Usability as common courtesy

Manasi Deshmukh
Dec 9, 2013
3 min read

While developing the Web sites, make sure that users can understand what it is they’re looking at and how to use it without unnecessary effort. Accessibility is usability. We're all just trying to make things that people can use.

Few Things that diminishes a website goodwill value:

Hiding information that User want, such as customer support contact numbers, and prices.
Asking user for information you don’t really need.
Putting sizzle in user way. Having to wait through a long flash intro.
Your site looks unprofessional.

Things that increase goodwill:

Know the main things that people want to do on your site and make them obvious and easy.
Tell user what they want to know.
Know what questions user likely to have, and answer them.
Provide user printer-friendly pages
Provide user the error free website.
When in doubt, make an apology.

Why Web Accessibility is Important

You really can’t say your site is usable unless it’s accessible. Web is increasingly important resource of information in many aspects of life like: health, education, employment, trade, commerce, recreation etc. It is necessary that web be made accessible to users.

Generally website made accessible to certain section of people. But very few websites are accessible to physically disabled who are unable to use keyboards or mouse in the traditional sense.

Why Web Accessibility is Important

You really can’t say your site is usable unless it’s accessible. Web is increasingly important resource of information in many aspects of life like: health, education, employment, trade, commerce, recreation etc. It is necessary that web be made accessible to users.

Generally website made accessible to certain section of people. But very few websites are accessible to physically disabled who are unable to use keyboards or mouse in the traditional sense.

Many developers feel that accessibility can seem to be more additional complicated work in already grueling schedules of web development.

And designers fear that they are going to be forced to design less appealing blunt sites, which are less useful for majority of their audience.

But this can be solved by introducing special features for physically handicapped people. That might add to an USP of the site.

Quick Tips to Make Accessible Web Sites

Even with current technology and standards, it’s possible to make any site very accessible without an awful lot of effort by focusing on a few things that will have the most impact.

Images & animations: Use the alt attribute to describe the function of each visual.
Image maps. Use the client-side map and text for hotspots.
Multimedia. Provide captioning and transcripts of audio, and descriptions of video.
Hypertext links. Use text that makes sense when read out of context. For example, avoid "click here."
Page organization. Use headings, lists, and consistent structure. Use CSS for layout and style where possible.
Graphs & charts. Summarize or use the longdesc attribute.
Scripts, applets, & plug-ins. provide alternative content in case active features are inaccessible or unsupported.
Frames. Use the noframes element and meaningful titles.
Tables. Make line-by-line reading sensible. Summarize.
Check your work. Validate. Use tools, checklist, and guidelines at http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG