The 8-Point Checklist For Creating An Inclusive Website… And how and where we can all begin.
Developing an inclusive website is a process.
It can also be simple and straightforward. So, what exactly is an inclusive website and how and where should you begin when creating one?
Inclusive websites are designed and written to reduce barriers to communication. Their purpose is to maximise, rather than impede, the legibility and readability of the content they contain.
A helpful first step would be to ask for feedback from people who use, or will use, your website. You might be surprised how much people will appreciate being asked for their opinion.
To develop an inclusive website, simply follow the 8-point Creative Insights checklist below.
The 8-point checklist for inclusive websites
Use high contrast. To ensure important information remains legibility, avoid low contrast. If in doubt, use the squint test. Partially close your eyes. If the text is difficult to read, more contrast is needed.
Avoid the small print. To ensure your website is included, avoid using small font sizes. Small text is often hard to read and for many may be illegible. Aim for 11pt text or larger.
Create breathing space. Nobody likes to feel crowded. Make sure that important information has space to breath. Also avoid positioning text close to images or shapes.
Use manageable chunks. Always break complex information and long paragraphs into smaller and manageable chunks for your readers. Short snippets of text are easier to read and will help to retain their attention.
Choose fonts wisely. Avoid decorative fonts for paragraph text and use it sparingly for headlines, if you want them to to legible. Check that text is easy to read. See point 8!
Align left. Aim to align paragraph to the left wherever possible. Dyslexic readers can find centred text difficult to read, even if you think it looks nice on your website!
Include image descriptions. To avoid awkward silences when text-to-speech apps are being used, remember to include image descriptions on your website.
Ask for feedback. Listen to what comes back and use it to make improvements that audiences with diverse communication needs will appreciate.
Attracting new fans and followers
We all have to start somewhere. If you want your website to be inclusive, and your purpose is to meet the needs of your target audience, the steps you choose to take will have value. You may even attract new fans and followers to your website and win new business.
Please share this far and wide
If you’ve found my 8-point checklist helpful please share this far and wide. If you’d like my help to make your website more inclusive, book a free discovery call using the link below.
Ready to raise your online game?
Book a free Discovery Call to discuss your goals and how to improve the inclusivity of your website. Click the link below to schedule a free discovery call.
Introducing Ansal Trafford
Before launching Creative Insights in 2023, Ansal Trafford taught graphic design and also worked in SEND education.
Before that, he worked in advertising and marketing. Before that, he set up and ran a successful graphic design businesses in London and Essex.
Now, he writes content for website designers and business owners who want to improve their domain authority and make their websites more inclusive.
