Website redesigns are frequently about adding exciting new visuals. But when Unitil, a provider of gas and electric service in the Northeastern United States, redesigned its website earlier this year, the utility was equally invested in adding accessibility features for the visually impaired.
Partnering with the Carroll Center for the Blind, a national leader in vision-related services for individuals who are blind or have low vision, the redesign included several features that enhance the user experience for those with sight limitations.
“It’s difficult for someone without these challenges to understand just how negatively they can impact their web experience,” said Unitil Media Relations Manager Alec O’Meara. “The improvements we’ve made are vital to our customers and other users of our website with visual disabilities.”
According to O’Meara, one of the developers from the Carroll Center is visually impaired, and he worked with his wife to review the site using multiple firsthand experiences.
The Carroll Center began evaluating the website for accessibility and usability issues in early 2019. Improvements have made the site both screen reader and keyboard navigation friendly. Specifically, keyboard users now enjoy enhanced tab functionality to navigate through the website from top to bottom. For those using screen readers, the site now has enhanced code to clearly define the structure of headings, links and body text. It also uses alternative text on images, giving users an accurate description of all visual elements.
“We hope the changes we’ve made will inspire other businesses to take a similar approach as they look to improve their sites,” O’Meara said. “We believe in continuous improvement, and we’re already looking at other ways to further increase accessibility.” —Eric Johnson