Principles
At Herman Miller, we have the power and responsibility to ensure everyone has access to what we create regardless of ability, context, or situation. When we do this, more people can connect with our products and ideas. That's good for people and our business.
Our Guidelines
An accessible web experience must be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. These four principles, defined by the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Accessibility Initiative, outline what to consider when developing a user interface and presenting information online.
Perceivable
People must be able to discern the information being presented to them—even if they don’t have all of their senses.
Non-text Alternatives
Offer text alternatives that serve the same purpose as non-text content.
Multimedia Alternatives
Provide alternatives for time-based media including captions, audio descriptions, and transcripts.
Adaptable Content
Present content in various ways so assistive technology can interpret it without losing meaning.
Ease of Use
Make it easy for people to see and hear content.
Operable
Content and user interfaces must be accessible through assistive technology and should not trigger adverse reactions.
Keyboard Accessibilty
People should be able to access all functions with a keyboard. No actions should require specific timing or keystrokes. Individuals should have control over keyboard shortcuts.
Time Management
Give people enough time to read and use content. Limit any automatic animation that lasts longer than three seconds. Make sure people can adjust or turn off the time limits and give them the option to postpone interruptions.
Avoiding Seizures or Physical Reactions
Avoid triggering seizures and physical reactions. Do not use content that has consecutive flashes or flashes that are below the red flash thresholds. Give people control over—and the ability to disable—motion and user interface animations.
Input Modalities
Make it easier for people to input information with devices other than the keyboard.
Understandable
People must be able to understand how to operate the user interface and clearly interact with the content.
Readability
Make text readable and easy to understand. Avoid using idioms or jargon. Ensure that the text is comprehensible to all reading levels.
Predictability
Ensure that content appears and operates in predictable ways. Navigation and context should be consistent and any change of context should requested by the user.
Assistance
Help people avoid and correct mistakes. Assist people by identifying errors and providing input instructions.
Robust
People must to be able to access content as technology advances.
Compatibility
Maximize content compatibility with current and future technologies.
Resources
Understanding the Four Principles
A brief introduction to the four principles of accessibility
Readability Guidelines
A project to develop readability standards led by Content Design London