Web accessibility: why everyone should be able to use your site
People with low vision, color blindness or who browse without a mouse are your customers too. The basics every site should cover.
An accessible site is one that people with disabilities can use: someone with a screen reader, someone with low vision or color blindness, someone who can’t use a mouse. It also helps anyone reading their phone in bright sunlight.
In the US
In March 2022 the Department of Justice published guidance explaining that the ADA prohibits disability discrimination by businesses open to the public, and that this includes what they offer on the web. The guidance notes there is no regulation setting detailed technical standards for businesses, and it points to the WCAG guidelines as a helpful reference. For legal questions, talk to a lawyer.
The basics
- Good contrast between text and background. You can check it for free with WebAIM’s contrast checker.
- Alt text on images that carry information.
- Everything usable with a keyboard, including menus and forms.
- Clear labels on form fields.
- A good text size that can be enlarged without breaking the page.
- Never conveying information with color alone.
The W3C’s WCAG guidelines are the international reference. Our sites are checked with automated accessibility tools before they go live.