User Experience Design
Website Accessibility Standards: A Guide for Business Owners
We build accessibility into every website we design and develop. This guide is for business owners who want their website to work for every visitor. It explains what accessibility means, the standards that apply and where to start. Use it before a redesign or audit, so your site welcomes customers rather than shutting them out.
What website accessibility means
An accessible website works for people with a wide range of abilities. That includes people who are blind or partially sighted, deaf, or who have motor, cognitive or learning disabilities. Many use assistive technology, such as screen readers, magnifiers or keyboard navigation. An accessible site works with those tools rather than against them.
Accessibility also helps people without a disability. Clear text, good contrast and simple forms make a site easier for everyone. They help on small screens, in bright sunlight and on slow connections. Accessible sites often perform better in search results as well.
UK businesses have legal duties not to discriminate against disabled customers. The Equality Act 2010 requires reasonable adjustments, which includes access to services online. Public sector bodies have specific accessibility regulations for their websites. Building accessibility in from the start costs far less than fixing it later.
The WCAG standards explained
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, known as WCAG, are the internationally recognised standard for web accessibility. They are organised around four principles. Each principle contains guidelines with testable success criteria. The four principles are set out below.
- Perceivable: people can see or hear the content, such as text alternatives for images.
- Operable: people can use the site, such as navigating with a keyboard only.
- Understandable: content and controls are clear and predictable.
- Robust: the site works with current and future assistive technology.
WCAG has three conformance levels: A, AA and AAA. Level AA is the common target for business and public sector websites. Level AAA is very demanding and rarely required for a whole site.
Where to start with accessibility
Most websites can fix their biggest accessibility problems with a few focused changes. Automated tools catch many issues quickly. Manual checks find the rest. Start with these steps.
- Run an automated checker, such as WAVE or axe, on your main pages.
- Check that every image has suitable alternative text.
- Test that you can use the whole site with a keyboard only.
- Check colour contrast for text and buttons.
- Make sure forms have clear labels and helpful error messages.
- Test key pages with a screen reader, such as NVDA or VoiceOver.
Fix problems on your most important pages first, such as your homepage, service pages and contact form. Our website accessibility checklist covers each step in detail.
Accessibility checklist
Use this checklist to start reviewing your website's accessibility. Each item covers a common barrier for disabled visitors. Note any gaps to fix first.
- Automated check run on main pages
- Alternative text added to meaningful images
- Whole site usable with a keyboard only
- Text and button colour contrast checked
- Form fields labelled with clear error messages
- Key pages tested with a screen reader
- Accessibility statement published
Good to know
Accessibility FAQs
Is website accessibility a legal requirement in the UK?+
The Equality Act 2010 requires businesses to make reasonable adjustments for disabled customers, which includes online services. Public sector bodies must also meet specific accessibility regulations. Requirements vary by organisation type, so check your obligations. Building to WCAG AA is a sound approach for most businesses.
What is WCAG 2.2?+
WCAG 2.2 is a recent version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. It builds on earlier versions and adds new success criteria. Meeting WCAG 2.2 also meets most earlier criteria. Most businesses aim for Level AA.
Can an accessibility overlay make my site compliant?+
Overlay tools rarely fix underlying accessibility problems. Many disabled users find they get in the way of their own assistive technology. Lasting accessibility comes from well-built code, content and design. Fix issues at the source instead.
Keep this guide with your website plan and audit notes. Share it with your designer, developer and content writers. So you can build a website that every customer can use.
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