Improving Accessibility Across the Algolia Dashboard Interface
Why we improved the accessibility of our dashboard, making it easier for users with disabilities to access and use.
- Name
- Kevin Østerkilde
- @kosai106
2 min. read
Introduction: At [Company Name], we are committed to creating products that are accessible to everyone, regardless of ability. In this post, we'll share how we improved the accessibility of our SaaS dashboard and made it easier for all users to access and use our product.
Problem: Our SaaS dashboard was designed with the majority of users in mind, but we realized that we were not meeting the needs of users with disabilities. This made it difficult for these users to access and use our product, which was not in line with our commitment to accessibility.
Approach: To address this problem, we implemented a number of changes to our dashboard design. We conducted user research with users who have disabilities to understand their needs and challenges. Based on this research, we made several design and usability improvements, including:
Adding alternative text to images to provide context for users who are unable to see the images Ensuring that all text and UI elements are properly labeled and can be easily accessed by screen reader users Providing keyboard-only navigation options for users who cannot use a mouse Improving the color contrast of text and UI elements to make them more visible for users with visual impairments Results: With these changes, we were able to significantly improve the accessibility of our SaaS dashboard. Our user research showed that users with disabilities were able to access and use the dashboard more easily, and feedback from these users was overwhelmingly positive. Additionally, we received positive feedback from users without disabilities, who appreciated the improved usability of the dashboard.
Key Takeaways: Improving accessibility in your product is not only the right thing to do, it can also improve the user experience for all of your users. By conducting user research and implementing design changes, you can make your product more accessible and usable for everyone. If you're not sure where to start, consider hiring an accessibility expert or consulting with organizations that specialize in accessibility design.