Multilingual website translation continues to be more in demand, as the world gets smaller, and an increasing number of businesses fancy their chances abroad. But surprisingly, many of them think purely in terms of language and overlook accessibility.
Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) on 19th May 2022 aims to change all that. Now entering its 11th year, the goal of this annual celebration is “…to get everyone talking, thinking and learning about digital access and inclusion, and the more than One Billion people with disabilities/impairments.”
That’s a voluminous amount of people. They have a point.
So, how can you avoid falling foul of digital accessibility requisites with your multilingual website translation?
How To Ensure Your Multilingual Website Translation Doesn’t Fall Short on Accessibility
GAAD explains, “From both a civil rights and a business perspective, people with disabilities are underserved by today’s digital products.”
Thankfully, it’s a continually improving situation, with more businesses committing to equality, diversity and inclusion policies and strategies.
So, if you’ve already had website translation work done, or you’re thinking about it, bear in mind a few fundamental errors to avoid –
- Alterative Text (Alt Text) Descriptions – Sight impaired browsers need meaningful alt text descriptions to understand the images on websites. Forgetting about alt text or choosing to ignore it lessens the accessibility of your multilingual website translation and also your chances of SEO impact.
- Captions – Hearing impaired browsers need to read what they can’t hear. Don’t exclude them by having uncaptioned video clips on your website in all the languages included in your multilingual website translation.
- Uncluttered Language – Browsers with cognitive disabilities can struggle with navigating busy websites. Don’t make their lives even more difficult by using complex language.
At, Accutranslate, we’re relied on by hundreds of businesses every year for expert website translation. Give us a call on 0800 466 1335 or drop us a line for all your multilingual website translation needs.