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Website Accessibility Guide: How to Make Your Website Accessible (2026)

Website Accessibility Guide

A website should be easy for as many people as possible to use, including people with disabilities and those who access the web in different ways.

Website accessibility involves designing and developing websites so that people can navigate, understand, and interact with content regardless of their abilities or the technology they use.
Accessibility can benefit everyone. Clear navigation, readable content, descriptive links, good colour contrast, and properly designed forms can make a website easier to use for all visitors.
In this website accessibility guide, we’ll explain the main accessibility principles and practical steps businesses can take to create a more accessible website.

Quick Summary: Website Accessibility

  • 1. Use clear and simple content
  • 2. Make navigation easy to understand
  • 3. Support keyboard navigation
  • 4. Add alternative text to meaningful images
  • 5. Use sufficient colour contrast
  • 6. Create accessible forms
  • 7. Use descriptive links and buttons
  • 8. Structure content with headings
  • 9. Make videos accessible
  • 10. Avoid relying on colour alone
  • 11. Make websites responsive
  • 12. Use accessible menus and interactive elements
  • 13. Test your website regularly
  • 14. Consider screen reader users
  • 15. Follow recognised accessibility guidelines

What Is Website Accessibility?

Website accessibility means making websites usable by people with different abilities and access needs.
This can include people with:
  • Visual disabilities
  • Hearing disabilities
  • Motor disabilities
  • Cognitive disabilities
  • Speech disabilities
Accessibility can also help people experiencing temporary or situational limitations, such as using a phone in bright sunlight or navigating a website with a broken mouse.
The goal is to remove unnecessary barriers so people can access and use your website.

Why Is Website Accessibility Important?

An accessible website can provide several benefits.

Better User Experience

Clear and accessible websites are often easier for everyone to navigate.

Wider Audience

Accessibility can help more people use your products, services, and information.

Better Usability

Features such as clear headings, readable text, and logical navigation improve usability.

Business Benefits

If more people can use your website successfully, you may have more opportunities to generate enquiries, bookings, and sales.

Compliance Considerations

Depending on your business, location, sector, and services, accessibility requirements may apply. Businesses should understand the specific legal requirements relevant to them rather than assuming that general accessibility guidance alone provides compliance.

Understanding WCAG

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) provide internationally recognised guidance for making web content more accessible.

WCAG is organised around four main principles:

  • Perceivable
  • Operable
  • Understandable
  • Robust

These principles are commonly summarised as POUR.

1. Perceivable

Information should be presented in ways that users can perceive.
For example:
  • Provide alternative text for meaningful images
  • Use captions for videos
  • Provide sufficient colour contrast
  • Don't rely only on colour to communicate information
  • Make content adaptable to different screen sizes

2. Operable

Website functionality should be usable through different methods.
This includes:
  • Keyboard navigation
  • Accessible menus
  • Clearly visible focus states
  • Sufficiently large interactive areas
  • Avoiding problematic animations or flashing content
Users shouldn’t be forced to rely solely on a mouse or touchscreen.

3. Understandable

Website content and functionality should be predictable and easy to understand.
Use:
  • Clear language
  • Consistent navigation
  • Descriptive labels
  • Helpful error messages
  • Clear instructions
Forms and interactive elements should behave in predictable ways.

4. Robust

Content should work reliably with different browsers, devices, and assistive technologies.
Use appropriate HTML elements and ensure interactive components are correctly implemented.
Avoid creating unnecessary accessibility barriers with poorly coded custom components.

15 Website Accessibility Best Practices

1. Use Clear and Simple Content

Write content that is easy to understand.
Use:
  • Short paragraphs
  • Descriptive headings
  • Lists
  • Clear instructions
  • Straightforward language
Avoid unnecessarily complicated wording when a simpler alternative is available.

2. Use Proper Heading Structure

Headings help visitors understand the structure of a page.
Use headings logically:

H1 → H2 → H3

For example:

H1: Website Accessibility Guide

H2: Why Website Accessibility Matters

H2: Accessibility Best Practices

H3: Keyboard Navigation

Don’t choose heading levels simply because they look visually larger. Use them to represent the structure of your content.

3. Add Alternative Text to Images

Images that communicate useful information should have appropriate alternative text.
For example, instead of:

“image123.jpg”

use descriptive text that communicates the relevant purpose of the image.
Decorative images may need different treatment, depending on how they are used.
Avoid stuffing keywords into alternative text.

4. Make Your Website Keyboard Accessible

Some users navigate websites using a keyboard rather than a mouse.
Check that users can:
  • Move through links
  • Use buttons
  • Complete forms
  • Open menus
  • Close dialogs
  • Access important content
The keyboard focus should also be clearly visible.

5. Use Sufficient Colour Contrast

Text needs sufficient contrast against its background so that it can be read comfortably.
Don’t use colour combinations that make text difficult to distinguish.
Also remember:
Don’t rely on colour alone.
For example, instead of saying:
“Required fields are shown in red.”
use a clear visual indicator and accessible text or labelling as appropriate.

6. Create Accessible Forms

Forms are an important part of many business websites.
Make sure:
  • Fields have clear labels
  • Instructions are understandable
  • Required fields are identified
  • Error messages are clear
  • Errors are associated with the relevant fields
  • Keyboard users can complete the form
A poorly designed form can prevent users from completing important actions.

7. Use Descriptive Links

Avoid using vague link text such as:

“Click here.”

Instead, describe where the link goes.
For example:
“View our website maintenance services”
This gives users more useful information, including people using screen readers.

