“Is my website accessible?” is a question more business owners are asking, usually after a customer complaint, a demand letter, or a client’s procurement form. The rules sound intimidating, but the practical side is manageable. Here is what the main US and UK rules say, what standard people actually aim for, and where I’d start.
What “accessible” means
An accessible website can be used by people with disabilities: someone who is blind and uses a screen reader, someone who can’t use a mouse, someone with low vision or colour blindness, someone who is deaf and needs captions. It also helps people with a broken arm, a bright screen outdoors, or a slow connection. Good accessibility and good usability overlap more than they differ.
The US: the ADA
The Americans with Disabilities Act doesn’t contain technical website rules. In practice, US courts and the Department of Justice have treated websites of businesses open to the public as something that should be usable by people with disabilities, and lawsuits and demand letters over inaccessible sites are common, particularly against e-commerce stores. State and local government websites now have an explicit federal rule pointing to WCAG 2.1 AA. For private businesses, WCAG 2.1 AA is the standard that is almost always used as the yardstick.
The UK: the Equality Act
The Equality Act 2010 requires service providers to make reasonable adjustments so disabled people aren’t put at a disadvantage, and that includes online services. Public sector bodies have a more specific duty under the 2018 accessibility regulations, which require WCAG 2.1 AA and an accessibility statement. Private businesses don’t have a fixed technical test, but WCAG 2.1 AA is again the sensible target and the easiest way to show you have made reasonable efforts.
WCAG 2.1 AA in one paragraph
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the international standard. They’re organised around four ideas: content must be perceivable, operable, understandable and robust. Level AA is the middle tier and the one most laws and contracts refer to. You don’t need to memorise it. You need a site that passes an audit against it.
The problems I find most often
- Missing alt text. Images that convey information have no description for screen readers.
- Low colour contrast. Light grey text on white, or white text on a pale button, is hard to read for many people.
- Forms without labels. Fields that only have placeholder text, or error messages that aren’t announced.
- No keyboard access. Menus, popups and sliders that can’t be reached or closed without a mouse, and no visible focus outline.
- Poor heading structure. Headings chosen for size rather than meaning, which makes pages hard to navigate by screen reader.
- Videos without captions and links that just say “click here”.
Why an overlay widget isn’t the answer
Many vendors sell a one-line script that promises instant compliance. These overlays can’t fix underlying problems in the code, they often interfere with the assistive technology people already use, and having one installed hasn’t protected businesses from complaints. The reliable fix is correcting the site itself.
Where to start
- Run a free automated check (WAVE or Lighthouse). It catches roughly a third of issues, but it’s a quick starting point. Lighthouse also flags speed problems; see why a WordPress site is slow.
- Try your own homepage using only the keyboard. Can you reach the menu, use the contact form and see where you are?
- Fix the high-impact basics: contrast, alt text, form labels, heading order and focus styles.
- Have the key journeys (checkout, contact, booking) tested with a screen reader.
- Publish an accessibility statement and keep a record of what you fixed and when.
This article is general information, not legal advice. If you’ve received a demand letter, speak to a lawyer as well as a developer.
I fix accessibility issues on WordPress, Shopify and other platforms, and I can start with an audit of your current site. See my ADA and accessibility compliance service, or get in touch for a free consultation.