#and also unreadable and hurt bad because the background was a gif

[phantasyreign]

Understanding Web Accessibility Design + Tips on Improving Accessibility

A few days ago, I came across a video by Kevin Powell where he interviewed Ashlee Boyer about web accessibility. I was intrigued with the video and thought that I might as well share it with everyone. Do watch the video in case if you prefer to watching the video instead of reading this article.

I really recommend you to read this if you would like to understand more about web accessibility! I’ll share with you 4 tips on what are the things that you should be considering when it comes to web accessibility! This is also a reminder to myself for my future theme designs to always consider accessibility when it comes to designing a theme :)

Warning: Some visual aids may cause headache due to the awful color selections. Proceed with caution.

01. Understanding the Users.

If we want to talk about accessibility, we first need to understand the users. If we try to create themes that is so-called ‘accessible’ without knowing the end-users, then it is is like creating commercial products without knowing the customers. It will cause us to cast our net wide but unable to catch many fishes as the holes are just big.

So who are the users? While the list may not be exhaustive, here the list of the potential people who may be facing disability, falling under the scope of ‘users with disabilities’:

Color blind;

Actual blindness;

Low vision/photophobia;

Migraine;

ADHD

Seizure.

When creating a theme, it is pertinent to always consider that there are users who will be viewing your blog or potentially using the theme. Hence, it is advisable to consider implementing theme designs that will ease these users. I personally think that while not all aesthetic designs are accessible, but all themes with accessibility are aesthetic (of course, it depends on the users preferences).

02. Color Contrast

Color contrast plays a huge role in theme designing. We need to always ensure that the color of the theme does not pain other people’s eye by giving unnecessarily pastel colors combination like this:

or even striking color combination as this:

(RIP eyes)

From these two prime examples, we can see just how important color contrast is. Poor color selections would lead to unreadability and may cause your eyes to strain. This may cause the users to quickly exit your blog (which kinda sucks because your content is 100 times better than the color selection 😐). We want people to view our blog safely, without straining anyone’s eyes. Therefore, all the more it is important for us to ensure that we select correct color combination and contrast.

This aspect is very important for those with low vision or photophobia/light sensitivity because it will hurt their eyes more. Here is a color chart where you can have more idea about suitable color contrast:

(source: visualdisplaylearninglog)

Please take note that the chart is not exhaustive. You can experiment it yourself to find the perfect balance between a good color contrast and maintaining the aesthetic. Here’s an example of the better version of pastel color contrast:

(color:#ffffc7; background-color:royalblue;)

TIPS: If you’re unsure if the color contrast is good or bad, try to ask other opinions about it? If majority replied that the color contrast that you’ve picked is eye straining, then it is one.

03. Having Text over Image

Sometimes, we want to spice our designs by adding text over the image. By image, it can be either the background or even the image. However, we need to ensure that the text and image compliment each others. Example of having a weird combination would be like this:

TIPS: Add an overlay between text and background. This will make your text to be more visible. Here is a very basic 

(color:yellow; background-color:  #264d00;)

The idea of creating an overlay is to increase readability of a theme. Hence, there’s no need for the users to zoom the website just to read the text!

04: Font-size

This is the most glaring issue when it comes to accessibility. It is important to note that irrespective if the theme is pleasing to the eyes or not, however, if the blog is unreadable, then users will not be interested in browsing the blog.

We need to start normalizing 16px/1rem as the default font size for the blog’s body. This is because 16px/1rem is a font size which is easier to read as to compare with other sizes. Take this as an example:

In my opinion, I think anything below 12px would be unreadable. From my experience, whenever I visit blogs with small font size, I often zoom in the blog so that I can read their content instead of looking at the theme. However, there will be users who will exit the blog just because the theme is unreadable.

TIPS:

Make sure the font-size, by default, would be 16px/1rem.

Line-height also plays a vital role when it comes to readability. Ideally, a good line-height would be somewhere from 1.5-2.0. 

Make sure that your font-family is something that is easier to read and pleasing to your eyes (and the users’ eyes). I recommend if you use sans-serif instead as your default font. If you think that sans-serif is plain, try consider the fact that popular websites like YouTube, Amazon, Facebook, Tumblr, etc only use sans serif as their default family-font. This proves that sans-serif have a slight advantage in readability, comparing with other typefaces.

Make sure that every paragraph has gap between each of them as per below:

(source:lilianna11y)

How to do it in case if your theme does not have it?

Inside your code, search for p{.

Then, add margin-top:1rem; inside it.

Click [Update Preview] and [Save].

Done.

