Web Accessibility statement.

Introduction

The web isn't as accessible as it should be.

According to WebAIM 2023 accessibility report on the top 1 million websites, 96.3% of home pages have detectable WCAG 2 failures. Even though this is a decrease from last's year 96.8%, it is very high and concerning. It means that many websites are not accessible to people with disabilities.

One thing that stood out to me in the report was that quite a bunch of significant errors have straightforward fixes. Maybe not "easy" to fix, but they are good starting points for a developer or designer with a proper understanding of the WCAG guidelines.

These include things like:

• Low-contrast text
• Missing alternative text for images
• Missing Form labels
• Inappropriately used headings
• Inappropriately used ARIA attributes e.t.c

You can read the full report

Web Accessibility is broad, and learning never ends, but by taking small steps, we can ensure the experience we create don't exclude anyone.

I will play my part in advocating for more accessible and inclusive practices.

My goal as an accessibility advocate would involve writing posts about these errors, how to fix them, and broader web accessibility topics. My mindset is going to be one of progress of perfection. I will not be perfect, but I will be better than I was yesterday.

Echoing the words of Meryl Evans,

...preach the progress over perfection approach to accessibility and disability inclusion. It breaks it down. Suddenly, it feels less overwhelming.

I use the React library a lot as well, and it is pretty easy to fall into divitis. We are going to tackle that as well.

I am not an expert by any means, but I do want to play my part in making the web a more accessible place.

Conclusion

This post acts as a public a11y statement. Together, we can make the world more accessible.