Web Accessibility Is a Business Imperative
Over one billion people worldwide live with some form of disability. In the United States alone, one in four adults has a disability that could affect how they interact with websites. If your website isn’t accessible, you’re potentially excluding 25% of your audience.
Beyond the moral case, there are legal, SEO, and business reasons to prioritize accessibility.
The Legal Landscape
ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) lawsuits targeting websites have exploded. Thousands of businesses face legal action each year for inaccessible websites. Courts have consistently ruled that websites are “places of public accommodation” under the ADA.
The cost of defending an ADA lawsuit far exceeds the cost of making your website accessible in the first place.
WCAG 2.1: The Standard
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 are the widely accepted standards for web accessibility. They’re organized around four principles:
- Perceivable — Information must be presentable in ways all users can perceive
- Operable — Interface components must be operable by all users
- Understandable — Information and operation must be understandable
- Robust — Content must be interpretable by assistive technologies
Common Accessibility Issues
Images Without Alt Text
Screen readers can’t interpret images without descriptive alt text. Every meaningful image needs a text alternative that conveys the same information.
Poor Color Contrast
Text must have sufficient contrast against its background. WCAG requires a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
Missing Form Labels
Form fields need proper labels that screen readers can announce. Placeholder text alone is not sufficient.
Keyboard Navigation Issues
Many users navigate websites using only a keyboard. Every interactive element must be reachable and usable without a mouse.
The SEO Benefit
Many accessibility improvements also improve SEO. Alt text helps Google understand images. Proper heading hierarchy helps crawlers parse content. Clean HTML structure improves crawlability. Faster load times benefit both accessibility and rankings.
Getting Started
Run an accessibility audit using tools like WAVE, Lighthouse, or axe. Address critical issues first: alt text, color contrast, keyboard navigation, and form labels. Then work through remaining issues systematically.
Need an Accessibility Audit?
Brandastic builds websites that are beautiful, high-performing, and accessible to everyone. Contact us for a website accessibility audit.
