Empower Every Mandurah Resident: Your Website Accessibility Checklist

As a local council in Mandurah, your website is a vital hub for information and services. Ensuring it’s accessible to everyone, regardless of ability, isn’t just good practice; it’s essential for fostering an inclusive community. This checklist provides actionable steps to make your Mandurah council website truly usable for all residents.

1. Perceivable Information: Can Everyone See and Hear It?

Content needs to be presented in ways that users can perceive. If information is invisible to some users, it’s inaccessible.

1.1 Provide Text Alternatives for Non-Text Content

Images, charts, and graphs convey important information. Users who can’t see them need alternatives.

• Images: Use descriptive alt attributes for all meaningful images. For decorative images, use an empty alt='' attribute.
• Graphs and Charts: Provide a text summary or a data table alongside complex visualisations.
• Videos: Include accurate closed captions for all audio content. Provide audio descriptions for visual information that isn’t conveyed through the dialogue.
• Audio Files: Offer a text transcript for all audio-only content.

1.2 Adaptable Content Presentation

Users should be able to access information presented in different ways without losing meaning.

• Structure: Use proper HTML headings (<h1> to <h6>) to create a logical content hierarchy. This helps screen reader users navigate your pages effectively.
• Resizing: Ensure your website content reflows and remains readable when users zoom in up to 200% without requiring horizontal scrolling.
• Color Contrast: Maintain sufficient color contrast between text and its background. Aim for a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. Use online contrast checkers to verify.
• Avoid Color Reliance: Do not use color alone to convey information. For example, use icons or text alongside color to indicate errors or required fields.

2. Operable Interface: Can Everyone Use Your Website?

The interface must be operable. Users should be able to navigate and interact with your website.

2.1 Keyboard Accessibility

All functionality should be available from a keyboard.

• Navigation: Ensure all interactive elements (links, buttons, form fields) are focusable and operable using the Tab key, Shift+Tab, and Enter/Spacebar.
• Focus Indicator: Make sure the keyboard focus indicator is clearly visible. Users need to know where they are on the page.
• No Keyboard Traps: Users must be able to tab away from any element they can tab into.

2.2 Sufficient Time

Give users enough time to read and use content.

• Timeouts: If your website has session timeouts, provide ways for users to extend or turn off the timeout, or warn them well in advance.
• Pacing: Avoid auto-playing carousels or animations that move too quickly. Allow users to control the pace.

2.3 Navigable Content

Users need ways to find content and determine where they are.

• Clear Link Text: Link text should be descriptive. Avoid generic phrases like ‘Click Here’. For example, use ‘Read our Mandurah community events calendar’.
• Page Titles: Each page should have a unique and descriptive <title>.
• Site Search: Implement a robust and easily discoverable site search function.
• Consistent Navigation: Maintain consistent navigation menus across the entire website.

3. Understandable Information and Operation: Is Your Website Clear?

Users must be able to understand the information and the operation of the user interface.

3.1 Readable Content

Make your content easy to understand.

• Simple Language: Use clear, concise language. Avoid jargon and technical terms where possible. If you must use them, provide definitions.
• Consistent Terminology: Use the same terms for the same things throughout your site.

3.2 Predictable and Input Assistance

Make your website operate in predictable ways and help users avoid and correct mistakes.

• Consistent Navigation: As mentioned, predictable navigation is key.
• Clear Form Labels: Associate labels with form fields using the for attribute in HTML. This helps screen readers and users with motor impairments.
• Error Identification: Clearly identify errors in forms and provide suggestions for correction. Highlight fields with errors.
• Instructions: Provide clear instructions for complex tasks or forms.

4. Robustness: Can It Be Interpreted Reliably by a Wide Variety of User Agents, Including Assistive Technologies?

Content must be robust enough to be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies.

4.1 Code Validity

Write clean, valid HTML and CSS.

• Validate Your Code: Use tools like the W3C Markup Validation Service to check for errors. Invalid code can cause unexpected behaviour in assistive technologies.
• Use Semantic HTML: Employ semantic HTML elements (e.g., <nav>, <main>, <article>, <aside>) correctly.

4.2 ARIA Roles and Attributes

Use ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) roles and attributes where necessary to enhance accessibility, especially for dynamic content.

• Dynamic Content: Use ARIA live regions (e.g., aria-live='polite' or aria-live='assertive') to announce changes on the page to screen reader users.
• Custom Controls: If you implement custom widgets, ensure they have appropriate ARIA roles, states, and properties.

5. Ongoing Commitment and Testing

Accessibility is not a one-time fix; it’s an ongoing process.

• User Testing: Involve users with disabilities in your testing process. Their feedback is invaluable for identifying real-world barriers.
• Regular Audits: Conduct regular accessibility audits of your website.
• Staff Training: Train your content creators and web developers on accessibility best practices.
• Feedback Mechanism: Provide a clear and accessible way for users to report accessibility issues they encounter on your Mandurah council website.

By systematically working through this checklist, your local council in Mandurah can significantly improve its website’s accessibility, ensuring all residents can access the information and services they need.

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