Assistive technology is hardware or software that helps people with disabilities access, operate, or interact with digital content. Supporting it expands an audience, strengthens inclusion, may support legal compliance and search visibility, and improves a site’s public image. section 8.6.1
When choosing or refining a website theme, check for features that support different ways of browsing:
- Keyboard navigation that does not require a mouse. section 8.6.2
- Responsive layouts, readable color contrast, and text resizing for visitors with vision difficulties. section 8.6.2
- ARIA roles and clear tab captions for screen readers, custom controls, and magnifiers. section 8.6.2
- Captions or closed captions for embedded video and audio. section 8.6.2
- Alt text for images and skip links for repeated content such as banners, menus, or site titles. section 8.6.2
A skip link in practice
A hidden “Skip to Menu” or “Skip to Next Headline” link appears when a user begins tabbing. Keyboard-only visitors and screen-reader users can jump over repeated content instead of moving through every banner or menu. section 8.6.2
