Joomla Accessibility Widget

Joomla is a widely recognized content management system (CMS) that empowers website developers with the flexibility to create diverse and dynamic websites. Its popularity stems from an extensive range of features and an active global community that consistently contributes to its evolution.

One of Joomla’s strengths is its commitment to web accessibility, which is made easy with an Accessibly plug in. You can sign up for a free, seven-day trial and increase ADA and WCAG compliance with Accessibly. See for yourself why Accessibly is trusted by over 4,000 active clients who take web accessibility very seriously. This focus not only enhances user experience but also aligns with modern web standards.

Why Choose Accessibly for Joomla Accessibility

In the realm of web accessibility, Joomla has expanded its capabilities by introducing accessibility widgets and add-ons. These tools are designed to address various user needs, enabling functions like monochrome visuals, language support, and UI adjustments.

Such features play a crucial role in making the web more inclusive, allowing individuals with disabilities to navigate and interact with Joomla-powered websites efficiently and effectively. The aim is to remove barriers that can prevent access to web content, ensuring that all users, regardless of their abilities, can enjoy a seamless online experience.

That’s not to say a Joomla website is totally compliant; you still need an accessibility plugin. With more than 4,000 active clients utilizing Accessibly widgets, the trend towards inclusive web design is clear, emphasizing the role such tools play in creating equitable digital landscapes. 

Accessibly makes it possible to increase compliance with ADA law and conform with WCAG 2.1 & 2.2 guidelines at every step of your web accessibility journey. Join the thousands who already trust Accessibly for their digital accessibility needs by beginning a free trial.

Understanding Accessible Websites

In the digital space, ensuring that everyone, regardless of ability, can interact with content is a cornerstone of inclusive web design. This requires accessibility plugins. Web accessibility achieves this, and Joomla websites can enhance their inclusivity through the integration of accessibility widgets.

Defining Web Accessibility

Web accessibility is about enabling people with disabilities to perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the Internet. It encompasses all disabilities that affect access to the web, including auditory, cognitive, neurological, physical, speech, and visual impairments. The goal is to create websites that are accessible to as wide a user base as possible, which includes designing features that support screen readers, alternative keyboard navigation, and ensuring appropriate color contrast.

Key Components of of Making a Site Accessible:

• Perceivable information and interface components
• Operable user interface and navigation
• Understandable information and operation of the user interface
• Robust content and reliable interpretation by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies

Common Accessibility Barriers

If you use Joomla, you should look into what must be done for improved accessibility. Common barriers on websites without accessibility settings prevent users with disabilities from having a fulfilling web experience and equal access to information. Identifying these barriers is the first step in creating a more accessible internet space.

Barriers May Include:

• Lack of keyboard navigation for those unable to use a mouse
• Absence of text alternatives for non-text content
• Missing captions for videos, crucial for those with hearing impairments
• Poor color contrast that makes text difficult to read for visually impaired users, including those with color blindness and low vision
• Lack of focus indicators making navigation confusing for those relying on keyboard-only navigation

You want to reach the widest possible audience. To overcome these accessibility barriers, Joomla website managers can incorporate third-party accessibility widgets like Accessibly. This is best practice to make sure your site is as close to ADA compliant as possible. Such widgets typically offer a variety of tools to address common issues:

• Text-to-Speech: to aid those with visual or reading impairments
• Keyboard Navigation: enabling users to navigate without a mouse
• Color Contrast Adjusters: to help those with visual impairments distinguish elements
• Links Highlighters: which indicate active elements on focus

Incorporating a tool like Accessibly effectively allows website owners to adhere to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and ensures that visitors with disabilities can have a barrier-free interaction with their Joomla-based website and every page within it.

Choosing Accessibly for Joomla

When selecting an accessibility widget for Joomla websites, it’s crucial to consider its capacity to enhance compliance and build client trust. Accessibly offers tools that address these key areas effectively.

Why Accessibly?

Accessibly is a widget designed to increase ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) compliance for Joomla websites. The widget enables site owners to make their content more perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust, which are the four main principles of WCAG. By integrating Accessibly, Joomla site administrators can effortlessly:

• Adjust text size and contrasts
• Enable keyboard navigation
• Provide content descriptions through an ALT text

These features not only bolster accessibility compliance but also cater to a broader audience, ensuring that everyone has equitable access to the website’s functionalities and content.

