For many years accessibility has been incorporated into multiple facets of our work, as we understand that it is imperative for websites (especially government ones), images, and online content to be accessible to everyone regardless of disabilities or impairments. Recently in North America, more regulations and laws (e.g. AODA, B.C. Accessibility Act, Washington State's Accessibility Legislation, etc.) have been implemented to encourage organizations to ensure their websites can be used and accessed by everyone. We continue to build accessible websites for our clients, provide training, and grow our knowledge about accessibility.
Web accessibility refers to the assurance that websites, technology and content are created so that people of all abilities can comprehend, operate, understand and use information and services they find online. Some examples include ensuring that images have alternative text where necessary for the visually impaired, websites can be navigated by keyboards or assistive devices, and content is clearly organized with logical headings.
To ensure that the Upanup team has a base understanding of accessibility, we have a mandatory internal accessibility course that every team member, regardless of experience, must complete. This course provides our team with knowledge about what accessibility is, why it is important, and how it factors into our work as website designers, developers, content strategists, project managers, and marketers. It also acts as a reminder and inspiration for how we can continuously improve our online experiences.
The course is hosted on the Udemy platform and includes numerous resources and courses including WCAG, EdX, Udacity and more. Through articles, videos, knowledge-testing questions, and internal discussions, the curriculum arms our team with the resources to expand our accessibility knowledge beyond this course.
At Upanup we encourage all of our clients to keep accessibility top of mind and to consider the related requirements right from the project kickoff. We offer various accessibility-related services for any stage of a project including: accessibility audits, UX testing sessions, UX surveys and engagement, training, and post-launch support.
Tell us about your digital marketing and communications goals, request a quote today.
We are very passionate about accessibility so our free monthly webinars are often focused on different aspects of accessibility such as user experience, inclusion and diversity, accessible designs, and usability. We provide simple, actionable ways to improve your content and improve your users' experience. View our upcoming webinars here and sign up!
Check out our new accessibility page to learn more about Upanup and our accessibility strategies.
"Accessibility knowledge has significantly changed the way I view all designs. Designing within the accessibility standards can be challenging, but it is rewarding to design with a purpose to ensure information is accessible for all users, rather than just aesthetic."
Upanup Web Designer