Website Accessibility Basics Every Business Should Know

Website accessibility means making sure people can use your site regardless of disability or the way they browse. That includes people who are blind and use screen readers, people who cannot use a mouse, people with low vision who zoom in, and people with cognitive or hearing impairments.

It also helps many others: someone using a phone in bright sunlight, an older customer who prefers larger text, or a visitor with a temporary injury. Accessible sites tend to be clearer and easier to use for everyone.

This article explains the basics in plain language. It is not legal advice. Accessibility requirements vary by country and sector, so if you need to know your legal obligations, speak to a qualified adviser.

What WCAG is

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, known as WCAG, are published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). They are the most widely used standard for web accessibility and are referenced by many organisations and regulations around the world.

WCAG is organised around four principles. Content should be:

• Perceivable: people can see, hear or otherwise take in the information, for example through text alternatives for images and captions for video.
• Operable: people can navigate and use the site, including with a keyboard alone.
• Understandable: content and interactions are clear and predictable.
• Robust: the site works reliably with different browsers and assistive technologies.

The guidelines have three conformance levels: A, AA and AAA. Level AA is the level most organisations aim for, and it is a sensible target for most business websites.

Common problems to fix first

You do not need to read the whole standard to make meaningful progress. Many sites share the same handful of issues.

Missing or unhelpful alternative text

Screen readers read out the alt text of images. If it is missing, users may hear a file name or nothing at all. Describe what the image conveys in context. Decorative images that add no information should have empty alt text so they are skipped.

Poor colour contrast

Light grey text on a white background is hard for many people to read. At level AA, normal body text should have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 against its background, and large text at least 3:1. Free contrast checkers make this easy to test.

Relying on colour alone

If a form error is shown only by turning a field red, some users will miss it. Add a text message or an icon as well, and do the same for links, charts and status indicators.

Keyboard traps and invisible focus

Try navigating your site using only the Tab, Shift and Enter keys. You should be able to reach every link, button and form field in a logical order, and always see where you are. Many designs remove the focus outline for visual reasons. If yours does, replace it with a clear alternative rather than removing it.

Confusing heading structure

Screen reader users often jump between headings to understand a page. Use one main heading per page, then subheadings in a logical order. Choose heading levels for structure, not for how big the text looks.

Unlabelled form fields

Every field needs a visible label that is properly connected to it in the code. Placeholder text that disappears when someone starts typing is not a substitute. Error messages should explain what went wrong and how to fix it.

Vague link text

Links such as “click here” or “read more” make no sense when read out of context, which is how many screen reader users browse. Use link text that describes the destination, such as “read our delivery information”.

Video and audio without alternatives

Provide captions for videos with speech and transcripts for audio content. Avoid media that plays automatically with sound, and make sure people can pause anything that moves.

How to check your site

A practical accessibility review usually combines three approaches:

1. Automated tools. Browser extensions and built-in tools such as Lighthouse can flag issues like missing alt text and low contrast. They are a useful start but only catch a portion of problems.
2. Manual checks. Test keyboard navigation, zoom the page to 200 per cent, and review headings, links and forms by hand.
3. Assistive technology. Try a screen reader such as NVDA on Windows or VoiceOver on Apple devices on your key pages. Even a short session is revealing.

Where possible, involve people who use assistive technology day to day. Their feedback is more valuable than any checklist.

Make accessibility part of normal work

Accessibility is not a one-off fix. New pages, images and features can undo earlier work. A few habits help keep standards up:

• Include accessibility requirements in every design and development brief.
• Build accessible, reusable components, such as buttons, forms and menus, so each new page starts from a good base.
• Train content editors to write alt text, use headings correctly and write descriptive links.
• Check new third-party tools, such as chat widgets and booking systems, before adding them.
• Publish an accessibility statement that explains your approach and gives people a way to report problems.

Be cautious about products that claim to make a site accessible automatically with a single script. They may address some surface issues, but they cannot fix underlying problems in design, content and code.

Key takeaways

• Accessibility helps disabled visitors and makes your site easier for everyone to use.
• WCAG is the widely used standard, and level AA is a sensible target for most businesses.
• Start with alt text, contrast, keyboard access, headings, form labels and link text.
• Combine automated tools with manual checks and real assistive technology.
• Build accessibility into briefs, components and content habits so it lasts.

If you would like your website reviewed or rebuilt with accessibility in mind, SEO Fleet’s web design team can help you identify the most important issues and fix them as part of your design and ongoing maintenance.