Accessibility and the Internet
Posted: Sun Feb 09, 2025 8:32 am
Animated image of accessibility settings on a computer
Visually impaired internet users can use screen readers , such as VoiceOver or Jaws , to navigate and use the web. Screen readers, much like search engine crawlers, rely on code to determine the structure and context of what they are crawling. There is little overlap between what search crawlers find and interpret and what screen readers do, but the concept is the same: Where are the elements of this page, and how do I understand them?
Overlap and conflict between SEO and A11Y
While it's important to understand where search engine optimization SEO and accessibility a11y overlap in order to properly optimize for both, it's also important to note that optimizing for one is not necessarily similar to optimizing for the other. In other words, if you optimize a page for search engines, it doesn't mean you'll necessarily make it accessible -- and vice versa.
Recently, web accessibility expert Carl Groves wrote a post called turkey mobile database Accessibility and SEO Myths . Mr. Groves knows the world of accessibility inside and out, and he knows that optimizing for accessibility goes far beyond optimizing for the visually impaired and is, in general, very different from optimizing for search engines strictly speaking, from a technical perspective. He’s right—while there is overlap between SEO and a11y, a11y is completely different. But if you understand the overlap, you can successfully optimize for both.
Visually impaired internet users can use screen readers , such as VoiceOver or Jaws , to navigate and use the web. Screen readers, much like search engine crawlers, rely on code to determine the structure and context of what they are crawling. There is little overlap between what search crawlers find and interpret and what screen readers do, but the concept is the same: Where are the elements of this page, and how do I understand them?
Overlap and conflict between SEO and A11Y
While it's important to understand where search engine optimization SEO and accessibility a11y overlap in order to properly optimize for both, it's also important to note that optimizing for one is not necessarily similar to optimizing for the other. In other words, if you optimize a page for search engines, it doesn't mean you'll necessarily make it accessible -- and vice versa.
Recently, web accessibility expert Carl Groves wrote a post called turkey mobile database Accessibility and SEO Myths . Mr. Groves knows the world of accessibility inside and out, and he knows that optimizing for accessibility goes far beyond optimizing for the visually impaired and is, in general, very different from optimizing for search engines strictly speaking, from a technical perspective. He’s right—while there is overlap between SEO and a11y, a11y is completely different. But if you understand the overlap, you can successfully optimize for both.