Creating Truly Accessible Websites: A Comprehensive Guide

Why Accessible Websites Matter

Accessible websites are digital platforms designed and developed to be usable by everyone, including people with disabilities, ensuring equal access to information and functionality. In today’s digital landscape, ensuring your website is accessible to all users isn’t just good practice; it’s essential. Accessible websites provide equal access and opportunity to people with diverse abilities, creating an inclusive online environment where everyone can engage with your content, services, and products.

Web accessibility ensures that people with disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with websites effectively. This includes individuals with visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, and neurological disabilities. However, the benefits of accessible websites extend far beyond this specific audience.

Accessible websites offer advantages for:

Older individuals with changing abilities due to ageing
People with temporary disabilities like a broken arm or lost glasses
People with situational limitations such as bright sunlight or environments where audio can’t be heard
Users with slow internet connections or limited or expensive bandwidth
Those using alternative devices to access the web

Beyond the moral imperative, there are compelling business reasons to prioritise web accessibility:

Expanded audience reach: Accessible websites can be used by more people, increasing your potential audience.
Enhanced brand reputation: Demonstrating a commitment to inclusion strengthens your brand image.
Legal compliance: Many countries have enacted legislation requiring digital accessibility, including the Equality Act 2010 in the UK.
Improved SEO: Many accessibility best practices align with search engine optimisation techniques.
Better user experience for everyone: Clear navigation, readable text, and intuitive design benefit all users.

Key Principles of Accessible Website Design

1. Perceivable Information and User Interface

Content must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive, regardless of their abilities.

Text Alternatives for Non-text Content
All images, buttons, and form elements should include descriptive alt text that screen readers can interpret. For example, instead of an image with a vague description like “graph,” good practice would include a detailed description such as “Bar graph showing increasing website traffic from January to December 2024, with a 45% overall growth.”

Captions and Alternatives for Multimedia
Videos should include closed captions and audio descriptions, whilst audio content should have transcripts.

Adaptable Content
Content should be presentable in different ways without losing information or structure. This includes:

Using proper HTML structure for headers, navigation, main content, and sections
Creating layouts that work in portrait and landscape orientations
Ensuring content remains meaningful when stylesheets are disabled

Distinguishable Content
Make it easier for users to see and hear content by:

Using sufficient colour contrast (minimum ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text)
Not relying solely on colour to convey information
Providing controls to pause, stop, or adjust the volume of audio
Avoiding text that’s presented as images when possible

2. Operable User Interface and Navigation

Interface components and navigation must be operable by diverse users.

Keyboard Accessibility
All functionality should be available using a keyboard alone, without requiring specific timing for individual keystrokes. This includes:

Logical tab order that follows the visual layout
Visible focus indicators
Custom keyboard shortcuts where appropriate
No keyboard traps that prevent users from moving away from a component

Sufficient Time
Provide users enough time to read and use content by:

Allowing them to turn off, adjust, or extend time limits
Pausing content that starts automatically and moves
Avoiding content that flashes more than three times per second

Navigable Content
Help users navigate and find content by:

Providing descriptive page titles
Using headings and labels that accurately describe topics or purpose
Creating multiple ways to locate a page (navigation menus, site search, sitemaps)
Ensuring link text makes sense out of context (“Read more about accessibility” rather than just “Click here”)

3. Understandable Information and Interface

Information and operation of the user interface must be understandable.

Readable Text
Make text content readable and understandable by:

Identifying the language of the page and any changes in language
Providing definitions for unusual words or phrases
Expanding abbreviations
Writing in clear, simple language appropriate for your audience

Predictable Operation
Make web pages appear and operate in predictable ways by:

Maintaining consistent navigation across the site
Ensuring components with the same functionality have consistent labels
Avoiding unexpected changes when a user inputs information or focuses on an element

Input Assistance
Help users avoid and correct mistakes by:

Providing clear labels and instructions for forms
Identifying input errors specifically and suggesting corrections
Confirming submissions on important transactions

4. Robust Content and Reliable Interpretation

Content must be robust enough to be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies.

Compatible with Current and Future Tools
Maximise compatibility with current and future user tools by:

Using valid HTML with proper document structure
Providing appropriate information for all user interface components
Ensuring custom controls work with assistive technologies

Practical Steps for Business Owners Seeking Accessible Websites

Choose the Right Web Design Partner
When looking for a web design agency to create an accessible website:

Ask about their experience with accessibility standards
Request examples of accessible websites they’ve built
Inquire about their testing processes for accessibility
Ensure they understand both technical and user experience aspects of accessibility

Understand the Requirements for Your Site
Different businesses may need different levels of accessibility depending on:

Your audience demographics
Legal requirements in your industry
The complexity of your website functionality
Your business goals and values

Plan for Ongoing Maintenance
Accessibility isn’t a one-time achievement:

Regular content updates need to maintain accessibility standards
New features should be tested for accessibility before launch
User feedback should be collected and addressed
Periodic accessibility audits help identify areas for improvement

Common Accessibility Features in Modern Websites

Alternative Navigation Options

Skip to content links
Breadcrumb navigation
Site search functionality
Clear, consistent menu structures

Readability Enhancements

Adjustable text sizes
High contrast modes
Line spacing and paragraph structure that improve readability
Readable fonts designed for screen display

Helpful Assistive Features

Form field autocomplete where appropriate
Error prevention techniques
Helpful error messages
Alternative contact methods (phone, email, chat)

The Business Case for Investing in Accessible Websites

Expanded Market Reach
In the UK alone, there are approximately 14.6 million disabled people. By making your website accessible, you’re not just doing the right thing morally, you’re also tapping into a significant market that competitors with inaccessible websites might be missing.

Reduced Legal Risk
The Equality Act 2010 places obligations on service providers (which includes website owners) to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people. Having an accessible website helps protect your business from potential claims of discrimination.

Enhanced Public Image
Consumers increasingly support businesses that demonstrate social responsibility. An accessible website signals your commitment to inclusion and equality, potentially attracting customers who share these values.

Improved User Experience for Everyone
Many accessibility features benefit all users. Clear navigation, readable content, and intuitive design make your website more usable for everyone, potentially increasing engagement, reducing bounce rates, and improving conversion rates.

Our Accessible Website Work

At Eighty3 Design, we’re proud to have created accessible websites for a variety of clients. One notable example is Human Matters, where we implemented a range of accessibility features while maintaining an attractive, professional design. Our client Shelley Vaisey shared: “From start to finish the website design, build, go live and support I got from Emily, Rebecca and Dan was outstanding!”

You can explore more examples of our accessible website designs in our portfolio, showcasing how we balance beautiful design with inclusive functionality across different industries and business types.

In Conclusion...

Creating truly accessible websites benefits everyone and demonstrates your commitment to inclusion and equality. By following these principles and practices, you can ensure your digital presence welcomes all users, regardless of their abilities or how they access the web.

Remember that accessibility is a journey, not a destination. Even small improvements can make a significant difference in someone’s ability to use your website. Start where you are, address the most critical issues first, and continually work toward more inclusive web experiences.

By making your websites accessible, you’re not just complying with guidelines or laws, you’re recognising the fundamental right of all people to access information and services in our increasingly digital world.