Website Accessibility Guide: How to Make Your Site Inclusive

Did you know nearly 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. live with a disability and rely on accessible websites to access information, but only 3% of websites are considered fully accessible?

Imagine how many people are trying to access information on the internet and simply can’t because the website is impossible to use.

I don’t want to be one of those websites—do you?

Following this website accessibility guide helps you serve all users who access your website. And luckily, it doesn’t require any technical knowledge—just a thoughtful way of designing your website.

Key Takeaways:

• Why it’s important to have an accessible website
• Common barriers to accessibility
• Best practices for making your website more accessible
• Building it into your workflow

Why Website Accessibility Matters

Everyone deserves to use the internet with ease. Even with additional support, like screen readers and keyboard navigation, business owners can make it easier for people with disabilities to consume content.

Did you know that accessible websites tend to perform better in search rankings? Accessibility best practices almost always align with SEO best practices. Structured content, alt text, mobile friendliness, and fast page load times all improve the user experience, something search engines care a lot about!

There’s also the legal side of accessibility. It’s actually required to be ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant to ensure equal opportunity for people with disabilities. This means your website must be:

• Perceivable: Content must be presented in ways all users can perceive (alt text for images, captions for videos, etc.).
• Operable: Users must be able to navigate the site by keyboard, mouse, or assistive technology.
• Understandable: Content should be clear and consistent (simple language, logical structure, etc.).
• Robust: The site must be compatible with assistive technologies like screen readers.

Before you freak out and think you need to completely redo your website, you probably already have some accessibility features in place. All it takes is a few tweaks to become ADA-compliant.

4 Common Barriers to Accessibility

When you don’t have accessibility features in place, it’s hard for some people to navigate, understand, or interact with your website. So what does it look like when a website isn’t accessible?

1. Poor color contrast.

When text and background colors don’t contrast enough, it becomes nearly impossible to read for people with low vision or color blindness. 

For example, light text on a light background might be an aesthetic, but the text is almost invisible to a lot of people. 

Use dark text on light backgrounds or light text on dark backgrounds to contrast colors.

2. Images without alt text.

Images without alt text leave visually impaired users in the dark. Screen readers use alt text to describe what an image shows. It reads the alt text out loud to a visually impaired person so they understand the context of the image and the page overall.

Without alt text, people can miss critical information. It’s especially important for product photos and infographics, but even a simple decorative image should have alt text.

3. Videos without captions.

For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, videos without captions make content difficult to consume. Some platforms like YouTube automatically add captions, but if you self-produce video content, always make sure it has captions and a transcript available.

Similarly, audio files (AKA podcasts!) without transcripts exclude those who can’t hear the recording. Add captions and transcripts to ensure equal access. 

This can also boost your SEO because search engines can’t listen to audio files either. It relies on written content to understand the topic.

More content = a better understanding = more relevant search rankings.

4. Unclear navigation or missing headings.

Complicated menus, inconsistent layouts, or buttons without labels can confuse users who rely on assistive technology. A lack of logical page structure also makes it harder for both screen readers and search engines to understand the site.

Organize and simplify your navigation menus. Make the hyperlinked text very clear (this isn’t the time for cutesy labels). Honestly, this is a best practice for website design in general, but it obviously helps disabled people, too.

Best Practices for Building an Accessible Website

Most web designers understand the importance of accessibility while creating a new website, but it doesn’t hurt to double-check your site. 

Let’s go over a quick website accessibility guide of best practices to make sure you have an accessible website.

• Add alt text to all images.
• Ensure proper color contrast.
• Provide captions and/or transcripts for videos and audio files.
• Use descriptive link text (avoid “click here”).
• Structure content with headings (H1, H2, H3).

Test your website with accessibility tools like WAVE or Axe to see if your website passes the test. Prioritize making any changes it recommends to become more accessible.

Accessibility is an Ongoing Process

Accessibility isn’t a one-time fix. Like SEO, it requires regular updates to make sure your website is usable for everyone.

But I’m definitely not recommending overhauling your entire website. You probably just need a few tweaks here and there to get up to speed.

You can also build accessibility into your workflow so it doesn’t feel like a ton of extra work.

• When uploading images, always add alt text.
• Write clear, descriptive headlines and link text.
• Check color contrast before publishing graphics.
• Make sure error messages are clear and easy to fix.

Accessibility doesn’t have to be a big “thing,” but it should be a priority so you don’t unintentionally exclude people (and maybe even potential clients) from your website.

Is Your Site Accessible?

Accessibility is essential for inclusivity, compliance, SEO, and business success. You may be unintentionally excluding potential clients by not having an accessible website. From color contrast to alt text, use these tips as a website accessibility guide as you make changes to your site. 

If you need some help, I offer a VIP web design day to help business owners make accessibility, SEO, and design changes on their websites. Inquire today!

FAQs About Website Accessibility

How do I make my website accessible?

Start by following the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which provide the global standard for accessibility. Make simple changes to your website, such as adding alt text to images, using strong color contrast between text and background, and providing captions to video and audio files. These updates improve usability for everyone.

Do I need to make my website ADA-compliant?

If your business is open to the public in the United States, then yes. This includes online and brick-and-mortar businesses. Beyond avoiding lawsuits or fines, ADA compliance helps you serve a wider audience and demonstrates inclusivity.

What are common web accessibility mistakes?

Some of the most common accessibility mistakes are using images without alt text, having complicated navigation menus, and embedding forms without labels. Avoiding these mistakes goes a long way toward creating a more user-friendly and legally compliant website.