Website accessibility is about making a website easier for more people to use. That includes people using screen readers, keyboards, zoom settings, voice tools, mobile devices, older hardware, or assistive technology. It also includes everyday situations: someone reading outside in bright light, using a cracked phone screen, holding a child while trying to complete a form, or watching a video without sound.
For business websites, accessibility is practical. If someone cannot read a service page, open the menu, submit a form, or understand what a button does, the website is getting in the way of the business goal.
This guide is a starting point. It is not a full accessibility audit or legal opinion, but it can help you review common issues before they turn into lost inquiries.
How to Use This Guide
Do not start by checking every page at random. Start with your most important pages - such as the homepage, contact page, and service pages.
- Pick the key pages. For most businesses, that means the homepage, main service pages, contact page, forms, booking pages, checkout steps, and any landing pages used for ads.
- Choose the main task on each page. A visitor may need to request a quote, book an appointment, find hours, compare services, read instructions, or submit a support request.
- Try the task in a few ways. Use a phone. Zoom in. Navigate with the Tab key. Read the page without relying on imagery. If something becomes confusing, note where it happens.
This kind of review catches practical issues fairly quickly. A website can look polished and still fail when someone tries to complete a simple task.
Readability Comes First
Readable text is one of the easiest accessibility basics to overlook. A page might look clean in a design mockup, then become hard to read on a phone.
Check text size and spacing
Body text should be comfortable to read without zooming. Line spacing should give the text room to breathe. Long paragraphs should be broken up when they become tiring to scan.
Watch for small footer links, thin font weights, cramped form labels, and captions that are treated like decoration. Those details are easy to miss during a quick design review.
Check contrast
Low-contrast text is common on modern websites. Light grey text on a white background may look subtle, but it can be difficult to read. Text placed over photos can also fail when the image crops differently on mobile.
Useful tool: test important colour combinations with the Colour Contrast Checker. Start with buttons, navigation, form labels, body text, alerts, and footer links.
Headings Explain the Page
Headings explain the structure of the page, so they're more important than many realize.
A good service page should still make sense if someone scans only the headings. For example:
- Website Maintenance
- What We Monitor
- What Happens When Something Breaks
- Monthly Support Options
- Request Help
That structure gives the visitor a clear path. A page with headings like 'Our Difference', 'Better Solutions', and 'Let’s Go Further' may sound polished, but it gives less help to someone trying to understand the page quickly.
Heading basics
Use one H1 for the page title, use H2s for major sections, and use H3s when a section needs smaller parts. Avoid choosing heading levels because of font size alone; styling can be adjusted without breaking the structure.
Links and Buttons Should Say What They Do
Vague link text creates unnecessary friction. 'Click here' and 'learn more' are not very useful in the grand scheme of things when someone is scanning a page or using assistive technology to jump between links.
Clearer examples:
- Book a consultation
- Download the intake form
Buttons need the same attention. A scheduling page button that says 'Choose an Appointment Time', for example, is more helpful than 'Continue'.
Alt Text Needs Context
Alt text gives images a text alternative. The best description depends on the purpose of the image.
| Image Type | Alt Text Approach |
|---|---|
| Decorative background | Usually empty or minimal, especially if it adds no real information. |
| Project photo | Describe the useful detail, such as the finished result or feature being shown. |
| Chart or diagram | Summarize the meaning, not every visual element. |
| Software screenshot | Explain what the screenshot demonstrates. |
| Team photo | Identify the team or context if it supports trust or recognition. |
Avoid treating alt text like an SEO field. It should help someone understand the image, not repeat a keyword phrase across every file.
Importance of Colour
Colour can support meaning, but it should not be the only way important information is explained.
A couple examples include a form field that only turns red does not tell the visitor what went wrong, and a chart that separates values only by colour may be hard to understand for people with colour vision differences.
Add text where it matters. "Enter a phone number with an area code" is more useful than a red outline by itself.
Forms Need Extra Care
Forms are often where accessibility issues become business issues. If someone cannot submit a contact request or complete checkout, the website has failed at an important moment.
Labels should stay visible
Placeholder text is not a proper replacement for labels. It disappears once someone starts typing, and it can be difficult to review later. Each field should have a visible label that remains available while the form is being completed.
