Questions about designing a website for the ASD community

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I'm in the process of building a site for the ASD community. What's not OK? Are slide shows on the homepage going to negatively affect accessibility? Video background without sound OK? How about a pop-up to allow you to subscribe to a newsletter?

Since autism is a spectrum disorder, your website cannot be all things to all people because all of us are quite different with varying abilities, interests, and sensory issues. What may fly for one person will not fly for another. For example, some of us are visual learners and would respond well to slide shows with texts. Others might appreciate an audio narration.

As a starting point, I would avoid loud noises and flashing lights.

Less or no need to mouse precision, preferably for dyspraxics.
Meaning, choices of having bigger boxes/option buttons, etc...

More cues, less overwhelm and keep it all simple and evenly spaced...
Mellow and mild colors, but also contrasting background to texts. Dark mode options.

Visual impairment/speech to text options for the dyslexics.
Subtitles and caption options for those with auditory processing issues.

Language had to be as direct as possible...
Set examples, too, if possible. (where to find x info, or what format shown "mm/dd" or last name, first name, etc...)

An option to see it all at once or breakdown into pages or auto scroll.
This can get complicated however with screen sizes and relative text size preferences.

Bite-sizing or chunking for those with ADHD.
Maybe, a system that also 'keeps' the typed data instead of losing it every refresh or whatnot.


I'm sure that's not all of it.
And also uncertain if it can be done all at once.

Maybe an option that adjusts those things before navigating and having recommendations and warnings in each content. (The usual clashes between the sensory seeking from the sensory aversive)

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As an autistic person I find it very hard to read a webpage which has non-static elements that I can't control. This means slide shows that can't be stopped, video that can't be paused, animated buttons, flashing elements, etc. If there's information on the webpage which is only provided by means of a video, that's also an obstacle for me; the video needs a complete and independent transcript (in-line subtitles aren't enough).

But I'm only one autistic person. Others' mileage may vary.

Edna3362 has made some excellent recommendations. I particularly agree with the need for direct language and set examples.

Try and avoid slideshows, they are somewhat redundant now.

What CMS are you using?

I'm another one who seriously dislikes websites where things start moving of their own accord. Quite often that's enough to drive me away altogether, particularly if I'm new to the site and don't know my way around it yet.

There's a superb set of posters on digital accessibility up in one of the buildings I work in. Interestingly, there is a LOT of overlap in the needs of people with different disabilities. https://ukhomeoffice.github.io/accessib ... osters.pdf

Pop-ups are annoying.

Is more important that the site is easy to use and read.

Firstly, well done for considering this. It's very important in today's web

This is a useful resource

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2

Important things are keyboard navigation and screen reader compatibility. No one watches slideshows, they are pointless. There are much better ways to present info.

Watch YouTube videos on WCAG accessibility. There are lots of resources.