Why learn Web Accessibility?
Tags: webdev, a11y, beginners, career
Published: 2023-12-03 04:59:31

>⚠️ **ALERT** ⚠️
- This post is my opinion based on research and day-to-day experiences.
- If the post makes you think, great, discuss it with anyone. 👽🌌

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Hello, I'm Fran.
I would like to share why learning Web Accessibility is important.

>**<u>Summary:</u>**
- <a href="#o-que-e-a11y">What is accessibility?</a>
- <a href="#vantagens-em-aplicar-a11y">Advantages of implementing Web Accessibility</a>
- <a href="#a11y-e-para-todos">Accessibility is for everyone!</a>
   - <a href="#5-exemplos-a11y">5 examples that accessibility is for everyone on the web</a>
- <a href="#minha-motivacao-para-estudar-a11y">My motivation to study Web Accessibility</a>
   - <a href="#video-barreiras-na-a11y">Video shows Web Accessibility</a>

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<h2 id="o-que-e-a11y">What is accessibility?</h2>
The word <u>accessibility</u> means something that is reachable, that has ease in approach, treatment, or acquisition of a product or service.
In other words, accessibility is about facilitating the use of a product or service - regardless of environmental characteristics, device features, and general limitations or disabilities.

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<h2 id="vantagens-em-aplicar-a11y">Advantages of implementing Web Accessibility</h2>
- **<u>Assists in SEO (Search Engine Optimization):</u>**
Related to a search engine, such as Google, SEO is the process used to optimize the relevance of content and the popularity of a website's link.
This way, your pages can be easily found and become more popular in user search queries, meaning the website is better ranked in the search results list.

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- **<u>Allows your user to actually use your website.</u>**
Technically speaking, it improves user usability on your website.
<u>For example:</u> the user opens an online shopping website and, at the end of the process, the user actually manages to buy the product.

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<h2 id="a11y-e-para-todos">Accessibility is for everyone!</h2>
I had a "mind-blowing" moment when I understood that accessibility is not only for people with temporary or permanent disabilities. **In fact, accessibility is for everyone!** And there are various types of accessibility.

><h3 id="5-exemplos-a11y"><u>5 examples on the web that accessibility is for everyone:</u></h3>
- Virtual assistants (Google, Alexa, Siri, Bixby, Cortana, etc.) make it much easier to use voice commands without needing to use hands to interact with the device.
- Having a step-by-step tutorial of new options on the website or application you use.
- Video or audio with subtitles and/or transcripts available.
- Responsive design website - a website that adapts to different screen sizes such as computer, mobile, and tablet.
- Phone with an option to increase or decrease screen brightness - for more comfort when looking at the screen in open or closed environments.

So it's not just to looks nice.
That's accessibility! 🤘💜

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<h2 id="minha-motivacao-para-estudar-a11y">My motivation to study Web Accessibility</h2>
Imagine a world where you are a blind person, and you cannot use a computer or a phone because accessibility is not available.
Well, that would be the reality of our world if accessibility for electronic devices did not exist.

That's why my main motivation to study web accessibility was to help improve the experience and usability of people on websites. Especially for those with disability.

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<h3 id="#video-barreiras-na-a11y">Video shows Web Accessibility</h3>
I believe the easiest way to understand or follow someone's difficulty in something is to "walk in their shoes." This means being by the person's side and seeing the difficulties they face when using a product or service; and also trying to reproduce the environment yourself to test it.

If you can, watch the following video link to reflect on the barriers in web accessibility:
{% embed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cEfxhsn3Bg&t=157s %}

**<u>Note:</u>** I've already set the minute when speaker Dickson Tan starts using the screen reader on a website.

I understand that things are not perfect many times, but they can certainly get better with time and effort invested in them.

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Bye, thank you.