Making your website accessible isn't just ethical - it improves your SEO and conversion rates too.
Web accessibility means making your website usable by everyone, including people with visual, hearing, motor, or cognitive impairments. In the UK, approximately 1 in 5 people have a disability of some kind. Making your website accessible isn't just the right thing to do - it's also good business and good for SEO.
The basics start with proper colour contrast. Text should have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 against its background. Light grey text on a white background might look elegant, but it's unreadable for millions of people. Use a contrast checker tool to verify your colour combinations meet WCAG guidelines.
All images should have alt text that describes what the image shows. This helps screen reader users understand your content and also gives Google additional context about your images, which improves your SEO. An alt text of 'completed boiler installation in a Manchester semi-detached home' is far more useful than 'image1' or no alt text at all.
Ensure your website can be navigated using a keyboard alone. Some users can't use a mouse, relying instead on the Tab key to move between links and buttons. Test this yourself: can you reach your contact form, fill it in, and submit it using only your keyboard? If not, there's work to do.