Ensuring Accessibility of Drupal-Based Websites

In today's world, the internet has become as essential as basic resources like water, air, or land. Access to information, communication, and online resources has become key to many aspects of our daily lives, from education to shopping and entertainment. Therefore, just like these basic resources, the internet should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their physical or mental abilities.

Unfortunately, even though technology has brought incredible opportunities, many people encounter obstacles when using the web. This often stems from misconceptions and unawareness about what online accessibility truly means. For many, the term "accessibility" is solely associated with people with disabilities, especially those with vision problems. However, the truth is that accessibility concerns all of us - it could be an elderly person with vision issues, someone with a temporary hand injury preventing mouse use, or even someone with difficulties in reading and processing information.

In this context, Drupal, as one of the leading tools for creating websites, plays a crucial role in ensuring that the internet becomes more accessible to everyone. In this article, we will look at how Drupal aids in achieving this goal and why online accessibility should be a priority for every web developer.

Why is online accessibility important?

The internet, as a global platform, has become an integral part of our daily lives. It provides us with knowledge, allows communication with people worldwide, enables shopping, education, and more. However, for these benefits to be accessible to everyone, websites must be designed and constructed considering user diversity.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is a set of guidelines developed to ensure that online content is accessible to the widest possible user group, including those with various forms of disabilities. These guidelines don't just concern the blind or deaf. They encompass a broad range of recommendations that help make online content more understandable and useful for everyone, including those with cognitive, motor, or neurological difficulties.

For instance, consider website contrast. For someone with perfect vision, a low-contrast site might be hard to read, especially in bright light. For someone with vision problems, it might be impossible. Similarly, older individuals might struggle with navigating sites that aren't intuitive or don't offer proper navigation tools.

Modern society is becoming increasingly diverse, and the number of disabled individuals is growing as the population ages. Therefore, online accessibility is no longer a "nice addition" but a necessity. Equal access to online resources is not only an ethical matter but also a legal one in many countries.

In this context, online accessibility is not only the responsibility of web developers but also of platforms and tools used to create these sites. And this is where Drupal's role in creating more accessible websites comes into play.

Drupal's Role in Online Accessibility

Drupal, as one of the leading tools for creating websites, plays a pivotal role in promoting and implementing online accessibility standards. Its flexibility and modular nature make it an ideal solution for web developers who want to create sites accessible to all users.

1. Adherence to WCAG and ATAG guidelines. Drupal is designed with accessibility in mind. It adheres to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG), meaning both the content and content creation tools cater to diverse user needs.
2. Drupal Accessibility Initiative. The Drupal community has long been engaged in enhancing accessibility. Starting with Drupal 7, the community made conscious efforts to make the platform more accessible, resulting in numerous improvements in subsequent versions.
3. Drupal Accessibility Team. Within the Drupal community operates an accessibility team focused on identifying and removing access barriers at both the code and user awareness levels. Thanks to their efforts, Drupal offers a range of features and modules that assist web developers in creating more accessible sites.
4. Support for semantic markup. Drupal promotes the use of semantic markup, crucial for accessibility. This allows those using assistive technologies, like screen readers, to better understand and navigate site content.
5. Accessibility-supporting modules. Drupal offers a range of modules specifically designed for accessibility. These modules assist web developers in meeting accessibility standards, offering features like automatic alternative texts for images, contrast control tools, and more.

In summary, not only does Drupal provide the necessary tools and features for creating accessible websites, but it also actively promotes the idea of accessibility within its community. This ensures that web developers using Drupal can be confident that their sites cater to the broadest possible user group.

Drupal Features and Modules Supporting Accessibility

Thanks to its modular structure, Drupal offers a wide range of tools and solutions that assist web developers in creating more accessible websites. Here are some key features and modules that Drupal provides in terms of accessibility:

• Semantics at the core. Drupal 8 is based on HTML5, bringing new and improved semantic elements. This allows web developers to better define the presented information, crucial for assistive technologies like screen readers. Semantically correct HTML allows browsers and assistive technologies to better understand the site's structure, facilitating navigation and accessibility.
• Aural Alerts. Drupal offers the "Drupal.announce()" function, allowing for auditory user notifications about site updates. This is especially useful for those using screen readers who might not notice visual changes on the site.
• Controlled Tab Order. For many users, especially those not using a mouse, keyboard navigation is essential. Drupal offers TabbingManager, allowing web developers to control the order in which site elements are accessible via the Tab key.
• Accessible Inline Form Errors. Providing appropriate user feedback is key for user experience. Drupal offers an accessible form error feature, indicating to users where they might have made a mistake when filling out a form.
• Fieldsets. In Drupal, fieldsets are used to group related form fields, aiding content organization and making forms more understandable for users.
• Accessibility-supporting modules:  
    - Automatic Alt text. Automatically generates alternative text for images.  
    - Block ARIA Landmark Roles. Adds ARIA roles to blocks, facilitating navigation.  
    - CKEditor Abbreviation. Assists in adding and editing text abbreviations.  
    - CKEditor Accessibility Checker. Checks the accessibility of content created in the CKEditor.  
    - High Contrast. Allows users to switch between standard and high-contrast themes.  
    - htmLawed. Filters and restricts HTML for safety and consistency.  
    - Style Switcher. Allows web developers to offer different style sheets.  
    - Text Resize. Allows users to quickly change the font size on the site.  
    - Accessibility Module. Assists web developers in monitoring and improving the accessibility of their sites.

Using these features and modules, web developers using Drupal can effectively and easily create sites accessible to a wide range of users, regardless of their abilities or needs.

Conclusion

In the digital age we live in, access to information and online resources has become key to many aspects of our lives. Therefore, online accessibility is no longer a luxury but a fundamental right for every user. As technology advances at a breakneck pace, we must ensure that no one is left behind due to access barriers.

Drupal, as one of the leading tools for creating websites, plays a pivotal role in ensuring that the internet becomes more accessible to everyone. With its features, modules, and active community, Drupal continues its mission of creating more accessible and inclusive websites.

However, the responsibility for online accessibility doesn't solely rest on tools like Drupal. Every web developer, designer, and developer has a duty to ensure that the content they create is accessible to everyone. It's not just an ethical matter but also a business one. Accessible websites achieve better results, have a broader reach, and build a positive brand image.

In conclusion, it's worth emphasizing that online accessibility isn't just about technically adjusting a site to standards. It's also a matter of culture and awareness. Therefore, it's essential to educate oneself, participate in accessibility-related communities, and strive for continuous improvement in this field.