Learn why website accessibility matters and practical steps to make your small business website usable for visitors with disabilities.
Website accessibility ensures that people with disabilities can use your website effectively. Beyond being the right thing to do, it's increasingly important for legal compliance and can actually improve the experience for all users.
Why Accessibility Matters
The Numbers
Approximately 26% of Americans have some form of disability. That's a significant portion of your potential customers who might struggle to use an inaccessible website.
Legal Requirements
ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) lawsuits against websites have increased dramatically. Businesses of all sizes have faced legal action for inaccessible websites.
Better for Everyone
Accessibility improvements often benefit all users. Clear navigation, readable text, and good contrast help everyone—not just those with disabilities.
SEO Benefits
Many accessibility practices also improve SEO. Proper heading structure, image alt text, and clean code all help search engines understand your content.
Types of Disabilities to Consider
Visual Impairments
Including blindness, low vision, and color blindness. These users may use screen readers or screen magnifiers.
Hearing Impairments
Deaf and hard of hearing users need alternatives to audio content.
Motor Disabilities
Users who can't use a mouse need to navigate using keyboards or other assistive devices.
Cognitive Disabilities
Including learning disabilities, attention deficits, and memory issues. Clear, simple content helps these users.
Practical Accessibility Steps
1. Add Alt Text to All Images
Screen readers read alt text to describe images. Every meaningful image needs descriptive alt text; decorative images can have empty alt attributes.
2. Ensure Sufficient Color Contrast
Text must have enough contrast against its background to be readable. Use tools like WebAIM's Contrast Checker to verify.
3. Use Proper Heading Structure
Headings (H1, H2, H3, etc.) should follow a logical hierarchy. Screen reader users navigate by headings.
4. Make Forms Accessible
Every form field needs a proper label. Error messages should be clear and associated with the relevant field.
5. Enable Keyboard Navigation
Users should be able to navigate your entire site using only a keyboard. Test by tabbing through your pages.
6. Provide Video Captions
All video content should have captions. This helps deaf users and anyone watching without sound.
7. Use Descriptive Link Text
"Click here" tells screen reader users nothing. Use descriptive text like "Contact us for a free quote."
8. Ensure Responsive Design
Users who zoom in to see content shouldn't lose functionality. Your site should work at various zoom levels.
Testing Your Site
Several tools can help identify accessibility issues:
- WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool
- Google Lighthouse (in Chrome DevTools)
- axe DevTools browser extension
WCAG Guidelines
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) provide the standard for web accessibility. Aim for at least Level AA compliance.
At Sippican Digital, we build accessibility into every website we create. Contact us for an accessibility audit of your current site or to discuss an accessible new website.
