Website Accessibility Basics Every Business Should Know

Treat accessibility as part of the service

Website accessibility means people with disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate and interact with your content. W3C explains that it also helps people in situations such as temporary injury, bright sunlight or limited connectivity. It is about access to the service, not simply adding a visual setting.

A business website should let someone find a service, understand the offer and contact the team without unnecessary barriers. Start with those journeys. An accessible homepage is not enough if the booking widget or downloadable brochure prevents someone completing the task.

Use WCAG as a practical framework

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines organise requirements around content being perceivable, operable, understandable and robust. WCAG 2.2 provides testable success criteria at levels A, AA and AAA. A target such as WCAG 2.2 AA should inform design, development and testing, not become a claim made after running one checker.

This article is a starting checklist, not a legal opinion or a complete conformance assessment. Record the standard you are working towards, the journeys assessed and any known limitations. Plan fixes with the people responsible for design, code and content.

Make structure and controls predictable

Use headings to describe the page structure rather than choosing them only for visual size. Write link text that explains its destination. “View boiler servicing options” is more useful than several identical “Click here” links.

Try navigating without a mouse. Menus, dialogs and forms should be usable with a keyboard, and the current focus should remain visible. Check that a sticky header or cookie panel does not obscure the focused control. Avoid interactions that work only when someone hovers.

• Use genuine buttons for actions and links for navigation.
• Keep navigation labels consistent across pages.
• Provide a logical reading and focus order.
• Check that pop-ups can be dismissed without a mouse.

Make text, images and media understandable

WCAG AA normally requires a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for text, with 3:1 for qualifying large text; exceptions apply. Check the actual colours, including button text and error messages. Do not use colour alone to distinguish essential information.

Write alternative text according to an image’s purpose. A photograph showing a particular installation may need a concise description; a purely decorative image should not create unnecessary screen-reader announcements. If an image is a link or control, its accessible name needs to explain the function.

Provide captions for relevant prerecorded video with audio, and consider other media alternatives according to the content and applicable criteria. Let people enlarge text and check layouts at narrow widths so important content does not become unreadable or inaccessible.

Check forms with real tasks

Give each field a persistent, meaningful label. Explain required information and provide errors that identify the problem and how to correct it. A red border alone does not tell every visitor what went wrong.

For example, an appointment form should explain an invalid date in words and preserve other completed fields where possible. Confirm successful submission clearly rather than leaving the visitor wondering whether to try again.

Automated tools can identify some barriers, but manual testing remains essential. Combine keyboard checks, zoom checks and appropriate assistive technology testing. Include disabled users where possible, and retest when templates or external tools change.

When a check reveals a barrier, record the exact page, device or assistive technology, steps taken and expected result. Prioritise failures that prevent completing essential tasks, such as a booking dialog trapping keyboard focus. Give each issue an owner and a retest date. If a third-party widget causes the problem, send reproducible details to its supplier and offer an accessible alternative contact route while a proper fix is arranged.

Plan your next step with GrowX

GrowX can review accessibility as part of your web design priorities and help plan practical improvements. Request a website audit to identify barriers and discuss where more specialist testing may be needed.

Frequently asked questions

Does an accessibility plugin make a website compliant?

Not by itself. Assess the underlying content, controls and complete journeys against the relevant requirements.

Should alternative text contain SEO keywords?

Its purpose is to communicate the image’s meaning or function. Include relevant detail naturally, not a list of search terms.