Error messages should help
Compare these two messages:
Less helpful: Invalid input.
More helpful: Enter a phone number with an area code.
The second message gives the visitor something to fix. Good error messages reduce frustration and make it more likely that the form will be completed.
Form Confirmation
After a form is submitted, show a clear confirmation. If someone requested a quote, tell them the request was received and what happens next. A silent submission leaves people wondering whether they should try again.
Keyboard Access
Open an important page and press the Tab key. You should be able to move through links, buttons, menus, form fields, and other interactive elements in a logical order.
The current focus should be visible. If you cannot tell where you are on the page, that is a problem.
Pay close attention to:
- Dropdown menus
- Cookie banners
- Popups and modal windows
- Sliders and carousels
- Accordions
- Custom buttons
- Multi-step forms
These are common places where keyboard navigation falls apart. A visitor shouldn't get trapped inside a popup or skip past an important button without realizing it.
Mobile Accessibility Is Not Separate
A site can pass a desktop review and still be frustrating on a phone. Mobile screens make small problems more obvious. Try the important tasks on an actual device. Open the menu, read a service page, complete a form, tap the main call to action, and check whether anything blocks the screen.
Common mobile issues include sticky headers that take up too much room, chat bubbles covering buttons, popups that are hard to close, and forms that require too much typing. These issues affect many visitors, not only people using assistive technology.
Limit Popups, Sliders, and Motion
Interactive elements are not automatically bad. They become a problem when they interrupt the visitor or make the page harder to control.
Use these features carefully. Let visitors close interruptions, avoid putting essential information only inside a slider, and make sure movement does not interfere with reading, tapping, or filling out forms.
Media Captions
If a video explains a service, include the key points as text on the page. Captions help people who are deaf or hard of hearing, and they also help people watching without sound.
The W3C Web Accessibility Initiative explains how accessibility supports people with different abilities and improves usability in everyday situations, including mobile use and temporary limitations.
Layout Changes Affecting Instructions
Avoid instructions that depend on position, shape, or colour. "Click the green button on the right" may not work once the page stacks on mobile. While "Select Request a Quote" is more reliable.
This is especially important on booking pages, checkout steps, account setup, support forms, and project intake forms. A visitor should not have to interpret the layout before they can follow the instruction.
Accessibility Widgets Are Not a Full Fix
Accessibility overlays and widgets are often sold as quick solutions. Some add controls for contrast, text size, or reading modes, but they do not replace accessible structure, proper labels, keyboard support, readable content, and clean code.
If a form is missing labels or a menu cannot be used with a keyboard, an overlay does not solve the root issue. Accessibility is more reliable when it is built into the website instead of layered on after the fact.
Ontario and Compliance Notes
Ontario businesses may need to consider accessibility requirements under the AODA, depending on organization type, size, and content.
Ontario's guide on how to make websites accessible explains requirements for many public websites and web content.
This resource is a practical starting point, not a legal checklist. If compliance is a concern, confirm what applies to the specific organization and website.
Quick Review Checklist
Use this list when reviewing important pages:
- Can visitors complete the main task on desktop and mobile?
- Is the text readable without strain?
- Do key colour combinations have enough contrast?
- Do headings describe the page structure?
- Do links and buttons explain the action?
- Do meaningful images have useful alt text?
- Are form labels visible?
- Do error messages explain how to fix the problem?
- Can menus, buttons, forms, and popups be used with a keyboard?
- Is keyboard focus visible?
- Do important videos or audio clips have captions, transcripts, or written summaries?
- Do popups, sliders, sticky elements, or animations get in the way?
When to Get Help
A Website Accessibility Audit can catch many issues, but some parts of a website need deeper testing. Ecommerce checkout, account portals, booking systems, dashboards, maps, custom forms, and interactive tools can create accessibility problems that are not obvious during a quick pass.
Older websites may also need extra care. Themes, plugins, page builders, custom JavaScript, and third-party embeds can all affect accessibility. A structured review is safer than random fixes because it identifies the issue, where it appears, who it affects, and how it should be fixed.
Start with the basics - readable text, strong contrast, useful headings, clear links, helpful alt text, usable forms, keyboard access, mobile testing, and media alternatives where they are needed.
Small improvements can make a real difference, especially on your most important pages. A website that is easier to use is also easier to trust.