8. Make Buttons Clearly Identifiable

Buttons should communicate what will happen when they are selected.
Examples include:
  • Submit Enquiry
  • Add to Basket
  • Book Appointment
  • Download Guide
  • Request a Quote
Avoid ambiguous button labels where possible.

9. Make Videos Accessible

If your website contains videos, consider accessibility features such as:
  • Captions
  • Transcripts
  • Accessible controls
  • Audio descriptions where appropriate
Captions can also benefit visitors who cannot or do not want to listen to audio.

10. Don't Use Flashing Content Carelessly

Rapid flashing or certain visual effects can create accessibility and safety concerns.
Avoid unnecessary flashing content and carefully evaluate animations.
If your website uses motion effects, provide appropriate ways to reduce or disable motion where relevant.

11. Make Navigation Consistent

Keep navigation predictable across your website.
Visitors should be able to understand:
  • Where they are
  • Where they can go
  • How to return to previous sections
  • How to access important pages
Consistent navigation makes websites easier to use.

12. Make Your Website Responsive

Your website should work across different screen sizes.
Test:
  • Desktop
  • Laptop
  • Tablet
  • Smartphone
Content should remain readable and usable without unnecessary horizontal scrolling.

13. Make Error Messages Helpful

When something goes wrong, tell users what happened and how they can fix it. Instead of:
“Error.”

provide useful information such as:

“Please enter a valid email address.”

Good error messages reduce frustration and help users complete tasks successfully.

14. Consider Screen Reader Users

Screen readers convert website content into speech or other accessible output.
To support screen reader users:
  • Use semantic HTML
  • Provide meaningful alternative text
  • Use proper headings
  • Label form fields
  • Use descriptive links
  • Ensure interactive elements have appropriate names
Avoid using unnecessary custom code when standard HTML elements can provide the required functionality.

15. Test Your Website Regularly

Accessibility isn’t something you should check only once.
Test important pages and user journeys regularly, particularly after:
  • Website redesigns
  • Theme changes
  • Plugin updates
  • New functionality
  • Content changes
Automated tools can identify some problems, but they cannot detect every accessibility issue.

Website Accessibility Testing

You can use a combination of automated and manual testing.

Automated Testing

Accessibility testing tools can help identify issues involving areas such as:
  • Colour contrast
  • Missing alternative text
  • Form labels
  • Heading structure
  • Certain HTML problems

Manual Testing

Manually test:
  • Keyboard navigation
  • Focus visibility
  • Forms
  • Menus
  • Interactive elements
  • Mobile layouts
  • Zoom and text resizing

Assistive Technology Testing

Where appropriate, test with assistive technologies such as screen readers.
No single tool can guarantee that a website is fully accessible.

No single tool can guarantee that a website is fully accessible.

Before launching your website, check:

Content

  • Clear headings
  • Simple language
  • Descriptive links
  • Useful alternative text

Navigation

  • Keyboard accessible
  • Visible focus
  • Consistent menus
  • Logical page structure

Design

  • Sufficient colour contrast
  • Readable typography
  • Responsive layouts
  • Clear buttons

Forms

  • Proper labels
  • Clear instructions
  • Useful error messages
  • Keyboard access

Media

  • Video captions
  • Transcripts where appropriate
  • Accessible media controls

Testing

  • Automated accessibility checks
  • Keyboard testing
  • Mobile testing
  • Manual usability testing

Common Website Accessibility Mistakes

Avoid:
  • Missing image alternative text
  • Poor colour contrast
  • Unlabelled form fields
  • Keyboard-inaccessible menus
  • Vague link text
  • Inconsistent navigation
  • Tiny text
  • Inaccessible pop-ups
  • Videos without captions
  • Relying only on automated testing
Relying only on automated testing Accessibility should be considered during design and development rather than added as an afterthought.

Does Website Accessibility Help SEO?

Accessibility and SEO have different goals, but they can overlap in several areas.
For example:
  • Clear headings help users understand content
  • Descriptive links improve navigation
  • Alternative text provides information about meaningful images
  • Good page structure helps users and search engines understand content
  • Fast, mobile-friendly websites improve overall usability
However, accessibility improvements should be made to improve accessibility and usability, not simply as an SEO tactic.

Is Website Accessibility Required by Law?

Accessibility requirements depend on factors such as your country, industry, organisation type, and the services you provide.
In the UK, different accessibility and equality requirements can apply to organisations and services in different circumstances. Businesses should obtain appropriate legal advice when they need to determine their specific compliance obligations.
Following recognised accessibility standards such as WCAG can provide a useful technical framework, but meeting a particular WCAG level does not automatically mean every legal requirement has been satisfied.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is website accessibility?
Website accessibility means designing and developing websites so people with different abilities can access, understand, navigate, and interact with online content.
WCAG stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. It provides internationally recognised recommendations for improving web accessibility.
Start with clear headings, descriptive links, alternative text for meaningful images, keyboard navigation, sufficient colour contrast, accessible forms, captions for relevant videos, and proper semantic HTML.
Accessibility is an important consideration for all websites. The specific legal obligations can vary depending on the organisation, sector, location, and services provided.
Yes. Clear navigation, readable content, understandable forms, keyboard support, and responsive design can make websites easier to use for a wider range of visitors.

Make Your Website More Accessible with GetWebsite.io

Website accessibility helps create a better online experience for a wider range of users. By considering accessibility during design, development, content creation, and testing, businesses can remove unnecessary barriers and make their websites easier to use.
At GetWebsite.io, we provide professional Website Design Services for UK businesses, creating modern, mobile-friendly, SEO-focused, and user-friendly websites. We can help you build a website with accessibility and usability considered from the beginning.
Book a Free Consultation

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