As a content editor, you play a vital role in ensuring our website is inclusive and accessible to all users. Website ADA compliance means meeting the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which increasingly applies to digital content. By creating accessible pages, you’re not only helping us avoid legal risks—you’re making our content usable by everyone, including people with disabilities.
Why Accessibility Matters
- It’s the Law: Courts now expect websites to meet accessibility standards, and non-compliance can lead to lawsuits and penalties.
- It’s Accommodating: Accessible content creates a user-friendly experience for people who use screen readers, navigate by keyboard, or have a range of physical or cognitive challenges.
- It Improves Everyone’s Experience: Clear structure, descriptive links, and readable text benefit all users—including those on mobile devices or with slow internet connections.
- It’s Good for SEO: Accessible content is easier for search engines to index, helping improve visibility.
Key Elements of Accessible Content
You don’t need to be a developer to make a big impact on accessibility. Here are a few simple, high-impact practices to follow:
- Use Descriptive Headings: Organize content with clear, hierarchical headings (H1, H2, H3). Avoid skipping levels.
- Add Alt Text to Images: Provide meaningful alternative text that describes the purpose of the image. If it’s decorative, mark it as such.
- Write Clear Link Text: Avoid “click here.” Instead, make sure link text describes the destination or action (e.g., “Read our accessibility guide”).
- Use Plain Language: Write clearly and concisely so your content is easy to understand.
- Check Color and Contrast: Ensure text is easy to read and doesn’t rely on color alone to convey meaning (e.g., “items in red”).
- Label Forms Clearly: Make sure form fields have visible labels and that required fields are identified.
Run Accessibility Audits in Silktide
As a content editor, you have access to Silktide, our web quality assurance tool. Silktide helps you:
- Identify common accessibility issues like missing alt text, empty headings, and low-contrast text.
- View problems directly on the page, with simple explanations and suggested fixes.
- Learn as you go with built-in accessibility training, tailored to your role and responsibilities.
Silktide checks your pages against WCAG 2.1, the current standard for web accessibility. By using the tool regularly, you’ll help ensure your content meets the needs of all our users.
Want to Learn More?
For a deeper understanding of accessibility standards, you can explore the official Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1. While technical in nature, this document provides the framework that tools like Silktide are built on.
Bottom Line
Accessibility isn’t just a technical issue—it’s a content issue too. By following a few best practices and using the tools available to you, you can make a real difference in how people experience and interact with our website. Accessible content is better content—for everyone.