04. Alt Text

Alt text is important because it serves purpose for those who are blind to gain information from the image. Let’s normalize alt text when it comes to creating themes. There are users who care about the wellbeing of the blind people in gaining knowledge/entertainment. It would be useless for the users to add a lot of text alt if, from the first place, we do not add alt=“” inside the <img> tag.

Resources

Accessibility: Image Alt text best practices

text alternatives are about the purpose of the image, not about every little detail

Both resources are easy to understand and digest. I recommend if you  read both of these articles.

[heliads]

The Watching Hawk Chapter 1: Case File

Bucky Barnes is constantly haunted by his past, but the memories of his days as a Winter Soldier will come into a new light in the form of the Watching Hawk, his old HYDRA partner. Will he be able to trust her, and will she be able to move on from his mistakes?

series masterlist / next

The hum of the air conditioning is a distant sound as Bucky Barnes stares down at the closed case file in front of him. “You know, you don’t have to take this one on.” His best friend of several decades, Steve Rogers, leans against a wall in front of him. His voice is drenched in concern, like Bucky is a delicate man who could be set off by anything. “I know your relations with HYDRA,” Steve continues, “And if you think this will be a bad idea, it’s fine to stand down.” Bucky looks up at Steve again, then at Natasha and Sam, standing next to him. “I’ll be fine.”

Steve looks at him one more time, a searching look. Some days Bucky swears the Super Soldier Serum that made Steve Captain America must also have given him the ability to read minds. It wouldn’t surprise him if Steve’s been peering inside his head every time he sees Bucky. Steve nods slowly and continues on. “Alright. We don’t have a lot of information on the target, so we wanted to see if you knew anything. You know, from your days as a Winter Soldier.”

That piques Bucky’s curiosity, and so he finally flips open the manilla file folder in front of him. The only thing in the folder is a single, blurry image, but the sight of a woman framed by great arched metal wings in the photo is enough to elicit a sharp gasp from him. “I’m in. I’ll take the mission.”

Instantly, Steve leans forward. “You know her?” Bucky’s laugh is as harsh as a winter night. “Know her? I’m the reason HYDRA has her in the first place.” Bucky clears his throat, as snippets of memories long gone flash by him. He doesn’t remember much about what happened while he was under HYDRA’s influence- the mind control and rigorous programming was enough to erase anything and everything from him. Over the months after Bucky left, bits and pieces have started coming back to him, including the identity of this young woman.

“It was a warm summer afternoon. She was just coming home from work. She didn’t have the metal wings by then, they were still the natural feathers. She kept them hidden under her jacket so no one could tell she was an inhuman. She said hello to a neighbourhood kid, smiled at a passerby on a bike while she was getting the mail, and went into her house. When she saw the HYDRA agents waiting for her in the living room, she was able to defend herself using her wings and her fighting abilities. She took out all the soldiers, so they sent in me.”

Bucky pauses then, as he waits for the pieces of the memory to fall back into place. He hasn’t thought about that day in a long time, and he’s not sure if he really wants to. “She was strong, even without the wings, but in the end, I was able to knock her unconscious and take her in. They made her a Winter Soldier. We were often stationed together on operations.”

Natasha looks at him, her face unreadable as always. If he was supposed to be the ultimate soldier, Bucky supposes she would be the ultimate spy. Even after years of training, he can barely get anything out of her.

“When was the last time you had contact with this woman? Is there anything else you can tell us- a name, a weakness?” Bucky frowns up at the sound of Natasha’s voice. “I haven’t seen her since I was still with HYDRA.” He’s not entirely sure when that was- times and dates all melt together into a pool of distant memories when he was under mind control. “What exactly is this mission, and why does it involve her?”

Steve taps at a screen in front of him. It changes to display an image of a well-dressed politician, making his way up marble steps in Capitol Hill. “This is Dominic Cole. He’s a pretty solid politician, as far as politicians go. Unfortunately, he’s got the interest of HYDRA, because he’s about to present a new policy in a week that will allow the government to look into shady business dealings that could expose HYDRA operatives. There’s a pretty good chance it’ll get approved once he presents it, so HYDRA’s sending in a team to take him out. I think this woman, whoever she is, will be on that team.”

Bucky nods slowly. “The Watching Hawk.” Sam looks at him through furrowed brows. “What does that mean?” Bucky places his hands flat on the table in front of him, the photo still staring at him from in between his palms. “That was her codename. The Watching Hawk.”

Bucky tilts his head to the side as he studies the woman in the photograph. He’s not sure how long it’s been since he last saw her- could be months, could be decades. He has no way of knowing, but she still looks the exact same.

