When you’re linking to another website or creating a call to action, it is always a good idea to make the label for the link or button describe what will happen when a visitor clicks on it.
(more…)Tag: accessibility
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Identity-first language
Many websites advise people to use person-first language when referring to disabled people (e.g. “a person with a disability”). But many disabled people prefer identity-first language (e.g. “a disabled person”).
Carnelian Web Services follows the social model of disability, which points out that disability is imposed by social attitudes and the built environment. We use identity-first language where appropriate (see our Accessibility Policy). But we will always be guided by how people describe themselves.
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Why Font Choices Matter
The fonts you choose for your website are a key aspect of branding. The font styles you choose make your website distinctive, and subtly communicate your values. The Google Fonts directory even has keywords for the feelings and seasons evoked by a font.
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5 ways I can enhance your website
There are many things to consider when you’re building a website. As a small to medium-sized business with many claims on your time, do you have time to think about all of these? If you are building a website using an automated tool, it does not usually provide all these settings – you need to add them manually.
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Alternative Text for Images
One of the key components of accessibility is providing alt text for images, especially if the images contain text.
This is because, when people with visual impairments use your website, they rely on a screen-reader to read the text out to them. This only works with images if they are described using alternative text (usually referred to as “alt text”).
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Understanding Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)
Many people are now searching the web using AI. The measurement of how your website will be ranked in AI search results is called Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), or AI Engine Optimization (AEO).
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About that “free” website…
There’s no such thing as a free lunch… and there’s no such thing as a free website either.
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Does Your Website Reflect Your Values?
Your values are how you show up in the world as a human, so it would be strange if your website did not reflect your values.
Values are not the same as politics, although they do affect how you vote and what you campaign for.
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Disabled People in Business
Continuing the theme of Disability Pride Month, here is a list of businesses owned by disabled and neurodiverse people in Ontario. There were 2485 businesses owned by disabled people in Ontario in 2021, according to BDO Canada, but it is very hard to find them via a search engine. Feel free to add yours in the comments.
I use the term disabled people instead of “people with disabilities” because disabled people is derived from the social model of disability (developed by disabled people), which emphasizes that people are disabled by inaccessible environments, rather than the disability being inherent to them, which is implied by “people with disabilities”.
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Disability Pride Month
July is Disability Pride Month. This year’s theme is “We Belong and We’re Here to Stay”. This message highlights the way that disabled people are often overlooked when providing services, and there needs to be a cultural shift as well as changes in legislation.
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The Craft of Editing
Writing is a process of constant editing and revision. When the dreaded red or blue squiggle appears under the text you’ve just written, it can induce frantic back-tracking and even self-doubt. If you don’t know where to start, staring at a blank screen can be disheartening.
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Design and Development
What’s the difference between a designer and a developer? A lot of people assume that these terms are synonymous, but they are increasingly found on different teams in large organizations. There are other roles in the software development space that are also needed to ensure that the finished product is reliable and usable.
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Tools for Developers
These are some of the tools that I use all the time during development.
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