Seven quick fixes to open your website to everyone
Making your site accessible isn't complicated. Here are the practical steps that work.
Your website is a storefront. When it's hard to use, you turn away customers. People with disabilities—who use screen readers, keyboards instead of mice, captions, and other tools to navigate the web—hit barriers on most small-business sites. Those barriers are also legal exposure. More important: they cost you business. The fixes are straightforward and cheap. Here are seven you can tackle this week.
Key facts
- Websites must be accessible under the Americans with Disabilities Act, which applies to businesses open to the public and state and local governments.
- Common barriers include poor color contrast, missing text descriptions on images, videos without captions, and design that requires a mouse.
- Accessible design also helps older users, people on slow internet, and search engines.
- Many fixes are simple and inexpensive; incorporating accessibility early is more efficient than retrofitting later.
What's the legal situation for my business?
If you're open to the public—a salon, restaurant, contractor, or retail shop—the ADA applies to your website just as it applies to your front door. An inaccessible site excludes people with disabilities from your goods and services, the same way steps without a ramp would. You have flexibility in how you comply, but you must comply. The Department of Justice takes this seriously.
Tip 1: Write alt text for every image
Alt text is a short description embedded in your image code. A screen reader reads it aloud to someone who can't see the photo. It also helps search engines understand what your images show. Open each image on your site. In most website builders (WordPress, Wix, Squarespace), right-click the image and look for "alt text" or "alternative text." Write a plain sentence describing what the image shows and why it matters. For a photo of your team, write "Our five-person salon staff in the reception area." For a product photo, write "Red metal roof panel." Skip the obvious: don't write "image of" or "picture of." Keep it brief.
Tip 2: Check your color contrast
Light gray text on a light background is invisible to people with low vision or color blindness. So is dark text on a dark background. The rule is simple: text and background need strong contrast. Look at your site on a phone or tablet in bright sunlight. If you squint to read it, so will your customers. A free tool called WebAIM Contrast Checker lets you paste in your text color and background color and tells you if the contrast is strong enough. If it fails, darken the text or lighten the background. This one change often fixes dozens of problems at once.
Tip 3: Make sure your site works with a keyboard alone
Some people can't use a mouse. They navigate with a keyboard or voice commands. Test your site: unplug your mouse and try to do everything with the Tab key and Enter. Can you fill out a contact form? Can you click a button? Can you navigate to every page? If you get stuck, your site has a problem. Most website builders let you fix this in settings. If you're stuck, ask your web host or builder's support team to help you ensure keyboard navigation works.
Tip 4: Add captions to videos
People who are deaf or hard of hearing can't hear your video. Captions aren't just for them—they help people in noisy environments, people learning English, and anyone watching without sound. If you host videos on YouTube, you can auto-generate captions for free (they're rough but a start). Edit them to fix errors. If you use another platform, look for a captions feature in settings. Many video hosting services offer auto-captioning. Spend some time cleaning up the text. It's worth it.
Tip 5: Don't use color alone to show important information
Never write "Required fields are in red" or "Sold out items are gray." A color-blind person won't see the difference. A screen reader won't mention color at all. Instead, add text: "Required fields are marked with an asterisk (*)" or "Sold out" next to the item. This takes a few minutes per form or page and immediately makes your site clearer for everyone.
Tip 6: Use real headings to structure your pages
Screen reader users jump between headings to scan a page, the way sighted people scan with their eyes. If you use bold text instead of real headings, screen readers can't find the structure. In your website builder, use the Heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.) instead of just making text bigger and bold. Start with one Heading 1 per page (usually your page title), then use Heading 2 for major sections. This takes a few minutes per page and makes your site navigable.
Tip 7: Test with real people and tools
Ask someone who uses a screen reader to test your site, or borrow a screen reader yourself. NVDA is free and works on Windows. On Mac, VoiceOver is built in. Listen to your site read aloud. You'll hear problems you'd never spot by looking. Use a free tool like WAVE or Axe DevTools to scan for common errors. These tools catch some problems but not all. They're a good start and take a few minutes to run.
Where to start
Pick the two tips that feel easiest: probably alt text and color contrast. Do those this week. Next week, tackle keyboard navigation and headings. Video captions and color-only information can wait until the following week. You don't need to be perfect. You need to be better. Each fix removes a barrier and brings in customers you're currently losing.
Sources
- Introduction to Web Accessibility - W3C WAI
- Guidance on Web Accessibility and the ADA - ADA.gov
They did the reporting. The writing and the opinions here are ours.
Questions people ask about this
Is web accessibility required by law for small businesses?
Yes. The Americans with Disabilities Act applies to businesses open to the public. An inaccessible website can exclude people with disabilities just as physical barriers do. You have flexibility in how you comply, but you must comply.
What's alt text and why does it matter?
Alt text is a short written description of an image, embedded in your website code. Screen readers read it aloud to people who can't see. It also helps search engines understand your images. Every image on your site should have alt text.
How do I know if my website is accessible?
Test it yourself: unplug your mouse and try to use your site with only a keyboard. Turn on a screen reader and listen. Check color contrast with a free tool. Ask someone with a disability to test it. Free scanning tools catch some problems, but human testing finds more.
Does accessibility help people without disabilities?
Yes. Accessible design helps older users, people on slow internet connections, people in noisy environments, and anyone using a mobile device. It also helps search engines understand your content better.
How much does it cost to make my site accessible?
Most fixes are free or very cheap. Alt text, color contrast, keyboard navigation, and captions take time but no money. Building accessibility in from the start is cheaper than fixing an old site later.
What if I use a website builder like Wix or Squarespace?
Most builders have built-in accessibility features. You control alt text, headings, color contrast, and captions. Check your builder's help section for accessibility settings. If you're stuck, their support team can walk you through it.
This piece is about Introduction to Web Accessibility, published by W3C WAI. Go read the original; the opinions here are ours and the reporting is theirs.
