Accessibility¶
Accessibility means building websites that everyone can use -- including people who navigate with a keyboard, use a screen reader, have low vision, or experience other disabilities.
This is not optional polish. Accessible sites reach more people, comply with legal requirements in many countries, and rank better in search engines. The techniques are straightforward: semantic HTML, sufficient color contrast, descriptive text, and keyboard support.
Two guiding principles:
- Use the platform. HTML already has built-in accessibility. Semantic tags, form labels, alt text, and heading hierarchy do most of the work. Silex gives you direct access to all of these.
- Test with real tools. Automated checkers catch many issues, but keyboard testing and screen reader testing catch the rest.
WCAG: the standard¶
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the international standard for web accessibility. WCAG organizes requirements around four principles, known as POUR:
| Principle | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Perceivable | Content must be presentable in ways all users can perceive | Alt text on images, sufficient color contrast, captions on video |
| Operable | Interface must be usable with keyboard, mouse, touch, and assistive tech | Keyboard navigation, no time limits, no seizure-inducing content |
| Understandable | Content and interface must be clear | Readable text, predictable navigation, clear error messages |
| Robust | Content must work across browsers and assistive technologies | Valid HTML, semantic structure, ARIA used correctly |
WCAG defines three conformance levels:
- Level A -- minimum baseline. Without this, some users cannot access content at all.
- Level AA -- the standard target. Most legal requirements and best practices aim for AA.
- Level AAA -- highest level. Not required for most sites, but worth pursuing where practical.
Aim for Level AA. It covers the issues that affect the most people.
What Silex handles automatically¶
Silex and its publishing pipeline produce clean HTML. Some accessibility features come built-in:
- Semantic tag selector -- change any element to
header,nav,main,section,article,aside,footervia the Tag Name dropdown. See Page structure. - Language attribute -- set in Site settings, outputs as
<html lang="...">. - Form labels -- the
LABELtag andforattribute are available in the Tag Name selector. See Forms. - Alt text -- the
altfield appears in Element settings for every image. See Images & media.
What you need to do¶
Silex provides the tools, but accessibility decisions are yours:
- Write good alt text for every image. See Accessible images and media.
- Ensure sufficient color contrast. See Text, contrast, and readability.
- Structure headings logically (h1 > h2 > h3, no skipped levels). See Page structure.
- Make everything keyboard-operable. See Keyboard navigation and focus.
- Label form fields properly. See Accessible forms.
- Add ARIA attributes when native HTML is not enough. See ARIA attributes and roles.
- Test before publishing. See Testing accessibility.
Who benefits¶
Accessibility is not just about permanent disabilities. It helps people in many situations:
| Situation | Example |
|---|---|
| Permanent disability | Blind user with a screen reader, deaf user needing captions |
| Temporary disability | Broken arm, eye surgery recovery |
| Situational limitation | Bright sunlight on a phone screen, noisy environment, slow connection |
| Aging | Declining vision, reduced motor control |
| Technical constraints | Old browser, slow device, keyboard-only navigation |
Designing for accessibility means designing for real life.
Learn more¶
- MDN: Accessibility -- comprehensive overview
- WCAG 2.1 at a glance -- quick summary of the standard
- WebAIM: Introduction to Web Accessibility -- beginner-friendly guide
- Page structure -- semantic HTML in Silex
- Accessibility enhancements -- vote on the roadmap
Quiz¶
Q1: Which WCAG conformance level should most websites target?
- A) Level A
- B) Level AA
- C) Level AAA
Answer
B) Level AA -- it covers the most impactful requirements and is the target of most legal standards worldwide.
Q2: A user with a broken arm navigates your site with only a keyboard. Which WCAG principle applies?
- A) Perceivable
- B) Operable
- C) Understandable
Answer
B) Operable -- the interface must be usable with a keyboard alone, without requiring a mouse.
Q3: Silex automatically generates the lang attribute on the published page. Where do you set the language?
- A) In the Style Manager
- B) In Site settings
- C) In the Layers panel
Answer
B) In Site settings -- the language field sets the <html lang="..."> attribute in the published HTML.