Throughout April, we’ve covered why home improvement firms can’t ignore ADA website compliance, where you can get information about what compliance actually means, and how you can determine whether your site is compliant.

Today, we’re going to leave you with three things you can do right now to help make your website more accessible.

1. Add Alt Attributes to Images and Navigations Elements

Creating alt text for non-text elements of your website makes it easier to convert the context of your site into audio to be read by screen readers.

Start by adding alt text to all your images. The text should be a brief description of the image. For example, if you have a gallery of window types, alt text for your images might be:

• Bay windows on two-story brick home
• Double-pane glass windows with red curtains in bedroom
• Man installing a circular window in an entryway

You should also create alt attributes for links and navigation elements. These text elements can provide short context or instruction, such as “link to a page about installing windows.”

2. Caption All Videos

Add captions to all videos on your site, YouTube channel, or social media profiles. Many platforms offer automatic captions, or you can install plugins to get this job done. Alternatively, you can pay someone to transcribe captions or a transcript of the video.

3. Add Explanations of Charts and Graphs in the Text

When you offer complex visual elements, ensure the important context is also included in text on the page or in a caption. For example, if you have an infographic on how to clean and care for miniblinds, write up text instructions and include them in the same blog post.

ADA website compliance is a complex subject but not one that home improvement companies can afford to ignore completely. Take some time this year to ensure your website follows the best practices set out in the WCAG (see the second post in this series for more information if you missed it).