Accessibity 101

What digital accessibility means

Digital accessibility ensures that people can:

• Read or hear content
• Navigate with a keyboard or assistive tech
• Understand information without extra effort
• Interact with forms, buttons, and menus
• Access content regardless of device or ability

Accessible websites work smoothly with the tools people rely on when they experience permanent, temporary, or situational disabilities, including screen readers, screen magnifiers, keyboard-only navigation, voice control software, captions, transcripts, color filters, and reading support tools.

These technologies aren’t niche—millions of people use them regularly.
Digital accessibility removes barriers so everyone can have an equal experience.

Digital accessibility doesn’t require complicated code or advanced technology. In fact, the web is built on HTML, which is designed to be accessible by default. Most accessibility improvements come from using the tools that already exist—clear headings, proper labels, well-structured content, and standard HTML elements. When websites become inaccessible, it’s usually because these basics were overlooked, not because accessibility is difficult or expensive. Small, thoughtful changes can make a site dramatically more inclusive.

Why accessibility matters

Accessibility supports:

• Inclusion for people with disabilities
• Better usability for all visitors
• Clearer content and simpler navigation
• Stronger trust and a more professional presence
• Compliance with laws such as the ADA, Section 508, and state accessibility requirements
• Reduced risk of accessibility-related complaints, audits, and lawsuits, which are increasingly common for websites of all sizes

Accessible websites reach more people, create fewer barriers, and help organizations avoid the legal and financial risks associated with inaccessible digital content.

What WCAG is

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the international standards for accessible digital content. They are organized around four principles:

• Perceivable
• Operable
• Understandable
• Robust

These four principles also mirror many core UX practices. Accessibility and UX both focus on clarity, consistency, and reducing friction for users. When a site is perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust, it naturally supports better user journeys, fewer errors, and a smoother overall experience.

Most organizations aim for WCAG 2.1 Level AA.

Official WCAG guidelines (W3C link)

Laws and policies related to accessibility

• Several U.S. laws reference or rely on WCAG, including:
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Section 508 (federal agencies and contractors)
• State-level laws such as Colorado’s HB21-1110

Each law applies to different types of organizations. The ADA covers public entities such as state and local governments, school districts, public universities, and most private businesses that serve the public. Section 508 applies specifically to federal agencies and the vendors who create digital content, software, or services for them. State-level laws, like Colorado’s HB21-1110, apply to state agencies, local governments, public schools, and any contractors or organizations receiving state funding for digital services.

Although these laws vary in scope, WCAG is still the standard used to evaluate whether digital content meets legal and accessibility requirements across these different contexts.

Accessibility requirements also exist internationally. For example, the European Union follows EN 301 549 for public-sector digital services, which is also based on WCAG.

Accessibility testing

Accessibility is evaluated through a mix of automated tools and hands-on testing. Automated scans are a helpful starting point because they quickly identify common issues such as missing alt text, low contrast, or basic code errors. However, they typically detect only a portion of accessibility problems. Many barriers—such as incorrect heading structure, unclear link text, keyboard traps, or confusing form labels—require human judgment and real-world testing.

• A complete review usually includes:
• Automated scans to flag common issues
• Manual checks for structure, labels, forms, and navigation
• Keyboard-only testing to verify operability
• Screen reader testing to understand how content is announced and interpreted
• PDF and document accessibility reviews
• Evaluation of third-party components and plugins that may introduce barriers

Together, these methods provide a more accurate picture of how well a site supports users with different abilities and technologies.

Common barriers

Many accessibility issues are widespread across the web. Large annual studies, such as the WebAIM Million Report , show that a small number of problems account for most of the accessibility barriers people encounter. The most common detectable issues include:

• Low color contrast, present on about 79% of tested home pages
• Missing alternative text for images, found on about 56% of home pages
• Missing form input labels, affecting about 48% of home pages
• Empty links and empty buttons, which are common and confusing for screen reader users
• Missing document language, which appears on roughly 16% of pages and affects how screen readers interpret content

WebAIM’s 2025 report found that 94.8% of home pages still have detectable WCAG 2 conformance failures, and that 96% of all detected errors fall into these six categories. Addressing just these few types of issues would significantly improve accessibility across the web.

Getting started

If you’re beginning to improve accessibility on your site, start with small, manageable steps:

• Add descriptive alt text to images
• Use clear headings to organize content
• Ensure link text describes the destination
• Check contrast between text and background
• Test your pages using only a keyboard
• Review forms for visible, associated labels

If you’re not sure how to begin or want guidance as you work through these steps, I can help you identify issues, prioritize improvements, or complete a full accessibility review of your site.