What Is Website Accessibility and Why Should You Care?

When we talk about website accessibility, we mean designing and building websites so that people with disabilities can use them. This includes people who are blind or have low vision, are deaf or hard of hearing, have motor impairments, or have cognitive disabilities.

But accessibility isn't just a checkbox exercise - it's good business sense.

Who Benefits from Accessible Websites?

The short answer: everyone.

• People with permanent disabilities - People who use a screen reader (software that reads the page aloud), people who navigate with only the keyboard, and people who can't distinguish certain colours.
• People with temporary impairments - A broken arm, an eye infection, a noisy environment where they can't play audio.
• People with situational limitations - Using a phone in bright sunlight, browsing with one hand while holding a child.
• Search engines - Accessible sites are often better structured, which helps Google understand and rank your content.

Approximately 16% of the global population lives with some form of disability (World Health Organization). That's a significant portion of your potential audience.

The Basics of Web Accessibility

You don't need to become an expert overnight. Start with these fundamentals:

1. Alternative Text for Images

Every meaningful image should have alt text (a short description stored in the page code). Screen readers - software that reads web pages aloud for people who are blind or have low vision - read this text so users understand what the image shows.

Bad: alt="IMG_2847.jpg" Good: alt="Team members collaborating around a whiteboard"

2. Keyboard Navigation

Many users navigate websites using only a keyboard (Tab, Enter, Arrow keys). Make sure all interactive elements - links, buttons, forms, menus - are reachable and usable without a mouse.

3. Colour Contrast

Text should have enough contrast against its background - in other words, it should be easy to read. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) recommend a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text (the ratio describes how much the text stands out from the background).

4. Form Labels

Every form input needs a visible, associated label. Placeholder text alone is not enough - it disappears when users start typing and isn't reliably read by assistive technology (tools like screen readers that help people with disabilities use the web).

5. Semantic HTML

Use the right building blocks for their purpose: a button for actions, a link for navigation, headings (H1, H2, etc.) for structure, and so on. This gives assistive technology the context it needs to navigate and announce the page correctly.

Legal Considerations

In many jurisdictions, website accessibility is a legal requirement. The European Accessibility Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and similar legislation around the world increasingly apply to websites and digital services.

Non-compliance can result in lawsuits, fines, and reputational damage. But more importantly, compliance means more people can use your site - and that's good for everyone.

How AuditCrow Checks Accessibility

When you run an AuditCrow scan, we check for common accessibility issues like missing alt text, poor colour contrast, missing form labels, and incorrect heading hierarchy. Each issue is explained in plain language with a clear fix difficulty rating - no jargon. See our website health check page for more, or read 5 SEO quick wins for overlapping improvements.

Accessibility isn't an all-or-nothing endeavour. Every improvement you make opens your site to more people. Start with the basics, and build from there.