishing visual elements (e.g., “required fields are in red”).
Navigation & Keyboard Control
- Focus Issues: It must be visually apparent which element has the “keyboard focus.” If focus is lost or the order is illogical, keyboard-only users cannot navigate.
- Page/Element Not Navigable: Users must be able to reach all interactive elements using only a keyboard. “Keyboard traps” (where a user gets stuck in an element) must be avoided.
Structure & Semantics
- Heading Hierarchy: Headings must be structured in a logical, nested order (H1 > H2 > H3).
- Non-Descriptive Links: Link text must be descriptive. Avoid “Click Here”; use labels that describe the destination, like “View Semester Schedule.”
- Table Issues: Tables should be used for tabular data, not layout. They must include proper headers and avoid complex, merged, or “stretched” cells that confuse screen readers.
- Language Tags: The primary language of the page (and any language changes within the page) must be programmatically identified.
Footnotes
- Office for Civil Rights, “Resolution Agreement: South Carolina Technical College System OCR Compliance Review No. 11-11-6002,” U.S. Department of Education, February 28, 2013.
- “Accommodation of Persons with Disabilities at BYU Policy,” University Policies, revised August 3, 2020, policy.byu.edu.
- Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Concern for the One,” April 2008 general conference, churchofjesuschrist.org.