Making Your Therapy Website More Accessible to All Visitors

Did you know that according to the CDC, 1 in 4 people living in the US have a disability? Many of those disabilities may impact a person’s experience navigating websites.

The term “web accessibility” means taking steps to create an equal experience for every person who visits your website. And as a therapist, providing mental health services, you don’t want to leave anyone behind.

Let’s get into the right mindset first. It’s impossible to have 100% accessibility for 100% of people–but that doesn’t mean we give up. Any improvements are better than no improvements!

The most powerful thing you can do is keep learning, keep making adjustments –and acknowledge where it’s not perfect.

So, read this post, pick one thing, and start there. Some of these changes are simple. It doesn’t have to be a painful process–
maybe it could even be a joyful one!

• Make sure your text has a high enough contrast to your background color so it’s readable

To check text against a solid color try this free contrast checker:

https://coolors.co/contrast-checker

• Choose fonts that are easier to read (and minimize the use of hard-to-read fonts, like handwriting-style fonts, if possible)

  Handwriting-style fonts are popular because people feel they give a site a more personal or human feeling. However, they can be really hard to read for many people. If you are going to use them, try to use them as an accent or decoration, and not for essential information.

• Don’t place text over complex background images

Yes, it looks pretty. But if it's hard to read and makes a bad experience for someone, then it's not worth it.

To get the same look, try choosing background images that have space for text.

TIP: Go to Unsplash or Pexels and use the search terms "copy space" or "background" to find images that work best.

And make sure to check it on mobile to see that it works there as well!

• Write a short description of each photo on your website. This is also known as "alt-text."

It should be a max of around 125 characters and it doesn't need to include the words "photo of" at the beginning (the assistive device will indicate to the user that it's a photo).

• Have clear, descriptive headings on each page, and include only one “Heading One” (H1) that tells what the page is about.

The rest of your headings should work kind of like a report or a paper back from your school days, letting readers know what the main sections are (and the sub-sections within those).

To learn more about how to use headings to boost both your accessibility and your SEO, check out this post: How Headings Improve Your Websites Accessibility and SEO

• Don't rely on accessibility widgets to do all the work for you 😬

In some cases, these widgets (like AudioEye, UserWay, AccessiBe, or others) can hinder a person's experience instead of help!

If you want professional help with checking your website's accessibility I would recommend hiring a professional!

You want to look for a person who is certified by IAAP as a WCAG Specialist.

For example, shout out to Andrea Shirey who is a certified accessibility specialist and a Squarespace expert. You can find her at One Nine Designs (and let her know we sent ya!).

Remember, don’t let feeling overwhelmed or perfectionistic stop you from starting. Just begin with one of these tips! Keep learning and keep trying and before you know it your website will be a more inclusive space!