Client Trust and Compliance Improvements

Users understand when a company truly cares about them, and they appreciate it. The adoption of Accessibly demonstrates a commitment to accessibility and inclusivity, garnering trust from clients and users who value these principles. With Accessibly, Joomla sites can:

Trusted by over 4,000 active clients, Accessibly has established itself as not just a tool but a standard for webmasters who prioritize accessibility and legal compliance. Its user-friendly interface and comprehensive features enable website owners to exceed basic compliance levels and truly embrace web inclusivity, making it a smart choice for Joomla users who care about delivering an accessible online presence.

Accessibly’s Joomla Accessibility Features

The Accessibly widget for Joomla websites offers robust features to enhance website usability for individuals with disabilities. It is designed to be the #1 accessibility widget, aiming for high compliance levels to inclusivity standards.

Key Widget Features

Accessibly provides an array of features to improve the accessibility of Joomla sites. These include:

• Visual Adjustments: Users can change color contrasts, font sizes, and spacing to suit their visual needs. You can even make the cursor bigger. 
• Navigation Improvements: Keyboard navigation is enhanced and link highlighting is made possible, facilitating users who can’t use a mouse.
• Content Adjustments: Text can be made more readable through tools such as a content highlighter and a text magnifier.
• Language Support: The widget supports multiple languages, aiding comprehension for non-native speakers.

Achieving Different Compliance Levels

This lightweight plugin contributes to meeting different compliance levels. These various digital accessibility standards include:

• ADA Compliance: Ensures the site meets the Americans with Disabilities Act standards.
• WCAG Compliance: Helps websites adhere to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.
• Section 508 Compliance: Assists in aligning with the US federal requirements for digital accessibility.

By incorporating the Accessibly widget, Joomla website owners can substantially improve their site’s compliance with these fundamental accessibility guidelines.

Implementing the Accessibility Widget

Enhancing your Joomla website with an accessibility widget ensures inclusivity and compliance with web accessibility standards. These tools are specifically designed to assist users with disabilities, offering a range of customizable features to improve the user experience.

Installation Process

The installation of an accessibility widget on a Joomla site typically involves a straightforward procedure. Users should begin by selecting a reputable accessibility widget compatible with Joomla platforms. Upon acquiring the widget, they will:

1. Download the plugin or widget from an official or trusted source.
2. Log in to their Joomla administrator panel.
3. Navigate to the Extension Manager under the Extensions menu items.
4. Upload and install the downloaded widget package.
5. Activate the widget through the Plugin Manager, often found under Extensions.
6. Configure settings tailored to the website’s target users and legal requirements.

Our Functionalities

Accessibility widgets come with a suite of tools aimed at improving the accessibility and navigability of websites for all users, particularly those with disabilities. They provide:

• Text-to-Speech: Allow users to hear the content read aloud.
• Keyboard Navigation: Enable users to navigate the site using their keyboard.
• Contrast Adjustments: Offer options for changing text and background contrast.
• Font Adjustments: Users can alter the font size and style to suit their visual needs.

Our functionalities are built with the goal of making web content accessible without altering the core website design, ensuring an inclusive experience for each visitor.

Joomla Installation Instructions

1. Log in to Accessibly Account:
   • Visit https://dash.accessibly.app/ and sign in.

Copy the Accessibly script snippet displayed on the home screen. Example:
<script src=”https://dash.accessibly.app/widget/[Your-Unique-ID]/autoload.js”></script>

• Ensure to replace [Your-Unique-ID] with your actual unique ID.

2. Joomla Setup:
   • Log into your Joomla control panel.
   • Navigate to ‘Extensions’ and select ‘Templates’.
   • Select your default template and click on it.
   • Locate the ‘Custom Code’ tab or a similar section.
   • Paste the copied Accessibly script in the section designated for code insertion before the closing body tag (often labeled as ‘Before closing body’).
   • Save the changes to implement the widget on your Joomla site.