Is tawk.to WCAG compliant?
When a visitor lands on your site, they may be using a screen reader or navigating with voice commands. At tawk.to, we use Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to make it easier for website visitors to understand and use the content in your widget.
These guidelines were developed by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). They help creators make web pages and apps that are easier to perceive, interact with, understand, and access.
Ultimately, they make it easier for everyone to find and use information online.
At this time, the tawk.to widget is fully level one (A) compliant and also satisfies some level two (AA) requirements.
Is WCAG compliance required?
WCAG compliance is not required by law for most websites. However, following best practices helps more visitors benefit from the information and apps on your site.
What does this mean for your chat widget?
Following the guidelines makes conversations better for everyone that is looking for help — especially those using assistive technologies.
Here are just a few ways we’ve made the tawk.to widget accessible:
Alternative text
Alternative text is used to describe photos, illustrations and other non-text content.
Adding alt text lets mobile visitors know what’s on the page when images are blocked. For the visually impaired, alt-text allows screen readers to assist.
Keyboard-friendly navigation
Visitors to your site can navigate to or interact with any part of the widget without using a mouse or touchpad. For readers relying on dictation software, having keyboard-friendly functions lets them access your content with voice commands and join the chat!
Contrast between text and background
Have you ever tried to read yellow text on a white background? Creating a contrast between your text and background colors is a must for making your words easy to read and understand.
Contrast between non-text elements and background
Providing contrast between graphics, widget elements and adjacent colors, makes the widget easy to see, understand, and interact with.
Use of color and contrast
The widget relies on more than color alone to share information. Shapes, labels and a contrast-approved color palette allow readers to see and understand your content — without needing to distinguish between colors.
Website orientation
The widget adjusts to portrait and landscape views as needed, depending on the screen size.
Descriptive headings and labels
Widget headings and input fields on forms are clearly labeled. This makes it easier to use your widget and fill in forms so you can get back to them soon!
Resizable text
Need a close-up view? You can increase the widget size up to at least 200% without losing content or function.
Learn more about Accessibility
While tawk.to widget elements are designed for accessibility, you control the accessibility of the content you add and customize. By following best practices, you will help more people see and interact with you on your website and in the chat.
To learn more, visit the WCAG page on the World Wide Web Consortium website.
If you have more questions about tawk.to's website compliance and accessibility, feel free to chat with our support team or schedule a call.