Winnipeg
Website Accessibility Services
Our team at Vincent Design is experienced in creating appealing, fully functional websites that meet the latest Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Talk to us about how we can make your website accessible and WCAG compliant.
What is Website Accessibility?
Accessibility involves addressing a wide range of permanent and temporary disabilities — including visual, auditory, physical, neurological disabilities and others.
However, website accessibility refers to when websites and web tools are designed in such a way that people with disabilities, changing capabilities, or restrictions, like slower network connectivity, loud work environments, or mobile device users, can use them like anyone else.
Designing your organization’s website with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) in mind will make your website more usable for everyone.
P.O.U.R.
WCAG is based on four principles known as POUR: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust.
Principle 1. Perceivable
The information and content on your website must be presented in a way that makes it easy for users to see and understand.
Principle 2. Operable
People have to be able to engage with your website without any restrictions — it can’t require any interaction that a user might not be able to perform.
Principle 3. Understandable
The information on your website must be easy to understand and users must be able to understand how to use and navigate the website.
Principle 4. Robust
Your website must be robust enough that it can be used by a variety of technologies, whether that’s different browsers or assistive technology. Your website must also remain accessible for users to use as technologies and assistive technologies evolve.
What is WCAG?
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, also known as WCAG, were created by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the main international standards organization for the World Wide Web, to set internationally recognized web content standards that provide “a single shared standard for web content accessibility that meets the needs of individuals, organizations, and governments internationally.”
The latest guideline update, WCAG 2.2, is expected for publication by September 2022.
It lists accessibility requirements for websites that will provide greater accessibility to a wider range of people with disabilities, enhancing the visitors’ experience across a range of devices other than desktops — like laptops, tablets and mobile devices.
As a business owner or person in charge of an organization’s online presence, you know that a website is a critical component to meeting your goals.
A website allows visitors, current and potential customers, to learn about your organization and what it offers, so it should be informative, appealing, and accessible to every visitor — which means its content currently meets or exceeds the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
At Vincent Design, our web development team is made up of experts in website accessibility design who are ready to provide you with a website for your business or organization in compliance with WCAG.
Why Should Your Website Be Accessible?
Depending on your business or organization, you could be required by law to ensure your website and web application tools are WCAG compliant, especially if it falls under the umbrella of government.
However, organizations not required to comply with WCAG may choose to do so to lessen the risk of being sued by someone who uses their website.
By ensuring that websites are accessible, and adhering to the latest WCAG standards, business and organization leaders reduce the risk of legal costs, including potential fines up to $250,000.
Whether it’s required for your organization’s website to meet the requirements depends on various factors:
- Size of your business/number of employees
- Where your business is established
- Country-wide or provincial-wide organization
- Public or private business
Seamless User-experience For All
Why is web accessibility important?
As a business owner or as an individual responsible for the website presence of your organization it is important to meet the web content accessibility requirements. In doing so, you reduce the risk of legal costs associated with non-compliance in website accessibility regulations.
How will making my website WCAG compliant improve my website presence?
It’s simple, having your website be WCAG compliant improves accessibility, and user-experience for all individuals. It will improve useability for those who have a disability, but also general users as well.
What is the end-goal?
To provide a website that is accessible, and easy to use for anyone no matter how they access the website of your organization.
Our 3-Step Process:
Web Accessibility Testing, Remediation, and Maintenance.
We work with clients to provide them with a website that meets the accessibility standards according to regulations in their area — whether it’s by creating a new website or assessing and upgrading a current site using our three-step process: accessibility testing, remediation, maintenance.
- Accessibility Testing
We’ll use our suite of web accessibility tools to conduct a thorough accessibility audit. From this, we will be able to determine whether your website needs a few adjustments or a complete redesign to ensure it meets the appropriate accessibility requirements in your area.
- Accessibility Remediation
The second step of our process is remediation. We’ll create a plan outlining what changes need to be made to get your website WCAG-compliant, and how to make those changes.
- Accessibility Maintenance
The last step of our process is maintenance. We’ll continue to work with you, as partners to ensure your organization is in total compliance with the latest accessibility standards for websites.
Learn more about the latest accessibility requirements in our blog post.
Working With Vincent Design
Vincent Design is a web accessibility company in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with years of experience creating and updating client websites to bring them up to accessibility standards.
When you work with us, you work with a partner prepared with the knowledge, professional experience, and ability to perform quality web accessibility services, and feel confident that your organization’s website will meet all of WCAG’s accessibility requirements.
Get in Touch
Talk to us today for a quote or to ask us questions about our approach to web accessibility. We’d love to get to know you and discuss the importance of honest, effective marketing in your business strategy.
Our Team
The Support Team
First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples each have their own unique histories and perspectives. Listening to community members and understanding these perspectives is a critical part of the work we do in collaboration with our clients and a responsibility we adhere to closely in the pursuit of reconciliation.
Our support team is a growing community of educators, elders and knowledge keepers that are actively involved in the services we provide for Indigenous organizations, programs and initiatives. We take counsel in their advice and feelings towards our design work and how it relates to Indigenous issues and topics.
FEATURED WORK
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
We worked closely with NCTR to develop and design a website that had seamless integration for survivors, Indigenous and non-Indigenous allies to access sacred records in support of decolonizing the archives.
- Indigenous Consultation
- Print and Print Production
- Interactive Design
- Indigenous Logo Design
