Web Accessibility: Opening Digital Doors to Everyone

In Quebec, more than one person in five lives with a form of disability. Behind this figure are thousands of Quebecers who, every day, encounter invisible obstacles when navigating the web.

These digital barriers prevent a significant portion of your audience from fully accessing the information, services, and opportunities you offer online, not to mention the temporary obstacles we all face at different times — limited connection, noisy environment, mobile use.

An accessible website is not a luxury or an option — it's a necessity. It reflects your commitment to inclusion, provides an undeniable competitive advantage, and is increasingly a legal obligation.

In this article, discover what web accessibility truly is, why it is crucial for your organization, and what concrete actions you can take today to open your digital content to everyone.

At its core, an accessible website simply achieves its fundamental goal: to communicate effectively with every person who wishes to connect.

Understanding accessibility without technical jargon

What is accessibility in the web world

Web accessibility is simply ensuring your site can be used by everyone, including people living with disabilities. Imagine your website as a building: just as you would install ramps and elevators to allow everyone to enter, your website needs adaptations to welcome every visitor.

These adaptations meet very real and varied needs. A visually impaired person uses a screen reader that converts text into sound to check the schedule of your events. A user with motor limitations navigates only with a keyboard to register for your organization's activities. A color-blind person needs sufficient contrast to distinguish action buttons on your corporate site.

And accessibility goes beyond permanent disability: who hasn't adjusted text size for comfortable reading? Used a site with one hand in public transport? Or tried to access content with a slow connection in a remote area?

The fundamental principles

Accessibility is based on four essential principles (the POUR model) that we can understand without technical terms: content must be perceivable by multiple senses, operable easily with different tools, understandable to everyone, and robust enough to operate on different devices.

Myths and realities about web accessibility

Legal aspects in Quebec and Canada

An evolving legal framework

Web accessibility is no longer just a good practice — it is gradually becoming a legal obligation in Canada and Quebec. Understanding this legal framework will help you anticipate future requirements and protect your organization.

The Canadian Accessibility Act

Adopted in 2019, the Accessible Canada Act (also known as the Act to Make Canada Barrier-Free) requires federally regulated organizations to identify, eliminate, and prevent accessibility barriers, including in their digital communications.

This law directly concerns:

• Federal departments and agencies;
• Banks;
• Air transport;
• Private organizations under federal jurisdiction.

For websites, the law generally requires compliance with WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) standards, recognized as the international digital accessibility standards.

In Quebec: current framework and developments

At the provincial level, the situation is also evolving:

• The Act to secure handicapped persons in the exercise of their rights with a view to achieving social, school and workplace integration requires Quebec ministries and public agencies to consider accessibility in their services, including digital services.
• The Standard sur l'accessibilité des sites Web (SGQRI 008) applies to Quebec government websites that must comply with level AA of the WCAG standards.
• The Policy L’accès aux documents et aux services offerts au public pour les personnes handicapées reinforces these obligations for public services.

Although these requirements primarily target the public sector, they influence expectations towards all organizations. Additionally, projects to extend these obligations to the private sector are regularly discussed.

Getting ahead

Rather than waiting to be constrained by law or to face user complaints, getting ahead in terms of accessibility presents several advantages:

• Prepare for legal requirements that will continue to evolve;
• Demonstrate commitment to an inclusive society;
• Reach a wider audience.

In a context where the legal framework continues to strengthen, investing in accessibility is not only ethical — it is also a wise strategic decision.

Concrete benefits of web accessibility for your organization

Investing in your website's accessibility is not just an issue of ethics or legal compliance. It is also a strategic decision that offers tangible benefits for your organization. Here's why web accessibility is a rewarding investment.

An expanded audience: leave no one behind

Approximately 21% of Quebec's population lives with a form of disability. By making your site accessible, you eliminate barriers that potentially prevent one in five people from engaging with your content, services, or products.

Concretely, this means:

• More visitors to your site;
• A more diverse user base;
• Reduced bounce rate;
• A potential increase in your conversions.

A better experience for all your users

The improvements implemented for people with disabilities benefit all your visitors:

• A clear and logical content structure helps everyone navigate;
• Improved contrasts make reading easier for all;
• Well-designed forms reduce errors for all users;
• Useful image descriptions help when the connection is too slow to display them;
• Convenient keyboard navigation is appreciated by advanced users (Power Users) who prefer keyboard shortcuts.

A Microsoft study reveals that the majority of users will encounter temporary or situational accessibility challenges during their lives. Accessibility is therefore not a niche market, but a universal need.

A significant boost to your SEO

Google and other search engines reward accessible sites, as their accessibility and good ranking criteria overlap significantly:

• Alternative texts for images are used by search engines to understand visual content;
• A clear heading structure helps algorithms grasp your content's organization;
• A keyboard-navigable site is generally better indexed by robots;
• Transcripts of audio or video content create more indexable content.

Result: an accessible site generally ranks higher in search results, increasing your visibility and organic traffic.

