Do you have an educational centre? Learn more about the advantages of web accessibility

The education sector is a field that is constantly developing and evolving. Among its novelties, the rise of the online format stands out, which has been successfully inserted in recent years, especially after 2020, when teachers and students had to adapt to this new modality. This can be contrasted with the data provided by Eurostat on the use of the Internet by users and in which the impact of digital channels in education can be observed.

In terms of taking online courses and using digital educational content, Spain ranks fifth in Europe, below Norway and the Nordic countries. In 2023, it reached its peak, representing 45.16% of those surveyed. This means that approximately 5 out of 10 Spaniards have opted for online education.

n addition, this study reflects a relevant fact about the audience that mainly consumes this type of training. Although all age ranges are represented, it is those individuals between 20 and 24 years old who represent the highest percentage, followed by those between 16 and 19.

But how can you provide a better service for these people? How can you organize your website to make it easier to navigate?

Read on!

Web accessibility: thinking of all audiences

If you have a website or blog, one of your main concerns will be to make it a space that facilitates navigation for users, regardless of their personal or technical capabilities or limitations.

This is known as web accessibility, a concept that is based on the following pillars:

• Perceptibility: all people must be able to recognize the information and components of the website interface

• Operability: it must be ensured that all components of the site work properly to avoid confusion and bad digital experiences.

• Understandability: both the operation and the user interface must be easily recognizable to all audiences.

• Robustness: contents must be robust enough to be interpreted and processed by any technology, system or device.

In addition, focusing on educational centres, digital accessibility has to focus on different aspects, among which are

• Human diversity: it must be guaranteed that all students and their guardians, in the case of minors, can correctly access educational content, taking into account aspects such as the degree or type of disability, or the understanding and command of the language.

• Technological diversity: each person can access information from different devices, so the educational centre must consider accessibility from different tools and browsers. In addition, other aspects such as Internet access capabilities must be taken into account.

• Environmental diversity: this point encompasses various aspects, such as possible noise, where noise is understood as anything that affects or prevents optimal visualization or hearing.

In terms of benefits, web accessibility can be the key to your school's success

1. Improve SEO positioning: search engines positively value practices related to web accessibility and the correct reading of pages. For that reason, actions such as the implementation of 'alt' tagging on images will bring your educational center to the first results.

2. Increase the audience: by establishing an inclusive design, your SME ensures equal access to resources for all people, so the ability to attract more audiences, or all audiences, is real and translates into business growth.

3. Optimize the user experience: an easily accessible and usable platform allows students to have a good experience within it, increasing the chances of recommendation to other students.

4. Socially responsible SME: by applying the principles of accessibility, it improves the image of educational centres and positions them as an SME with a positive social impact and a benchmark in the sector, which in turn implies an advantage over the competition.

mplement web accessibility in your educational center

When designing an accessible website, the World Wide Web Consortium has designed an implementation guide: WCAG 2.2. In addition to providing specific guidelines and directives, this roadmap is useful for evaluating the degree of accessibility of your school according to three levels (A, AA and AAA).

Approximately 5 out of 10 Spaniards have opted for online education.

If you are already determined to get the most out of your website and prepare it so that everyone can enjoy your content, here are the steps you should follow

1. Perform an accessibility audit: evaluate the current state of your website. For this, there are numerous tools and extensions, such aso WAVE o axe DevTools that identify the main errors and indicate possible solutions.

2. Develop an action guide: starting from the audit, start to fix the main errors and implement the necessary changes. Keep in mind that most of the errors will have to be repaired by technical profiles.

3. Generate accessible content: review the content created by faculty or other editors, such as teaching guides or notes. Remember that it must be intuitive and easily recognizable and manageable.

4. Test with real users: once you have set up your site correctly, do different tests with students in different situations. This way, you will receive real feedback and can continue to make improvements.

5. Maintain constant measurement: when launching the new web platform, you must observe how users flow within it and ensure that the measures implemented meet the needs of your audience.

Remember that achieving good web accessibility requires great dedication and effort from all areas of your educational institution. However, it is a commitment that can bring you multiple benefits in the medium and long term.

If you want to learn more tips about digitization and web positioning, visit our content section. We look forward to seeing you!