Innosoft is a leader in the development of public-facing websites for Federal and State government agencies. An often overlooked component of this work is the practice of “increasing engagement”. Our customers seek to ensure that the widest possible audience has knowledge of, knows how to find, and successfully engages in their web content and digital services offerings.
Innosoft believes that the first step to improving engagement is to increase accessibility. This practice naturally increases engagement by improving the way that our content is presented. We do this through standard accessibility practices, as well as an approach to developing content that speaks with plain language.
Innosoft increases accessibility with 10 simplified guidelines for accessible web design and development. Our developers follow these guidelines as an Accessibility Assurance Approach (AAA) for web development. Accessibility is always tested with control methods to ensure compliance with federal regulations. The 10 points of our AAA are based on Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1:
- Provide Text Alternatives: Ensure that all non-text content (images, videos, etc.) has alternative text (alt text) descriptions.
- Keyboard Navigable: Make sure all functionality is accessible via a keyboard. Users should be able to navigate and interact with all elements without a mouse.
- Readable and Logical Layout: Use headings, lists, and other structural elements properly to create a clear, logical layout. This helps screen readers interpret content correctly.
- Color Contrast: Ensure sufficient contrast between text and background colors to make content readable for users with visual impairments.
- Resize Text: Allow users to resize text up to 200% without losing content or functionality.
- Text and Language: Use clear, simple language and provide definitions for jargon or abbreviations. Identify the language of the page and specific content where necessary.
- Accessible Forms: Label all form elements clearly and provide instructions or examples. Ensure forms can be navigated and submitted using a keyboard.
- Multimedia Alternatives: Provide captions for videos and transcripts for audio content to ensure accessibility for users with hearing impairments.
- Avoid Time Limits: If the website has time limits, offer a way to extend or disable them to accommodate users who need more time.
- Error Identification and Suggestions: Identify input errors in forms and provide suggestions for correcting them. Ensure error messages are easily understood.
These points encapsulate some of the most critical aspects of creating an accessible web experience. For more detailed guidance, referring to the full WCAG 2.1 documentation is recommended.
Innosoft also follows basic plain language principles to help make content clear and easily understandable:
- Use Clear and Concise Language:
- Avoid jargon, technical terms, and complex language.
- Use short sentences and familiar words.
- Be direct and to the point.
- Organize Information Logically:
- Structure content in a clear, logical order.
- Use headings, subheadings, bullet points, and numbered lists to break up text and make it easier to scan.
- Present the most important information first.
- Use Active Voice:
- Write in an active voice to make sentences clearer and more engaging.
- Specify who is doing what.
- For example, instead of “The report was written by the team,” use “The team wrote the report.”
By adhering to these principles for accessibility and plain language, Innosoft Designers, Developers, and Product Managers ensure that content is accessible and easily understood by the widest possible audience, increasing engagement organically.
