Accessibility means building your site so people of every ability can use it — including those using screen readers, keyboards, or just their phone in bright sunlight. Most of these fixes are one-time changes you can knock out today. Want the bigger picture? See our accessibility strategy guide and our website design service.
Images, Text & Color
Write Alt Text for Every Meaningful Image
What to doAdd short, descriptive alt text to images that carry meaning — and leave alt empty (alt="") for purely decorative ones.
Why it mattersScreen readers announce alt text aloud; without it, blind users hear "image" or a meaningless file name.
How it helpsGood alt text makes your visuals usable for everyone — and helps Google understand your images too.
Fix Low Color Contrast
What to doMake sure text and background pass a 4.5:1 contrast ratio (3:1 for large text) — check it with a free contrast tool.
Why it mattersLight gray text on white is unreadable for people with low vision, color blindness, or anyone in glare.
How it helpsStronger contrast makes your content readable for far more visitors — and looks cleaner on every screen.
Don't Rely on Color Alone
What to doPair color with text, icons, or underlines — e.g. mark form errors with a message and icon, not just red.
Why it mattersRoughly 1 in 12 men can't reliably tell red from green, so color-only cues are invisible to them.
How it helpsA second visual cue means everyone understands your links, errors, and status messages instantly.
Make Body Text Big Enough to Read
What to doSet body copy to at least 16px, use relative units (rem/em), and don't block users from zooming.
Why it mattersTiny fixed text forces people to pinch and squint, and disabling zoom locks out anyone who needs it.
How it helpsReadable, resizable text keeps visitors on the page instead of bouncing in frustration.
Structure & Navigation
Use Headings in the Right Order
What to doUse one H1 per page, then H2s and H3s in logical order — for structure, not just to make text look big.
Why it mattersScreen reader users jump between headings to navigate; skipped or fake headings break that map.
How it helpsA clean heading outline helps everyone skim your page — and reinforces your structure for SEO.
Make Every Link Make Sense on Its Own
What to doReplace "click here" and "read more" with descriptive link text like "view our roofing services."
Why it mattersScreen readers can list all links out of context, so "click here" tells the user nothing.
How it helpsDescriptive links help everyone know where they'll land — and add keyword relevance for search.
Add a "Skip to Content" Link
What to doAdd a hidden skip link at the top of the page that jumps keyboard users straight to the main content.
Why it mattersWithout it, keyboard and screen reader users must tab through your entire menu on every single page.
How it helpsOne small link saves repeat visitors dozens of keystrokes and makes your site far less tedious to use.
Use Landmarks and Semantic HTML
What to doWrap your page in real header, nav, main, and footer tags instead of stacking generic divs.
Why it mattersAssistive tech uses these landmarks to let users jump straight to the navigation or main content.
How it helpsSemantic structure makes your site easier to navigate and easier for search engines to parse.
Forms, Keyboard & Motion
Label Every Form Field
What to doGive each input a visible label tied to it with for/id — don't rely on placeholder text as the label.
Why it mattersPlaceholders vanish when typing and aren't reliably read aloud, leaving users unsure what a field wants.
How it helpsProper labels make your contact and quote forms easy to complete — so more visitors actually finish them.
Make Everything Work by Keyboard
What to doTab through your whole site — every link, button, menu, and form field must be reachable and usable.
Why it mattersMany people can't use a mouse and rely entirely on the keyboard; mouse-only menus shut them out.
How it helpsFull keyboard support means no visitor gets stuck or blocked from reaching your contact form.
Show a Visible Focus Outline
What to doKeep (or style) the focus ring so keyboard users can always see which element is selected — never remove it.
Why it mattersA common "outline: none" rule leaves keyboard users with no idea where they are on the page.
How it helpsA clear focus indicator lets people navigate confidently instead of guessing where the next click goes.
Respect Reduced Motion and Avoid Autoplay
What to doHonor the prefers-reduced-motion setting, and don't autoplay video, sliders, or audio with no way to pause.
Why it mattersHeavy animation can trigger nausea or migraines, and surprise autoplay disrupts screen readers and visitors.
How it helpsCalmer, user-controlled motion keeps your site comfortable for everyone and reduces accessibility complaints.