Web Design
The SMB Guide to Making Your Website and Documents Digitally Accessible
The UK Click-Away Pound Survey 2019 found that 69 percent of disabled online shoppers click away from websites they find difficult to use. Learn practical steps, based on WCAG 2.2, to make your website and documents welcoming to everyone.
Have you ever thought about how many potential customers leave your website because of accessibility issues? It is not just a guess. The UK's Click-Away Pound Survey 2019 found that 69 percent of disabled online shoppers click away from websites they find difficult to use. For small and medium businesses, this represents a significant missed opportunity.
So, how do you make your website and documents digitally accessible? The most widely used benchmark is the W3C's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2, first published as a W3C Recommendation in October 2023. Level AA conformance is the usual target. This guide will show you simple, actionable steps, based on WCAG, to make your website and documents welcoming to everyone.
Understand How People Use Your Site
It is easy to think your website is intuitive just because it works for you. But that does not mean it works for everyone. Some people use a keyboard instead of a mouse. Others rely on screen readers that read text aloud or use voice commands to navigate a page. Testing how real users with disabilities interact with your website can show you things you might never notice.
The most valuable insights come from real users. Invite feedback from people who use assistive technologies. Watch how they navigate your site, where they get stuck, and how they interpret your content. You will often find that small design or content changes can remove significant barriers.
Make Your Visuals Accessible for All
Visual accessibility is one of the most common areas that websites overlook. Millions of people have some degree of visual impairment and rely on different aids to access digital content.
Text should clearly stand out against its background, even for people with low vision or color blindness. WCAG 2.2 Level AA calls for a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. Use free tools like the Contrast Checker from WebAIM to make verification easy. Do not rely on color alone to convey meaning, such as marking required form fields only in red, and give every meaningful image descriptive alt text.
Make Documents User-Friendly
Many businesses share important information through downloadable documents like PDFs, Word files, or PowerPoint presentations. Unfortunately, many of these documents are inaccessible by default.
When creating a PDF, make sure that it is tagged. Tagged PDFs have structural information such as headings, paragraphs, and tables, which makes the PDF more readable for screen readers. Make sure to include alt text for images and organize content so it reads correctly for users relying on assistive technology. A simple test for accessibility before sending or uploading the document can make sure that it can be read by everyone.
Make Reading Easier and Reduce Mental Effort
Some users may learn in a different way or have cognitive disabilities that affect how they read and interpret information. But even those without diagnosed disabilities enjoy plain and uncluttered content.
Use plain language. Avoid using complex, long sentences or jargon where a straightforward explanation will do. Break your writing up into short paragraphs with explanatory subheadings. This is easier for everyone to read and find what they require in a short amount of time.
The fonts you choose also matter. WCAG does not require a particular font or minimum size, but clear sans-serif typefaces such as Arial or Verdana, comfortable body text sizes, and generous line spacing make reading easier for everyone. Make sure text can be enlarged to 200 percent without breaking the page, and avoid long passages in all caps or italics, which are harder to read.
Support People with Hearing or Mobility Needs
Accessibility goes beyond visual or cognitive needs. Millions of people have hearing or physical disabilities that affect how they use technology.
Provide captions or transcripts for all video and audio content to support deaf or hard-of-hearing visitors. Consistently adding these is important, as many viewers watch videos on mute, especially at work or in public. Transcripts also help search engines index your content, giving your site a slight SEO boost.
For users with limited mobility, ensure that your website is completely accessible with only a keyboard. All links, buttons, and form fields should be reachable using the Tab key, with a visible focus indicator that is not hidden behind sticky headers or pop-ups. WCAG 2.2 added requirements in this area: clickable targets should be at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels or adequately spaced, anything that works by dragging needs a simple click or tap alternative, and sign-in should not depend on solving a puzzle or remembering information when an accessible alternative, such as allowing password managers to fill in credentials, is available.
Keep Improving Through Feedback and Data
Accessibility is not a one-time project. It is an ongoing process. Each time you update your site or add new content, test to ensure everything remains accessible. Encourage visitors to provide feedback if they encounter issues, and consider including an accessibility statement on your site to show your commitment and provide contact information for support.
Accessibility gap insights can also be provided by analytics tools. When you notice users abandoning pages or forms, it is usually an indication of an accessibility or usability issue.
Make Accessibility Part of Your Brand
For SMBs, accessibility can seem like just another item on an already long to-do list. But it is a smart investment in your reputation and customer relationships. When your website and documents are accessible, you are showing your audience that your business is thoughtful, inclusive, and professional. You are also reducing legal risk. The U.S. Department of Justice's guidance on web accessibility says the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to the goods and services businesses open to the public offer online. The department has not issued a detailed technical standard for private businesses, but its guidance points to WCAG as a helpful existing standard.
The good news is that beauty and accessibility can go hand in hand. You can have a modern, visually striking website that is also accessible, by thoughtfully choosing colors, design elements, and language that welcome everyone.
Ready to Make Your Website More Accessible?
Accessibility is not only a technical requirement. It is about people. It is about ensuring everyone, no matter what their ability, can read your content, fill out your forms, or download your documents. For business owners, that is the essence of good service: meeting customers where they are and including everyone.
By investing the time to make your documents and site accessible, you are opening doors and removing barriers. Whether you are doing your color contrast check, adding alt text to images, naming PDFs, or performing keyboard navigation testing, each step brings you closer to a more inclusive online experience.
Ready to make your website accessible, user-friendly, and welcoming to all visitors? Let us help you transform your site into a powerful asset for your business. Contact us today to get expert guidance and start creating an accessible, modern website that works for everyone.