Your website is often the front door of your business. For many people, including those who are blind or have low vision, are deaf or hard of hearing, have limited mobility, or have cognitive disabilities, that door can be hard to open if the site was not built with accessibility in mind.

Making your website accessible is good for customers, good for business and increasingly expected. Here is what you need to know.

What WCAG is

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, known as WCAG, are published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). They describe how to make web content usable for people with a wide range of disabilities. WCAG 2.2, published in October 2023, is the current W3C recommendation.

WCAG is organized around four principles. Content should be:

  • Perceivable: people can see or hear it in some form, such as text alternatives for images and captions for video.
  • Operable: people can use it with a keyboard, a screen reader or other assistive tools, not just a mouse.
  • Understandable: content and navigation are clear and predictable.
  • Robust: it works reliably with different browsers and assistive technologies.

The guidelines include success criteria at three levels: A, AA and AAA. Level AA is the target most organizations use. You can read the guidelines and helpful introductions at the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative.

Why it matters for a small business

Accessibility is sometimes treated as something only large companies need to think about. In reality, it matters for businesses of every size:

  • You reach more customers. People with disabilities, and older customers whose vision or dexterity has changed, shop and hire service providers online like everyone else.
  • Everyone benefits. Clear headings, readable text and easy navigation help every visitor, especially on phones.
  • It supports good search visibility. Many accessibility practices, like descriptive headings and text alternatives, also make your content easier for search engines to understand.
  • It reduces legal risk. Businesses have faced legal claims over inaccessible websites. The rules depend on your situation, so talk with an attorney if you have questions about your obligations.

Common problems to fix first

You do not need to fix everything at once. These issues are common and often straightforward to address:

  1. Missing image descriptions. Informative images need alternative text that describes their purpose. Decorative images should be marked so screen readers skip them.
  2. Low color contrast. Light gray text on a white background is hard to read. Make sure text stands out clearly from its background.
  3. Keyboard traps. Try using your site with only the Tab, Enter and arrow keys. Every menu, button and form should be reachable, and you should always see where you are.
  4. Unlabeled forms. Each form field needs a visible label, and error messages should explain what went wrong.
  5. Vague links. “Click here” tells screen reader users nothing. Use link text that describes the destination.
  6. Video without captions. Add captions to videos and provide transcripts for audio content.
  7. Messy heading structure. Use headings in order to outline the page, not just to make text bigger.
  8. Small touch targets. Buttons and links that are too small or too close together are hard to tap, especially on phones.

Be cautious with quick fixes

You may see products that promise to make a website compliant with a single line of code. Automated tools and overlays can help in limited ways, but they cannot fix underlying problems in your site’s structure and content. Real accessibility comes from how the site is designed, built and maintained.

Automated checkers are useful for spotting some issues, but they miss many others. Manual testing, including keyboard-only navigation and checking with a screen reader, gives a much more complete picture.

Make accessibility part of your routine

Accessibility is not a one-time project. Every new page, blog post, image and form is a chance to get it right or introduce a new problem. A few habits help:

  • Add alternative text whenever you upload an image.
  • Use your site’s built-in heading styles instead of formatting text manually.
  • Check new color choices for contrast before you publish.
  • Caption videos before posting them.
  • Review your site periodically, especially after a redesign or plugin update.
  • Add an accessibility statement with a way for visitors to report problems.

Building it in from the start

If you are planning a new website or a redesign, that is the best time to make accessibility a requirement. Our web development team builds sites with WCAG 2.2 guidance in mind, from color choices and layouts to forms and navigation, and can review an existing site to identify priority fixes.

Want to know where your current website stands? Book a free consultation or call (772) 356-3550.

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