A well-designed website does more than attract visitors; it ensures a smooth and accessible experience for everyone, regardless of how they interact with it. Unfortunately, many businesses overlook one critical factor: web accessibility. Making your website accessible isn’t just about compliance; it’s about creating an inclusive experience for all users, including those with disabilities.
Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, ensuring your website is accessible enhances user experience, improves SEO, and expands your customer base. In this guide, we’ll explore why web accessibility matters, common barriers users face, and actionable steps to make your website more inclusive.
What Is Web Accessibility?
Web accessibility ensures that people of all abilities can navigate and interact with a website effectively. This includes users with:
- Visual impairments (e.g., blindness, low vision, color blindness)
- Hearing impairments (e.g., deafness, hard of hearing)
- Motor disabilities (e.g., difficulty using a mouse, limited hand movement)
- Cognitive disabilities (e.g., dyslexia, ADHD)
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), established by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), provide a framework for businesses to create accessible websites.
Why Web Accessibility Matters
1. It’s the Right Thing to Do
The internet should be inclusive, just like physical spaces that must accommodate wheelchair users with ramps and elevators. Making your website accessible ensures that everyone can engage with your brand, regardless of their abilities.
2. Legal Compliance
Ignoring web accessibility could put your business at risk of lawsuits and fines. In the U.S., websites must comply with:
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) – Requires businesses to provide equal access to digital services.
- Section 508 (for government websites and vendors) – Mandates web accessibility for public sector sites.
Many companies, including Domino’s, Netflix, and Target, have faced lawsuits due to inaccessible websites. Ensuring compliance protects your business from legal action.
3. Expands Your Customer Base
Over 1 billion people worldwide live with a disability. Making your website accessible means reaching a larger audience, increasing engagement, and boosting conversions.
For example, accessible websites are easier to navigate, leading to higher customer retention and lower bounce rates. If users can’t interact with your website, they will leave and likely go to a competitor.
4. Improves SEO Rankings
Did you know that accessibility and SEO go hand in hand? Google prioritizes user-friendly websites in search rankings. Many accessibility best practices, such as clear navigation, alt text for images, and structured content, also help search engines crawl and index your website better.
By optimizing for accessibility, you’re improving your visibility in search results, bringing in more organic traffic.
5. Enhances User Experience for Everyone
Accessibility improvements don’t just help disabled users. Certain features provide expanded benefits, including:
- Larger fonts help those with poor vision and users in bright lighting.
- Captions on videos help the deaf community but also users watching without sound.
- Keyboard navigation helps those with motor impairments but also power users who prefer shortcuts.
A more intuitive, user-friendly website leads to better engagement, longer session durations, and higher conversions.
Common Web Accessibility Barriers
To build an inclusive website, it’s important to identify and remove the obstacles that prevent users from navigating your site. Here are some common barriers:
1. Missing or Poor Alt Text for Images
- Problem: Screen readers rely on alt text to describe images. Without it, visually impaired users miss key information.
- Solution: Add descriptive alt text to every image (e.g., instead of “image123.jpg,” use “A woman using a laptop in a coffee shop”).
2. Unreadable Text & Poor Color Contrast
- Problem: Low contrast between text and background makes content hard to read, especially for colorblind or visually impaired users.
- Solution: Use high-contrast colors and avoid red-green combinations, which are difficult for colorblind users. Tools like WebAIM Contrast Checker help test readability.
3. Lack of Keyboard Navigation
- Problem: Some users can’t use a mouse and rely on keyboard shortcuts to navigate websites.
- Solution: Ensure your site is fully navigable using only a keyboard (tab, enter, arrow keys).
4. Missing Captions or Transcripts for Videos
- Problem: Deaf or hard-of-hearing users can’t access video content without captions.
- Solution: Use closed captions and provide text transcripts for all video and audio content.
5. Confusing Website Structure & Poor Navigation
- Problem: Cluttered menus, unclear headings, and missing skip navigation links make sites frustrating for users with cognitive disabilities.
- Solution: Use clear, descriptive headings and organize content in a logical hierarchy.
How to Make Your Website More Accessible
Here’s how you can improve your site’s accessibility:
1. Conduct an Accessibility Audit
- Use Google Lighthouse, WAVE, or AXE tools to check your website’s accessibility score.
2. Follow WCAG Guidelines
- Implement WCAG 2.1 standards, which focus on making web content perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust.
3. Optimize for Screen Readers
- Use semantic HTML (proper <h1>, <h2>, etc.) and ARIA labels to make content readable by assistive technology.
4. Enable Keyboard Navigation
- Ensure all interactive elements (forms, menus, buttons) are accessible via Tab and Enter keys.
5. Provide Alternative Text & Media Descriptions
- Add alt text for images and captions for videos.
6. Improve Readability & Design
- Use high-contrast colors, large fonts, and clean layouts to make content easy to digest.
Final Thoughts: Make Your Website Accessible Today
Web accessibility isn’t just about compliance. It’s about creating an inclusive, user-friendly experience that benefits all visitors. By making small but impactful changes, you expand your audience, boost SEO, and create a better online experience for every user.
Whether you’re a small business, eCommerce store, or service provider, prioritizing accessibility sets you apart and ensures your website works for everyone.
If you need help making your site WCAG-compliant and fully accessible, Fivenson Studios can help. Contact us today to improve your website’s accessibility and user experience.
