Website accessibility basics mean making your site usable by people with disabilities, following the W3C's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Start with 10 checks: alt text, headings, contrast, keyboard use, visible focus, labelled forms, clear links, captions, readable text sizes and no content that relies on colour alone.
Key Takeaways
- WCAG, from the W3C, is the common reference for web accessibility, with levels A, AA and AAA.
- Its four principles are that content must be perceivable, operable, understandable and robust.
- Ten basic checks catch many common problems and also make sites clearer for everyone.
- Accessible sites often work better for search engines, because structure and text alternatives are clearer.
- Some laws require it: Ontario sets WCAG 2.0 Level AA for public sector bodies and firms employing 50 or more people.
What Are Website Accessibility Basics?
Web accessibility means people with disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate and interact with your website. That includes people who are blind and use screen readers, people with low vision who zoom in, people who cannot use a mouse, people with hearing loss and people with cognitive or learning differences. Many older customers benefit too, as do people on small screens or in bright sunlight.
The W3C, the body that sets web standards, publishes the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, known as WCAG. The current version is WCAG 2.2. It is organised around four principles, that content must be perceivable, operable, understandable and robust, with success criteria at three levels: A, AA and AAA. Most organisations aim for Level AA.
What Is the 10-Point Basic Checklist?
| # | Check | What it means in practice |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Text alternatives | Meaningful images have short alt text; decorative images are marked as decorative |
| 2 | Headings in order | One main heading, then logical subheadings, so screen reader users can skim |
| 3 | Colour contrast | Text stands out clearly from its background, including on buttons |
| 4 | Not colour alone | Errors and required fields are shown with text or icons, not only red colour |
| 5 | Keyboard use | Every menu, button and form works with the Tab and Enter keys |
| 6 | Visible focus | You can see which element is selected when using the keyboard |
| 7 | Labelled forms | Each field has a visible label and clear error messages |
| 8 | Descriptive links | Link text says where it goes, not "click here" |
| 9 | Captions and transcripts | Videos have captions; audio has a transcript |
| 10 | Resizable text | Text can be enlarged without breaking the layout or hiding content |
These basics do not make a site fully compliant with WCAG AA, which has many more criteria, but they fix many of the most common barriers.
Why Does Accessibility Help Customers and Search?
Accessibility is first about people: customers who cannot use your site cannot buy from you. It also improves usability for everyone, a point the W3C makes in its introduction to accessibility. Several accessible practices help search engines too. Clear headings show page structure, alt text describes images, descriptive links explain where they go, and text content is easier to read than text inside images. Lighthouse, Google's free audit tool, includes an accessibility score alongside performance and SEO.
Is Website Accessibility a Legal Requirement?
It depends on where you operate and your size. One clear example: the Government of Ontario states that, under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, designated public sector organisations and businesses or non-profits with 50 or more employees must make public websites meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA, a requirement in force since 1 January 2021. Other countries and regions, including the UK, the US and the EU, have their own laws and guidance, and how they apply to private businesses varies. If you serve customers in those markets, take local legal advice. Our Canadian small business guide covers Ontario in more detail.
How Do You Test Accessibility?
- Run Lighthouse in Chrome and review the accessibility findings.
- Put the mouse away and use only the keyboard to complete key tasks, such as sending an enquiry.
- Zoom the page to 200% and check nothing is cut off.
- Try a free screen reader on your phone or computer on the home and contact pages.
- Ask someone who uses assistive technology for feedback if you can.
Automated tools find only some problems; manual checks matter.
What We Would Build for You
We build with these ten basics as standard, test key pages with Lighthouse and keyboard checks, and can test against WCAG AA where clients need it, for example in Ontario. Accessible builds cost the same as any of our sites, from Rs 40,500. See our business websites service, the website launch checklist and the guide to getting found on Google.
Frequently Asked Questions
How We Researched This Guide
WCAG version, principles and levels come from the W3C's WCAG 2.2 and overview pages, and the Ontario requirement from the Government of Ontario, checked 29 October 2026. The 10-point list is our plain-English selection of common checks, not the full standard. We state no UK, US or EU legal rules and advise local advice.
Sources
- W3C — Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2
- W3C — WCAG overview
- W3C — Introduction to web accessibility
- Government of Ontario — How to make websites accessible
- Chrome for Developers — Lighthouse overview
Disclosure: Kamboh Associates sells the web development services discussed here. Other providers' prices are quoted from their own public pages on the dates shown and may have changed. We correct errors as soon as they are reported. First published ; last reviewed .
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