 “We were usually partners. They would send in both of us on the more dangerous field ops, the ones where there was basically a guarantee that no normal soldier would come back alive. She was different from me, though- I was under full mind control, and my memory was wiped periodically. They were worried that another brainwashed soldier could join up with the first and revolt against them, so they gave the Hawk her memory. She had free will, and could do whatever she wanted and say as she pleased, as long as it met with the HYDRA expectations. I think there were still some residual mind blocks, guaranteeing she couldn’t leave the premises unless ordered to, and she couldn’t hurt any of the HYDRA soldiers, but she could still think and do whatever she wanted. You’ll have to take that into account when you find her. Other than that, there’s nothing I can remember that you wouldn’t already know from when you tracked me down.”

Steve lets this information sink in, then looks back down at the photo from the case file. “Well, we won’t be able to have one great ‘Remember who you are’ moment like last time, but we should be able to take her down. Natasha, Sam, and I have experience with finding Winter Soldiers, and you know how they think. I think we’ve got as many cards to play as we can.”

Sam interjects. “Also, I’ve got wings too.” At Bucky’s raised eyebrows, he spreads his hands wide. “Look, if she can fly, it’s probably a good idea to have someone on your team who can fly after them, right? I feel like none of you really took that into account.” Steve does his best to smother a smile. “He’s right. We’ve all got our parts to play.” With that, he goes over the plan in more detail, leaving Bucky to question whether or not this will actually work.

Before he knows it, Bucky is watching a digital readout in a surveillance van parked near the Capitol. Dominic Cole, the man they’re supposed to be protecting, is making his way to work. The team decided to let Cole walk to work, seemingly without a guard, in the hopes of drawing out an attack. Steve’s got a theory that if HYDRA’s plan to take out Cole comes to light, they’ll call it off, but Bucky’s not sure if that will work or not. Regardless, here comes Cole, and just like clockwork, here comes a black van barrelling towards him. 

When soldiers dressed in black start racing towards Cole, Natasha springs out of hiding and starts to take them down. Bucky, Sam, and Steve join her, making sure Cole gets to safety before focusing their attention back on the HYDRA soldiers. They’re actually doing a pretty good job of causing a commotion and keeping them at bay, so Bucky supposes he’s not surprised when he sees a winged silhouette walking towards them from the smoky background of the city.

Bucky ducks around the black van, firing at the soldiers as he goes, making sure he’s headed towards the figure. He’s about a few yards away when she finally sees him, and her silvery wings arch up around her. “Well, if it isn’t Sergeant Barnes. I see you have your memory back.” A gun is in her hands before he can even blink, and it’s all Bucky can do to throw himself behind a nearby car to avoid the gunshots. “Less than you’d think.” He comes back from around the car, grabbing a long knife from his side and plunging it towards her unprotected arm as fast as he can. She blocks it, of course, and the two former allies find themselves locked in hand-to-hand combat.

“You can come with me, you know. Leave all of this behind.” The Hawk laughs, loud and incredulously. There’s a note of manic rage that Bucky swears wasn’t there before. “Now that you finally have your tongue, you use it to joke with me? We both know there’s no chance of that.” The fighting halts for a second, both opponents circling each other warily. “We used to talk about leaving, didn’t we? I may not remember much, but I do know that.” The Hawk charges him once more. “You’re so bold now that you’re out of their reach. Do you really think there’s any possibility that I’d go with you?” 

One of the HYDRA soldiers has a pouch full of small explosives, and they’re hurling them at the two fighters. Bucky is forced to duck for cover while still fending off the Hawk’s attacks. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. All I know is that you once fought by my side, and once dreamed of a world where we could live without HYDRA.” The Hawk scoffs. “They were only dreams, Barnes. You know what you did.”

One explosive lands right by their feet, and the resulting explosion launches them both a few feet back. Bucky scrambles to his feet, noticing that the Hawk is holding her fingers to a scratch running across her arm. Her face is streaked with soot, as he imagines his face is as well. At seeing her like this, dirty and slightly vulnerable, Bucky is thrown back into memories long gone.

“Y/N.” The name rises to his lips, bidden by a time circled by darkness. He had called her that, once, when they were both captive by HYDRA. When she had trusted him, as much as you could trust anyone. When they had fought side by side, and sat even closer on the flights back from the operations to the HYDRA base.

For a second, Bucky swears he saw a glimmer of emotion flash across Y/N’s eyes, as if she too sees what he sees- two soldiers who swore to protect each other from everything, even when they had no more control over what happened to them than an infant.

But just like that, it’s gone, and a snarl of anger rips its way onto Y/N’s face instead.

“I will never forgive you for what you did.”

Before he knows it, the Hawk is gone, leaving Bucky behind in a haze of smoke and shouts of fighting soldiers.

He remembers her name, and he remembers her touch, but the only thing Bucky cannot remember is what he did to cause her such pain.