About AccessScan
AccessScan is a user-friendly tool designed to help you quickly identify potential accessibility issues on your website. Our goal is to help you take the first step towards helping to create a more inclusive internet for all!
Why Focus on Accessibility?
Web accessibility means that websites, tools, and technologies are designed and developed so that people with disabilities can use them. More specifically, people can: perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the web, and contribute to the web. Accessibility also benefits people *without* disabilities, for example, older people with changing abilities due to aging.
How AccessScan Helps
By simply entering your site's URL, AccessScan performs an automated check against common accessibility guidelines (inspired by WCAG and my own experience as a legally blind developer). It will provide an initial overview of areas that might need attention. While automated tools are a great starting point, remember that comprehensive accessibility also requires manual testing and expert review.
The Importance of Alt Text
Alternative text (alt text) provides a textual alternative to non-text content in web pages, primarily for images. It's a critical feature for accessibility because:
- Screen readers read alt text to users who are visually impaired, allowing them to understand an image's content and purpose.
- If an image fails to load, the alt text is displayed in its place, providing context for everyone.
- Search engines use alt text to understand the content of images, which can improve SEO.
AccessScan will check your images for the presence and basic quality of alt text.