Accessibility often gets treated as a specialist subject, something for large organisations and public bodies. In reality it’s about something simple: can everyone who wants to use your website actually use it? Website accessibility is about making sure the answer is yes.
That includes people with visual impairments using screen readers, people who can’t use a mouse, people with dyslexia or cognitive differences, and people with temporary problems such as a broken wrist. It also includes older customers whose eyesight isn’t what it was, and anyone reading a phone in bright sunlight. It’s a bigger group than most businesses assume.
What the law says, in general terms
In the UK, the Equality Act 2010 requires service providers not to discriminate against disabled people and to make reasonable adjustments. That’s generally understood to apply to services offered online, including websites, though the law doesn’t set out a specific technical standard for private businesses.
Public sector bodies have more specific duties under the Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018, which reference the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Many private businesses use WCAG as their benchmark too, because it’s the widely recognised standard.
This is a general overview, not legal advice. If you have specific obligations, for example because you supply the public sector or operate in a regulated area, take proper advice.
What WCAG is
WCAG is a set of guidelines published by the W3C, the body that develops web standards. It’s organised around four principles: content should be perceivable, operable and understandable, and it should work reliably with the assistive technology people use, such as screen readers. It has three levels of conformance, A, AA and AAA. Level AA is the level most organisations aim for.
You don’t need to read the whole thing. But it helps to know it exists, so you can ask your web designer whether a site is built with it in mind.
The website accessibility basics that make the biggest difference
- Text contrast. Text should stand out clearly from its background. Pale grey on white is a common failure.
- Alt text on images. Meaningful images need a short text description for screen reader users. Decorative images should be marked so they’re skipped.
- Proper headings. Use real heading levels in order, not just bold text. Screen reader users often jump between headings to scan a page.
- Keyboard access. Everything should work without a mouse, including menus, forms and pop-ups, with a visible outline showing where you are.
- Labelled forms. Every field needs a clear label, and error messages should explain what’s wrong.
- Descriptive links. “Read our pricing guide” is useful out of context. “Click here” isn’t.
- Video captions. Captions help deaf viewers and anyone watching with the sound off.
- Readable text. Sensible font sizes, plain language, and pages that still work when someone zooms in.
Website accessibility isn’t a feature you bolt on at the end. It’s cheapest and easiest when it’s part of how the site is designed and written from the start.
Quick checks you can do yourself
- Put your mouse aside and try to use your site with just the Tab and Enter keys. Can you reach the menu, fill in the contact form and submit it?
- Zoom your browser to 200% and see whether the page still works without text overlapping or disappearing.
- Look at your images. Do the important ones have sensible alt text? Your web designer can show you where it’s set.
- Check your link wording for “click here” and “read more” on their own.
- Run a page through a free automated checker, such as WAVE. Treat the results as pointers, not a full audit, because automated tools can’t catch everything.
Why it’s good for business
Beyond the legal side, many website accessibility improvements simply make a site better for everyone. Clear headings help people scan. Good contrast helps people read on phones outdoors. Well labelled forms get filled in more often. Captions keep people watching on a train. It’s rare to find an accessibility fix that makes a site worse.
Where to start
Do the five quick checks above this month and note what you find. If you’re planning a new site or redesign, add “built to WCAG 2.2 AA” to your brief and ask your designer how they test for it.
If you’d like a proper review, our accessibility and compliance service can audit your current site and prioritise fixes, and accessibility is built into every website design and development project we take on.
