December 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 13

Creating Barrier-Free Websites
By Ian Everett
A
ccessible playgrounds, adaptive equipment and inclusive programs
have become increasingly available in our park and recreation
systems, but there's still one area where accessibility
often remains an afterthought - our digital spaces.
Just like our parks and open spaces,
our websites should be places that
are welcoming, engaging, easy to
navigate, well-maintained and allow
for a wide range of activities. They
are, in essence, virtual park spaces;
yet they're often built without compatibility
with assistive tools,
screen readers, video subtitles or keyboard
controls, which are the digital
equivalent of a public building without
ramps or automatic doors.
Here's
a challenge for you.
Switch on the screen reader on
your computer or phone (Cmd+F5
on a Mac, windows+Ctrl+enter on
a PC); go to your agency website
and try navigating your website
using only keyboard or voice controls.
Try signing up for a program
or watching a video on mute. If
you find the experience difficult, or
even infuriating and want to yell at
your computer, then your website
is, according to WebAIM, one of
the 97 percent of sites on the internet
that aren't fully accessible.
This lack of web accessibility is a
great example of the " social model "
of disability in action. It's not an individual's
physical, visual or cognitive
impairments that disable them from
using a website - it's the web design
Just like our parks and open spaces,
our websites should be places that are
welcoming, engaging, easy to navigate,
well-maintained and allow for a wide
range of activities.
PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G | DECEMBER 2 0 22 | Parks & Recreation
13
like
that disables them. That design is a
direct result of the choices made by
web designers, developers and marketing
professionals. It's our responsibility,
therefore, to ensure the right
design choices are made to provide
full digital access to everyone.
If you did discover issues with
your website, the tools and strategies
listed below can help you
make improvements or can help
you get started with baking in accessibility
in your next website request
for proposal.
What Is an Accessible
Website?
Web accessibility is all about creating
a barrier-free internet for users
who have visual impairments, are
deaf, are unable to use a mouse
and more. While there aren't any
clear legal definitions
for what
constitutes as an accessible website,
the industry standards are
centered around the Web Content
Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
WCAG currently has three levels:
A, AA and AAA. Most organizations
strive to meet AA standards.
(A new version of the guidelines,
WCAG 2.2, is expected to be published
soon.)
The WCAG standards cover every
aspect of a website, from color
contrast to animations, but the most
important areas to focus on are
compatibility with assistive technology
(AT), such as screen readers;
ensuring all pages and interactive
elements are accessible through
keyboard navigation; and ensuring
content and workflows are functional
for users with impairments.
Testing Accessibility
There are several tools available to
help test for issues. Many of them
are free to use. These include:
December 2022 - Parks & Recreation

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