In today’s regulatory landscape, ensuring that your product manuals are accessible to all users—including people with disabilities—is not just a good practice, but a legal necessity.

Accessible manuals help you:

• Comply with U.S. laws like the ADA and Section 508
• Serve aging populations and users with low tech literacy
• Optimize usability across all devices (desktop, mobile, tablet)
• Avoid lawsuits and brand damage due to inaccessibility

Whether you’re a device manufacturer, a software provider, or a service operator, your manuals are part of your product. And increasingly, those manuals are delivered via the web — and expected to be accessible.

What Makes a Web Manual Accessible?

At Hansem Global, we design digital manuals that meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)—the global standard for accessible content. We ensure:

✅ Readable Text

• Plain language and clear instructions
• Font sizes and spacing optimized for visibility
• Proper color contrast and layout for visual clarity

✅ Multimedia Alternatives

• Alt text for all images
• Accurate closed captions for videos
• Audio descriptions for visual elements

✅ Keyboard Navigation and ARIA Tags

• Every function operable via keyboard
• Semantic HTML and ARIA roles for assistive technology

✅ Logical Information Structure

• Consistent hierarchy of headings
• Clear navigation menus and search tools
• Step-by-step flows for different user expertise levels

Practical Strategies for Building Accessible Manuals

Creating an accessible manual requires more than checking boxes—it takes thoughtful design, structured content, and tested solutions. Below are practical strategies you can apply to ensure your manuals are inclusive, compliant, and user-friendly.

Technical Implementation

• Semantic HTML Structure: We use proper heading levels (<h1>, <h2>, <p>) to create clear information hierarchy for both users and screen readers.
• ARIA Optimization: When non-standard elements are used (e.g., <div> as a button), we apply ARIA roles like role="button". But we prioritize using native HTML elements such as <button> and <input> for maximum compatibility.

Design for Inclusivity

• High Contrast Colors: We select text and background colors with sufficient contrast to support low-vision and colorblind users.
• Clickable Elements: We design large, clearly defined buttons and links, visually distinct through underlines or color differentiation.

Accessibility Testing & Feedback

• Automated Tools: We regularly test with tools like Lighthouse and axe DevTools to identify accessibility issues early.
• Real User Feedback: We incorporate input from users with disabilities to refine interface behavior and improve clarity across platforms.

Accessible manuals lead to better product usability and stronger user trust.

Why Work with Hansem Global?

Creating an accessible digital manual goes beyond translating text or uploading a PDF. It requires:

• Expertise in HTML and semantic structure
• Knowledge of assistive technology behavior
• Understanding of legal requirements in your target markets

Hansem Global offers end-to-end support, from manual planning, writing, and design to multilingual localization and accessibility validation. We’ve helped clients across industries—IT, medical devices, smart factories—meet compliance standards and enhance user trust. We partner with global enterprises and agile tech companies alike to embed accessibility into their documentation workflows.

Want to future-proof your product documentation and meet accessibility standards? Let’s talk about how we can make your documentation accessible, compliant, and globally effective.