What does WAI mean in COMPUTING

Web accessibility is the practice of making websites, web applications, and other digital products available to all users, regardless of any physical impairment or disability. This includes people with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive disabilities. By following web accessibility guidelines and developing websites that are accessible to all users, you can ensure everyone has equal access to your online content.

Web accessibility is important because it ensures that everyone has access to the same information and resources regardless of any need for assistive technology or lack of ability to interact with a website through standard inputs such as a mouse and keyboard. By upholding web accessibility standards you create a more inclusive online environment by allowing users with disabilities use your product just like everyone else.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are part of a series of technical guidelines developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) concerning the technical aspects of building an inclusive web experience for disabled users. These guidelines provide criteria for developers when creating websites in order to make them more user-friendly for those living with disabilities.

By ensuring that web pages are designed according to accessibility standards, those with disabilities are able to access online information they may have otherwise been unable to access without the use of assistive technology or other adapted methods. This helps those with physical impairments or cognitive differences stay informed on matters related to their daily lives.

There are several steps you can take when designing an accessible website including following the WCAG 2.0 standard, providing text alternatives for media content such as images and videos, utilizing semantic HTML elements, using descriptive page titles and headings, creating flexible layouts which resize according to device size and so on. Additionally you can also test your website’s accessibility using automated tools such as WAVE from WebAim.

Semantic HTML is a type of coding language used in web development which involves assigning specific meanings (or semantics) to different elements within a document structure in order for search engines or screen readers etc., understand what each element means. For example headings are marked up as h1 tags instead of just styling text bold etc., so that meaning is clear even if style definitions were removed from the page.

WAVE from Web Aim (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool) is a free automated tool designed by experts which allows you scan pages on your website or App quickly for potential issue regarding overall accessibility according certain international standards such as WCAG 2.0 AA compliance.

Images should be labeled correctly using alternative text (alt-text), which should concisely give meaningful information about what’s contained within the image in terms of its context and purpose on the site itself i.e., alt-text describes what’s visible but cannot include personal opinion or unimportant details.

In addition to providing audio transcripts along side audio files such as podcasts etc., it’s good practice also provide video transcripts along side video content ,as this provides subtitles so those who cannot hear can still understand what’s being said in videos.