The importance of accessibility in healthcare web design

Healthcare services are increasingly delivered online. From booking appointments to accessing medical records and telehealth consultations, websites play a crucial role in connecting patients with care.

Yet, for millions of people living with disabilities, poorly designed websites create barriers that limit access to essential healthcare services.

Accessibility isn’t just a “nice to have”—it’s a necessity.

As per a statistical report,5.5 million Australians are suffering from some kind of disability. Thus, an accessible website ensures that all users, regardless of physical or cognitive abilities, can interact with digital content seamlessly. Furthermore, an accessible design improves SEO, enhances user experience, and opens doors to more inclusive healthcare delivery.

At Enterprise Monkey, we understand the transformative power of digital solutions!

Hence,in this blog, we’ll explore the importance of accessibility in healthcare web design, understand the guidelines, and figure out how partnering with a us as your professional web development agency can make all the difference in creating an inclusive, patient-centric website. Let's get started!

What is web accessibility?

Web accessibility or website accessibility is the practice of designing and developing websites, tools, and digital content to ensure that they are usable by people with a wide range of abilities and disabilities.

The goal of web accessibility is to remove barriers that might prevent people, especially those with disabilities, from accessing and interacting with online information and services.

Accessible websites accommodate users with various disabilities, including visual, auditory, cognitive, and motor impairments, allowing everyone equal access to the web's resources and functionalities.

Why accessibility in healthcare web design matters?

People with any kind of disability face problems in their everyday lives, and when it comes to an inaccessible website, the problem expands even more.

When a healthcare website is developed without keeping in mind the web accessibility standards and guidelines, the patients may get confused while navigating and stuck in a seemingly unresolved loop, which eventually leads them to leave the website in between.

Hence, accessibility in healthcare web design greatly matters because of the following reasons:

• Empowering Patients : Accessible healthcare websites empower all users, including those with disabilities, to manage their health independently. Whether it’s scheduling an appointment, reviewing test results, or seeking medical advice, accessibility ensures that every individual can fully engage with the care they need.
• Improving Patient Care and Access: Accessible web design enables all patients to access essential healthcare information, book appointments, request prescriptions, and access telehealth services. For many patients with disabilities, particularly in remote or regional areas of Australia, accessible websites can be a lifeline to essential health services.
• Building Trust and Transparency: A website that is easy to navigate and understand sends a clear message that a healthcare provider values all patients equally. This trust is crucial, particularly in healthcare, where people need to feel confident about the information they’re receiving and the services being offered.

• Legal Compliance and Avoiding Penalties: Australia is governed by strict anti-discrimination laws under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. Failing to meet web accessibility standards can lead to legal consequences. By investing in an accessible website, healthcare providers not only comply with Australian regulations but also demonstrate an ethical commitment to inclusivity.

   

Understanding web accessibility guidelines (WCAG 2.1) for healthcare sites

Adhering to theWeb Content Accessibility Guidelines is crucial for healthcare providers aiming to create inclusive websites. WCAG 2.1provides detailed criteria for making websites accessible, focusing on four key principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust (POUR). Here’s how they apply in healthcare:

• Perceivable: All information, from text to images and videos, should be presented in a way that users can perceive. This means incorporating alternative text for images, captions for videos, and ensuring that audio-visual elements do not interfere with screen readers.
• Operable: Users should be able to navigate the website without facing any challenges. This includes keyboard navigation, accommodating assistive devices, and ensuring elements like buttons are easily identifiable.
• Understandable: Healthcare websites must communicate clearly, particularly when explaining medical information. Design elements should be straightforward, avoiding complex terms and confusing layouts.
• Robust: Websites should be compatible with various browsers and devices, as well as assistive technologies, like screen readers, ensuring that users can access information regardless of the tools they use.

Implementing these guidelines makes a healthcare website accessible to a broader audience and ensures compliance with Australian standards, reducing potential accessibility gaps in patient care.

Key features of an accessible healthcare website

An accessible healthcare website requires to have the following essential features:

• Text Alternatives for Non-Text Content: Providing alternative text for images and videos is essential. For healthcare, this includes everything from medical illustrations to charts, ensuring all patients, including those with visual impairments, can understand the content.
• Keyboard Accessibility: Not all users can navigate using a mouse; some rely on keyboard functions. Healthcare websites should allow users to navigate the site using only a keyboard, supporting a range of assistive technologies.
• Clear and Consistent Navigation: Healthcare websites often contain a wealth of information, from doctor bios to patient resources. A clear and consistent menu structure simplifies navigation, reducing cognitive load for users and helping them find information quickly.
• Colour Contrast and Text Size: High contrast between text and background, along with scalable font sizes, improves readability for patients with visual impairments. In healthcare, clarity is especially important as it directly impacts comprehension of vital health information.
• Accessible Forms and Interactive Elements: Forms, such as those for appointment booking or feedback submission, should be accessible to everyone. This includes properly labelled fields, error messages that users can understand, and user-friendly buttons.

