Web accessibility means making your website usable by everyone, including people with disabilities. Beyond being the right thing to do, it's increasingly a legal requirement and has significant business benefits. Here's a practical guide to getting started.
Why Accessibility Matters
Over 1 billion people worldwide live with some form of disability. In Canada alone, 22% of the population identifies as having a disability.
Legal Requirement: In Quebec and Ontario, accessibility standards are law. The AODA requires accessible websites.
Business Case: Accessible websites serve more customers and often perform better in search rankings.
Better for Everyone: Accessibility improvements often benefit all users—clear navigation, good contrast, and keyboard access help everyone.
Common Accessibility Barriers
Visual: Images without alt text, poor color contrast, text that can't be resized, content only conveyed through color.
Hearing: Videos without captions, audio content without transcripts.
Motor: Interfaces requiring precise mouse control, time limits without extensions, small click targets.
Cognitive: Complex language, inconsistent navigation, distracting animations, unclear error messages.
Understanding these barriers helps you identify and address issues on your site.
Essential Accessibility Fixes
These changes address the most common issues:
1. Alt Text: Describe all meaningful images for screen reader users
2. Keyboard Navigation: Ensure all functions work with keyboard only
3. Color Contrast: Maintain at least 4.5:1 ratio for normal text
4. Heading Structure: Use proper heading hierarchy (H1, H2, H3)
5. Form Labels: Every input needs a visible, associated label
6. Link Text: Links should describe their destination, not just say 'click here'
7. Focus Indicators: Keep visible outlines on focused elements
Testing Your Website
Start with these approaches:
Automated Tools: Use free tools like WAVE or axe to identify obvious issues.
Keyboard Testing: Try navigating your entire site using only Tab, Enter, and arrow keys.
Screen Reader: Test with VoiceOver (Mac) or NVDA (Windows) to experience how blind users navigate.
Color Testing: Use browser extensions to simulate color blindness.
Zoom Testing: Enlarge your page to 200% and check if everything remains usable.
Automated tools catch about 30% of issues—manual testing is essential.
WCAG Standards Explained
WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is the international standard for accessibility.
Level A: Minimum accessibility, addressing the most serious barriers.
Level AA: The recommended level for most websites and often the legal requirement.
Level AAA: Highest level, may not be achievable for all content.
WCAG is organized around four principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust (POUR). Content must meet all four to be truly accessible.
Building Accessibility Into Your Process
The most effective approach is building accessibility in from the start:
- Include accessibility requirements in design briefs
- Choose accessible technologies and frameworks
- Test during development, not just at the end
- Train content creators on accessible writing
- Include accessibility in quality assurance
- Plan for ongoing monitoring and updates
Retrofitting accessibility is always more expensive than building it in from the beginning.
Accessibility isn't just about compliance—it's about ensuring everyone can use your website effectively. Start with the essential fixes, test regularly, and make accessibility part of your ongoing web practice. The effort benefits more users than you might expect, including those with temporary disabilities or situational limitations.