Website Accessibility: Design That Doesn't Suck for Everyone
What Are We Even Talking About?
Ever been stuck on a website that's harder to navigate than IKEA on a Saturday morning during school holidays? That's exactly the chaos that accessibility is supposed to prevent.
Website accessibility is about making your site usable for everyone , including people who use screen readers, keyboard navigation, or just have bad eyesight and don't feel like zooming in 400% just to read your tiny grey text on a light grey background. Think inclusive, not exclusive.
This also means designing for users with cognitive impairments, seizure disorders (yes, your flashing background video is a problem), and mobility limitations. It's not just about ticking checkboxes for compliance, it's about creating an online experience that doesn't exclude anyone simply because you didn't think of them.
Yes, it's for people with disabilities, but spoiler: it improves things for literally everyone. Including you. Right now.
Why You Should Actually Care
Because the internet was supposed to be for everyone, not just able-bodied 20-somethings on high-speed connections. If your site is inaccessible, you're essentially putting up a "No Entry" sign for millions of users. And they'll bounce faster than you can say "we support diversity."
It's also:
Better for SEO (Google likes accessible stuff, screen readers and bots aren't that different when you think about it)
Better for conversions (users stay longer when they're not frustrated by your weird design decisions)
Better for brand perception (nothing says "we care" like making your site usable by actual humans)
Just the right thing to do (you capitalist monster)
Also, hint: accessibility lawsuits are on the rise. Just saying. Target, Beyoncé, Netflix , the big guys have already been hit. Your site might be next.
Make It Suck Less: The Practical Stuff
Write Like a Human (Not a Tech Bro)
Use plain language. Short sentences. Real structure. Your homepage isn't the place to show off your MBA vocab.
If your grandma wouldn't understand it, rewrite it.
Use Alt Text Like It Actually Matters
Alt text = image captions for screen readers. Describe what's happening like a normal person. Every non-decorative image should have one.
Bad:
img123.png> Good: "A smiling cat lounging in a sunlit window."
Navigation Should Feel Obvious, Not Like a Puzzle
Use clear menus, consistent layouts, and actual hierarchy in your headings. If a user has to think more than once about where to go next, you're already losing them.
Better: "Read our Accessibility Guide" instead of "Learn More"
Captions Aren't Optional, They're Basic Etiquette
If you're using video, caption it. Period. Also useful when someone's sneak-watching your promo video during a boring Zoom meeting or commuting on a silent train.
Yes, YouTube auto-captions exist. No, they are not perfect.
Use Contrast That Doesn't Make People Cry
Dark grey on slightly darker grey? Stop that. Use clear contrast , black on white works fine. Bonus points for dark mode support done properly.
Also: never, ever use neon text on a white background. Unless you're designing punishment websites.
Stuff People Always Get Wrong
Forgetting alt text entirely (looking at you, image-heavy landing pages)
Using JavaScript-only navigation (good luck tabbing through that)
Assuming your dev knows what WCAG means (they don't unless you told them)
Fancy animations with no keyboard access (cool effect, shame about the usability)
Colour-coded buttons with no labels (not everyone sees red the way you do, champ)
PDFs instead of HTML pages (unless you want to be annoying)
Next-Level Accessibility (For Overachievers)
Test with a screen reader like VoiceOver or NVDA. Actually try it. It'll humble you.
Use Lighthouse, WAVE, or Axe DevTools to scan for issues automatically.
Get feedback from users with actual disabilities. Not just Chad in marketing who "thinks it's fine."
Follow WCAG guidelines (even if they sound like something your IT guy printed in 2004)
Use semantic HTML,
<button>beats a<div>with an onClick event, every time.
Bonus points if your forms are actually usable with just a keyboard.
📅 Stay in the Loop
Accessibility standards evolve, so stay updated with guidelines like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Staying current keeps your website inclusive and future-proof.
Bookmark this: WCAG guidelines