Accessibility is about making your website usable for everyone.
In the online world, accessibility means people can navigate, read, and interact with your site even if they use assistive technology (screen readers), keyboard-only navigation, captions, zoom, or specialized contrast settings. It’s both a customer experience improvement and a risk-reduction best practice.
Prefer a quick starting point? Request a free automated ADA/WCAG scan and we’ll email you a report with the highest-impact issues to fix first.
What Accessibility Means Online
If a user can’t complete tasks like reading text, filling forms, or navigating menus, your website is effectively “closed” to them.
Keyboard Access
People should be able to use your site without a mouse. Focus should be visible, and menus should work via Tab/Enter/Escape.
- Visible focus outlines
- No “keyboard traps”
- Logical tab order
Readable Content
Text must be readable at different zoom levels and in different contrast needs. Avoid low contrast and tiny text.
- Good contrast ratios
- Resizable text
- Clear headings & spacing
Assistive Technology
Screen readers rely on semantic HTML (labels, headings, alt text) to accurately describe and navigate your site.
- Proper form labels
- Alt text on images
- Landmarks and headings
ADA vs WCAG
ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) is a civil rights law. While it doesn’t list technical website rules line-by-line, accessibility expectations are commonly evaluated using WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), created by the W3C.
What is WCAG?
WCAG is the main global framework for web accessibility. It’s organized around four principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust (POUR). Many organizations target WCAG 2.1 AA as a practical baseline.
Why it matters
Accessibility reduces legal exposure, improves UX, increases conversions, and helps you reach more customers. It also strengthens SEO and overall site quality when implemented correctly.
Practical Website Accessibility Checklist
These are the high-impact items that break most websites when a user relies on accessibility features. Want to see how your site performs? Get a free site scan.
- Contrast: Text must be clearly readable against background colors.
- Keyboard navigation: Everything interactive must work via keyboard alone.
- Forms: Every input needs a label; errors must be explained clearly.
- Headings: Use real headings (H1, H2, H3) in order—don’t fake them with bold text.
- Links & buttons: Names should be descriptive (“View pricing” vs “Click here”).
- Images: Informational images need alt text; decorative images should be empty alt.
- Zoom: Site should work at 200% zoom without content overlapping or disappearing.
- Motion: Avoid flashing or aggressive animations; support reduced motion preferences.
Common “Gotchas”
- Menus that don’t open with keyboard
- Modal popups with no focus management
- Placeholder-only form fields (no labels)
- Low-contrast gray text on light backgrounds
- Icons used as buttons with no accessible name
Where the widget helps
Widgets can improve usability (contrast modes, text scaling, focus helpers), but they are not a substitute for fixing underlying site structure when required. The best results come from a combination approach.
Get a free ADA/WCAG scan report for your website
We’ll run a quick automated scan and email you a report highlighting common accessibility barriers (contrast, missing labels, heading structure, keyboard issues, and more).
- Step 1: Submit your website URL
- Step 2: We run the scan
- Step 3: You get a report + clear next steps
Note: Automated scans catch many issues, but not everything. This report is a practical starting point—not legal advice.
Authoritative Resources (Recommended Reading)
These links are widely recognized as primary sources for accessibility standards and guidance:
- U.S. Department of Justice (ADA): Website accessibility and ADA information — https://www.ada.gov/
- W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI): Accessibility fundamentals and guidance — https://www.w3.org/WAI/
- WCAG Standard (W3C): Official WCAG documentation — https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/
- Understanding WCAG (W3C): Plain-language explanations of success criteria — https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/
- Section 508 (U.S. Government): Accessibility requirements for federal agencies/contractors — https://www.section508.gov/
If you want, we can help you interpret what these standards mean for your specific site and prioritize the fixes that deliver the best real-world results. To get started, request a free site scan.
FAQ
Does ADA apply to websites?
Many organizations treat website accessibility as an ADA-related requirement in practice, especially when the site supports public-facing services (appointments, sales, forms, essential information). WCAG is commonly used as the technical framework to evaluate whether a website is accessible.
Is installing a widget enough?
A widget can improve usability and help users, but some accessibility issues require underlying fixes in code/content (for example: missing form labels, broken keyboard navigation, and improper headings).
What standard should we aim for?
Many organizations target WCAG 2.1 AA as a practical baseline. The best target depends on your industry, audience, and how your website is used.
What is the fastest first step?
Start with contrast, keyboard navigation, form labeling, and heading structure. Those four areas often create the biggest accessibility barriers and the most immediate improvements. If you want a quick baseline, request a free site scan.
Want a practical plan for your website?
Request a free automated accessibility scan and we’ll email you a report with prioritized fixes. If you’d like help implementing improvements, we can deploy our accessibility widget and guide you through the next steps. Web agencies: ask about partner/white-label options.