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Making Your Website More Accessible

Accessible websites can be used with screen readers and other assistive technologies. Below are aspects of your site that you can adjust to make it easier for visitors with disabilities to access your content. This information is available to help you get started, but shouldn't be construed or relied upon as legal advice. QiSites cannot provide advice on making your website compliant with specific accessibility laws, regulations, or standards. Accessibility requirements differ around the world, and you are responsible for ensuring compliance with applicable laws and accessibility requirements in your jurisdiction. If you need advice on compliance with a specific regulation, you may wish to consult an accessibility specialist.

Focus Outline

Websites built on the QiSites platform have a built-in focus outline feature that highlights items on a page, such as navigation links and form fields, with a black outline when a visitor presses the Tab key on their keyboard. This focus outline is standard across all websites and pages hosted on our platform, and cannot be disabled.

Skip Link

Websites built on the QiSites platform have a built-in skip link that allows the visitor to skip over the header and navigation menu that is repeated on each page. The skip link is activated when a visitor first presses the Tab key on their keyboard. This skip link is standard across all websites and pages hosted on our platform, and cannot be disabled.

Page Titles

Page titles are the first thing screen readers dictate when users arrive on a new web page, and are therefore important for orientating the visitor. You should ensure that every page has a title introducing the topic or purpose of the page and differentiating it from other pages on your website. You can also add a page description to provide more context. These fields are also important to your website’s search engine optimization. Learn how to edit Page Titles

Headings

Screen readers use the structure of HTML tags to understand the organization of content and allow the visitor to navigate quickly between sections. Use the heading dropdown in the text editor to add headings to your text. Always use headings to create the content structure, and use the H2-H5 headings in linear order. Don't rely on font size, bold, or italics to represent content structure.

Links

Screen readers allow users to skip directly to the links on a page. Therefore, links may be presented without the surrounding text. Try to ensure that the purpose of each link can be determined from the link text alone, without relying on the surrounding text. When an image is used as a link (i.e. a button), be sure to add ALT text that describes the purpose of clicking the button. Learn how to add Links

Images

Screen readers read the descriptive text (ALT text) of images to visitors. Images that convey meaning should have appropriate descriptions in the ALT text. When adding ALT text, consider what visitors with vision impairments need to know about the image to access all the information available to sighted visitors. Keep your ALT text brief, i.e. under 125 characters. When an image is used as a link (i.e. a button), be sure to add ALT text that describes the purpose of clicking the button. For images that require detailed descriptions, like complex info graphics, include a description of the image nearby in the text of your site rather than in the ALT text. Learn how to add ALT text

Colors

It is best to choose a high contrast theme, ideally one with a white background and dark text. Most of our themes are designed with high contrast, however some older themes that use colored backgrounds may not provide sufficient contrast for some visitors. Learn how to Change Themes

1st Generation Themes

Themes labeled as "1st Generation" may have color contrast issues or use older code that makes them less accessible. These themes are available to support existing customers, but may be phased out in future updates of our platform.

Downloadable Documents

Documents such as PDFs and Word docs may present accessibility challenges. Certain features, such as scanned elements that are embedded as images, may be inaccessible to people with disabilities. Designing downloadable documents in accessible ways requires special consideration to the needs of people with disabilities.

Audio & Video

Audiovisual content will always be hosted on a 3rd party platform, such as Youtube or Vimeo. Please review that platform's information on making your audio and video content accessible.

Third Party Widgets & Pop Ups

Third party tools, such as scheduling systems and email capture pop ups may present accessibility challenges. Please review accessibility information with your third party providers to ensure that third party widgets are accessible.

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