Case study: Accessibility-driven redesign of Healthdirect Australia’s website

To give a better insight into how an accessible healthcare website can benefit users and align with their needs, we have come up with this interesting case study of a healthcare website in Australia, Healthdirect.

[Source: Healthdirect] [Alt text: healthdrirect]

Healthdirect Australia, a government-funded service providing trusted health information and services, serves millions of Australians seeking reliable healthcare advice.

To meet the needs of all users better, including those with disabilities and older populations, Healthdirect embarked on redesigning the website to align with web accessibility standards.

Challenges

• Limited Accessibility Compliance: Healthdirect’s original website did not fully comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), limiting access for individuals with visual, auditory, and motor impairments.
• Complex Navigation: The site contained extensive information, but complex navigation made it difficult for users to locate specific resources, impacting overall user experience.
• Mobile Accessibility Issues: As more Australians access information via mobile devices, Healthdirect needed to ensure the site was fully functional and accessible on mobile platforms.

Solutions

• Adhering to WCAG 2.1 Standards: Healthdirect’s redesign team integrated features to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards, focusing on:
• Text alternatives: Alt text for images and captions for videos made visual content accessible to screen readers.
• Keyboard navigation: Full keyboard accessibility allowed users with motor disabilities to navigate without a mouse.
• Readable typography and colour contrast: Improved colour contrast and scalable font sizes ensured that visually impaired users could read content easily.
• Simplified, Intuitive Navigation: The team restructured the site’s information architecture, making it easier for users to find information on symptoms, treatments, and health services. The simplified navigation reduced the cognitive load for users, providing a clear and efficient browsing experience.
• Responsive Mobile Design: Healthdirect implemented a fully responsive design, optimized for mobile access. This ensured that users could access the site seamlessly on various devices, particularly smartphones, which are essential for users in remote areas.
• User-Centered Design Testing: Healthdirect conducted usability testing with people with disabilities to identify specific accessibility gaps and make adjustments before the site’s official launch.

The website as a result started witnessing increased user engagement, expanded reach in diverse communities, improved SEO rankings, enhanced reputation and user satisfaction.

Thus, by aligning with accessibility standards, Healthdirect not only fulfilled legal and ethical responsibilities but also improved its relationship with the users, expanded its audience, and strengthened its reputation as a healthcare leader in Australia.

Benefits of an accessible healthcare website for SEO and user experience

Investing in an accessible web design doesn’t just benefit users with disabilities; it also improves overall user experience and search engine optimization. Let us see the numerous benefits of creating an accessible website for your healthcare business:

Enhanced SEO: Google and other search engines prioritise websites that follow accessibility best practices. Features such as descriptive alt text, simple navigation, and mobile responsiveness improve the site’s SEO ranking, making it easier for new patients to discover healthcare providers online.

Faster Loading Times: Accessible web designs often emphasizes simplicity and user-friendly layouts, which can lead to quicker loading times—a critical factor in SEO. Healthcare websites with optimized loading times rank higher, leading to more visibility and patient engagement.

Improved Patient Satisfaction: When patients can easily find information and navigate through a website, their satisfaction increases, encouraging repeat visits and fostering trust in the healthcare provider. For example, ensuring that appointment booking processes are simple and accessible leads to a higher rate of conversions and satisfied patients.

Why choosing a professional web designing company can make a difference to your healthcare website?

Creating an accessible website requires expertise professional web designing experience in both web development and healthcare standards.

Enterprise Monkey, a trusted web development partner in Australia, specialises in healthcare websites that meet accessibility standards while delivering exceptional user experience. So what you can expect when partnering with us?

Custom, Compliance-Driven Design: We understand the importance of adhering to WCAG guidelines and Australian regulatory standards. Our team is well-versed in compliance measures, ensuring that every design choice aligns with accessibility standards for a robust, compliant website.

Seamless Patient Experience: Our design process prioritises user experience, making it easy for patients to find information, contact healthcare providers, and engage with services online. From user-friendly navigation to fast load times, our designs create seamless interactions that keep patients satisfied and informed.

Expertise in Healthcare Web Solutions: Enterprise Monkey has a wealth of experience in developing websites for the healthcare industry. We know the specific needs of Australian healthcare providers and can craft a website that addresses these with empathy, professionalism, and inclusivity.

Continuous Support and Upgrades: Accessibility is an ongoing commitment. Our partnership doesn’t end at launch—we offer continuous support and updates to ensure your site meets evolving standards and patient needs.

Conclusion: Accessible healthcare websites for a better, more inclusive Australia

An accessible website is more than just a digital platform; it’s a critical component of patient care. By prioritising accessibility, healthcare providers can ensure that every patient, regardless of their abilities, has equal access to vital health information and services.

Choosing the right web development agency for this important project is essential. Enterprise Monkey is dedicated to helping healthcare providers deliver exceptional digital experiences that meet accessibility standards, foster trust, and enhance patient satisfaction.

Together,let's build a healthcare website that’s inclusive, compliant, and tailored to the needs of every user!