A reinforced brand image

In a world where corporate social responsibility increasingly influences purchasing decisions, accessibility becomes an asset for your image:

• Demonstrates your commitment to inclusion and equity;
• Shows your attention to detail and professionalism;
• Sets you apart from competitors who neglect this aspect;
• Strengthens users' trust in your organization.

Organizations like Bell, Hydro-Québec, or Radio-Canada have made accessibility a pillar of their online presence, thus reinforcing their reputation as inclusive and socially responsible organizations.

Simple steps to enhance your existing site's accessibility

Improving a website's accessibility may seem intimidating at first. Fortunately, several significant improvements can be implemented quickly, even on an existing site. Here are concrete actions you can take today.

Steps to implement immediately

1. Improve your content structure

• Use heading levels correctly (H1, H2, H3...) hierarchically, without skipping levels;
• Organize your content into short, well-defined paragraphs;
• Add lists to structure information when relevant.

2. Make your images accessible

• Add alternative text to all informative images (describe what the image communicates);
• Use empty alternative text for purely decorative images;
• Ensure important infographics are accompanied by textual explanations.

3. Ensure good contrast

• Check contrast between text and background (some free tools can do this for you);
• Avoid conveying information solely through color (add symbols or text);
• Test your site in black and white to see if everything remains understandable.

4. Make your forms usable for everyone

• Clearly associate each field with its label;
• Provide clear instructions for completing the form;
• Ensure error messages are clear and easy to understand.

5. Make your videos and audio content accessible

• Add subtitles to your videos;
• Provide transcripts for your podcasts and audio content;
• Avoid autoplay of media.

Inclusive and accessible writing

Accessible writing goes beyond technical aspects. Here are some principles to follow:

1. Simplify your language

• Use short and direct sentences;
• Prefer common words over technical jargon;
• Explain complex terms when unavoidable.

2. Structure your text for skim reading

• Use informative subheadings;
• Start with the most important information;
• Use bullet lists for enumerations.

3. Be inclusive in your word choice

• Use neutral and respectful language;
• Avoid expressions that may exclude certain groups;
• Vary your examples to represent different realities.

4. Facilitate understanding

• Include a glossary for technical terms;
• Use concrete examples to illustrate abstract concepts;
• Provide different formats for the same content when possible.

Practical checklist for your publication workflow

Percumedia has prepared this checklist to verify your content's accessibility.

Download the accessibility checklist in PDF format

Incorporating these checks into your publication process will gradually improve the accessibility of your entire site. Remember, it is better to progress step by step than to do nothing due to fear of not achieving perfection on the first try.

How Drupal facilitates accessibility

If you use Drupal for your website, you already have an advantage in terms of accessibility. This content management system (CMS) incorporates many features that make creating accessible sites easier. Discover how Drupal can be your ally for a more inclusive web.

Strong foundations for accessibility

Accessibility integrated from the start

Drupal has made accessibility a priority for several years. The Drupal community has adopted WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) standards as a reference, and each new CMS version enhances its accessibility features.

An administration interface itself accessible

The administration interface of Drupal is designed to be accessible, meaning that people with disabilities can not only view your site but also participate in its management and content creation.

Page structure optimized for accessibility

Drupal automatically organizes your page content in a logical and well-structured way. This organization is invisible to the human eye, but crucial for assistive technologies like screen readers. Thanks to this optimized structure, individuals using these technologies can easily navigate through your pages and understand their organization without any special intervention from you.

Smart image management

• Drupal requires alternative text when adding images;
• It allows distinguishing decorative images from informative images;
• Image captions are easily integrable;
• New artificial intelligence modules automatically generate relevant alternative text, greatly facilitating work for sites with many images.

Keyboard navigation

Drupal creates menus and forms navigable by keyboard, essential for people who cannot use a mouse.

Accessible forms

Forms generated by Drupal correctly associate labels with fields and include clear instructions and explicit error messages.

Complementary tools to enhance accessibility

In addition to basic features, Drupal offers several complementary modules that further improve your site's accessibility:

• Automatic content analysis that detects accessibility issues and suggests corrections;
• Compliance verification with WCAG standards with practical recommendations;
• Navigation improvements for screen reader users;
• Automatic generation of alternative text using artificial intelligence.

These tools easily integrate into your site and can be activated according to your specific needs, without requiring extensive technical knowledge.

Customization for specific needs

Drupal is highly customizable, allowing you to tailor your site to your audience's specific needs:

• Creation of high-contrast versions;
• Implementation of text resizing;
• Integration of accessible video players;
• Options to simplify the interface for certain users.

An engaged community

One of Drupal's greatest strengths in accessibility is its active community. The Drupal accessibility working group ensures that each new version enhances the experience of users with disabilities.

By choosing Drupal for your website, you have already taken an important step towards accessibility. By fully leveraging its integrated features and specialized modules, you can guarantee an inclusive and high-quality experience for all users.

Conclusion: Web accessibility, a reflection of your values

In the end, your website's accessibility is not just a technical issue — it is a direct reflection of the values driving your organization. An accessible site tangibly demonstrates your commitment to inclusion, equity, and respect for all your users.

Ready to take the first step toward a more accessible website? Contact us to discuss your needs and learn how we can help you create a truly inclusive digital experience.