A PRACTICAL GUIDE
An accessible website is one that everyone can use—including people who are blind, have low vision, are deaf, have difficulty using a mouse, or experience other disabilities.
As the world has become more aware of how people with different abilities use the internet, accessibility has become a priority for many of our clients. Some have a legal obligation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure their sites are usable by people with disabilities. But even if your organization isn’t legally required to comply, building an accessible website means more people can find you, understand you, and connect with your business or services.
Below, we’ve outlined the most common web accessibility practices in plain language—no tech background required.
1. Describe Your Images for People Who Can’t See Them
Every image on your website should have “alt text” (short for alternative text). This is a short description attached to it that’s invisible to most visitors, but is read aloud by screen reader software used by people with visual impairments.
When you write alt text, describe what’s in the image and why it’s there. Check out these examples of two different kinds of alt text for the image above.
Not helpful: “image1.jpg”
Very helpful: “Man wearing a plaid shirt and in a wheelchair smiles as he plays guitar”
If an image is purely decorative (like a background pattern), you can leave the alt text blank—that tells the screen reader to skip it.
2. Use Text Colors and Sizes That Are Easy to Read
There should be a strong contrast between your text color and the background behind it. If it’s hard for a sighted person to read, imagine how difficult it is for someone with low vision.
Dark text on a light background (like black on white, or dark navy on light gray) is almost always a safe choice. Light gray text on a white background, for example, fails accessibility standards.
A few other things to keep in mind:
- Don’t rely on color alone to communicate something important. For example, avoid saying “Click the red button to continue” — not everyone perceives color the same way.
- Website text should be at least 16 pixels in size, and preferably larger.
- Make it text-zoom friendly, ensuring it works well when visitors use their browser’s built-in text zoom feature.
3. Structure Your Page with Headings
Headings are the titles and subtitles that organize your page content. They help all visitors scan content quickly, but they’re especially important for people who use screen readers, which can jump between headings to navigate a page.
The key is to use headings in order: the main page title is Heading 1, major sections are Heading 2, sub-sections are Heading 3, and so on. Don’t skip levels or use headings just to make text look big and bold—that confuses the structure.
Making text larger or bold without using a proper heading style doesn’t count—a screen reader won’t recognize it as a heading.
4. Link and Button Text Should Tell People Where They’re Going
Links should describe where they lead. When someone using a screen reader skips through links on a page, they hear each link on its own, without the surrounding sentence. Vague link text makes this experience confusing and unhelpful.
Less helpful: “Click here” or “Read more”
More helpful: “Download the 2025 Annual Accessibility Report (PDF)”
If a link opens in a new browser window or leads to a file download, say so. People want to know what’s going to happen before they click.
5. Make Sure Forms Are Easy to Use
Contact forms, sign-up forms, and any other form on your website need to be accessible, too. The most common mistake is using placeholder text (the faint gray text inside a form field) as the only label.
The problem here is that placeholder text disappears the moment someone starts typing, leaving them to guess what should go in the field. Instead, every form field should have a visible label above or beside it that stays in place.
Also make sure that if someone fills out a form incorrectly, they get a clear, helpful message telling them what went wrong and how to fix it.
6. Add Captions and Transcripts to Video and Audio
If your website includes video or audio content, people who are deaf or hard of hearing need a way to access it. That means:
- Adding captions to all videos. Many common video players used on websites, like Vimeo and YouTube, have auto-generated captions that may suffice, but they should always be reviewed first.
- Providing written transcripts for audio-only content like podcasts or recorded interviews. There are several free transcription tools that can help you accomplish this—like Otter, Whisper, and Descript.
- Making sure video players have controls that work with keyboard-only navigation
7. Don’t Put Important Text Inside Images
Text that’s baked into an image can’t be read by screen readers or resized by someone with low vision.
Whenever possible, use real, live text on your website. If you must use an image with text, make sure that same information is also available as readable text elsewhere on the page (including in the alt text of the image).
8. Make Sure People Can Use Your Site Without a Mouse
Some visitors navigate websites entirely by keyboard, using the Tab key to move between links, buttons, and forms. Others use specialized devices that mimic keyboard input.
Build your site with keyboard controls in mind. A properly built website allows all interactive elements—buttons, links, menus, forms—to be reached and used with a keyboard alone. If your site has pop-ups, videos, or interactive features, they need to be keyboard-friendly, too.
9. Avoid Auto-Playing Video or Sound
Automatically playing video or audio when someone lands on your page can be disorienting for users, especially those with certain cognitive or sensory conditions. It can also interfere with screen readers.
Let visitors choose to play media. If you do use any animations or moving elements, make sure users can pause or stop them.
How to Check Your Website’s Accessibility
You don’t need to hire a specialist to do a basic accessibility check. There are free tools that scan your website and flag common issues:
- WAVE (wave.webaim.org): A free tool that visually highlights accessibility problems on any web page
- Google Lighthouse: Built into the Chrome browser; run an audit from any page
- Color Contrast Checkers: Tools like WebAIM’s Contrast Checker let you test whether your text colors meet accessibility standards
For WordPress websites, there are also plug-ins that help identify and fix some common issues automatically. These are great support tools, but they’re not a substitute for the content practices described above.
Accessibility Is an Ongoing Practice
This isn’t an exhaustive list, but it covers the issues we see most often. The good news: once you understand these principles, most of them become second nature. Writing good alt text, using headings correctly, and choosing readable colors are habits that quickly become part of how you work.
Remember, an accessible website is a better website—clearer, faster to navigate, and easier to find through search engines. It’s a win for your users and for you.
If you have questions about your website’s accessibility or need help making improvements, we’re here for you. Reach out to us anytime.
