Website accessibility guide

How to make a website accessible. Test, fix, retest.

Accessibility is not a setting you switch on. It is a cycle: find what blocks people, fix it in the code, and check that it stays fixed. Here is the cycle in five steps, measured against WCAG 2.2 AA.

The five steps

Scan for a first look. An automated scan finds code patterns it recognizes, like missing alt text and low contrast.
Test by hand. Use the site with a keyboard, a screen reader, and zoom, the way your customers with disabilities do.
Fix it in the code. Change the theme, templates, and components themselves, so the fix holds for every visitor.
Retest. Confirm each fix works, and test again after every site change.
Keep a record and a contact. Date the work, and publish an accessibility statement with a way to report problems.

1. Scan for a first look

Start with a free automated scan. It flags issues software can detect, such as images without alt text, form fields without labels, and text that does not stand out from its background. It is fast, and it shows you where to start.

It is also limited. A scanner reads code; it does not use the site. A page can pass a scan and still be impossible to use with a keyboard.

2. Test by hand

Keyboard only. Put the mouse away. Use Tab, Shift and Tab, Enter, Space, and Escape. Every link, button, menu, and form should work, and you should always see where you are.
Screen reader. Turn on VoiceOver on a Mac or iPhone, or NVDA on Windows. Listen to whether headings, buttons, and images make sense without seeing them.
Zoom and narrow screens. Text should resize to 200 percent without losing content, and pages should work at a width of 320 CSS pixels without scrolling sideways.
Color contrast. Normal text needs a contrast ratio of at least 4.5 to 1 against its background, and large text at least 3 to 1.
Forms. Every field needs a label or instructions, and errors should say what went wrong and how to fix it.
Video and audio. Prerecorded video with sound needs captions.
Tap targets. Buttons and links should be at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels, or spaced so they are easy to hit.
Third-party tools. Test the chat widget, booking tool, and checkout too. Your customers do not know which parts you built.

3. Fix it in the code

Fixes belong in the site itself: the theme, the templates, the components, and the content. Content fixes like alt text, clear link wording, and heading order are often things you can do in your site editor. Structural fixes like keyboard traps, focus order, and custom menus usually need a developer.

Work from a ranked list, starting with whatever stops someone from finishing a task: buying, booking, or contacting you.

4 and 5. Retest, and keep a record

Check every fix the same way you found the problem. Then retest after each change to the site, because a new page, plugin, or theme update can undo the work.

Keep a dated record of what was tested, what was found, and what was fixed, and publish an accessibility statement that tells visitors how to reach you if something does not work.

Learn the basics

Egmer Consulting's sister company, Egmer Marketing, publishes plain-language guides to the standard itself:

Wondering whether the law requires any of this? Read does my website need to be accessible.

Straight answers

How do I make my website ADA compliant?

There is no official ADA compliance certificate for a website, so the practical goal is a site that works for people with disabilities, measured against WCAG 2.2 AA. Scan it, test it by hand, fix the code, retest, and keep a dated record of the work. This is general information, not legal advice.

Can I make my website accessible myself?

Many fixes are within reach: alt text, headings, link wording, captions, and form labels. Others, like keyboard traps, focus order, and custom menus, usually need a developer. A human audit tells you which is which.

Is an automated checker enough?

No. Automated tools catch part of the problem, not all of it. Keyboard traps, confusing screen reader output, and focus you cannot see often take a person to find.

Which standard should I use?

WCAG 2.2 AA, the current version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. The W3C states that content conforming to WCAG 2.2 also conforms to 2.1 and 2.0.

How often should I retest?

After any change to the site, such as a new theme, a new app or plugin, or a redesign, and on a regular schedule. Accessibility can break the day someone adds a page.

Start with step one

Enter your website address for a free automated scan, in plain language, in about a minute. When you want a person to do step two, see what the audit covers.