Most of the internet still isn’t accessible to people with disabilities. A 2026 study of one million home pages found detectable accessibility failures on 95.9% of them. Automated checks only catch some problems, so the real picture is worse.
That means millions of people can’t book an appointment, apply for a job, buy essentials or find basic information online. They don’t get the same services as everyone else. The reason isn’t a lack of ability. It’s that someone else’s website got in the way.
I’m Andrew, a freelance web developer in London. I’m also a wheelchair user, so I know how one badly placed step can stop you from getting through a door. Websites have steps too. Most are easy to remove once you know where they are.
This website accessibility checklist covers the fixes that make the biggest difference. Each one includes a quick way to check your own site. You don’t need to tick everything off today. Start with what you can.
How much of the web is actually inaccessible?
More than you’d think, and the gap isn’t closing fast.
The WebAIM Million report, which audits the homepages of the top one million websites each year, consistently finds that over 90% have detectable WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) failures. Low-contrast text, missing alt text, and unlabelled form fields show up again and again. These aren’t obscure technical edge cases. They’re the kind of thing a screen reader user hits on page one.
This website accessibility checklist covers the fixes that make the biggest difference. Each one includes a quick way to check your own site. You don’t need to tick everything off today. Start with what you can.
Navigation: can everyone get around?
- Everything works with a keyboard. Put your mouse aside and press Tab. You should be able to reach every link, button, and menu.
- Focus is visible. As you tab through, you should always see where you are. A clear outline does the job.
- There’s a “Skip to content” link. Keyboard users can jump past the menu instead of tabbing through it on every page.
- Nothing traps you. Pop-ups, cookie banners, and menus should open and close without a mouse.Here’s a quick check: Try booking, buying or enquiring on your site using only the keyboard. If you get stuck, so will your visitors.
Structure: does the page make sense?
- Headings follow a logical order. One main heading per page, then sections and sub-sections beneath it. Screen reader users often skim by heading, much like you skim this post.
- Headings describe what follows. “Our prices” is useful. “Welcome” usually isn’t.
- Links say where they go. “View our opening hours” beats “Click here”, which tells a screen reader user nothing.
- Pages use proper landmarks. Header, navigation, main content, and footer should be marked up as such. If you use WordPress, then most good WordPress themes handle this for you.
Images and media: Is anything hidden?
- Images have alt text. Describe what matters in a sentence. A photo of your shopfront might be “Blue shopfront on Camden High Street”.
- Decorative images are marked as decorative. Background flourishes don’t need describing. Leave their alt text empty so screen readers skip them.
- Videos have captions. If someone can’t hear it, they should still be able to follow it.
- Silent videos have a text description. If the visuals carry information, put that information in words too.
Reading: can people take it in?
- Text has strong colour contrast. Pale grey on white looks elegant and reads badly. Dark text on a light background is the safe choice.
- Colour isn’t the only signal. A red border alone won’t tell everyone a field has an error. Add a short message as well.
- The page still works at 200% zoom. People should be able to enlarge text without scrolling sideways to read each line.
- Content is written plainly. Short sentences, familiar words, one idea per paragraph. This helps everyone, not just people with cognitive or learning disabilities.
Motion: Can people make it stop?
- Animations can be paused. Moving logos, sliders, and autoplay videos can cause dizziness or make focusing difficult. Give people a clear pause control. For example, I purposely built my new website with a button to pause animations in mind. (It’s in the footer)
- Reduced motion settings are respected. If someone’s device asks for less motion, your site should listen.
- Nothing flashes rapidly. Flashing content can trigger seizures. It’s simplest to avoid it altogether.
Forms: Can everyone get in touch?
- Every field has a visible label. Placeholder text that disappears when you start typing doesn’t count.
- Required fields are clearly marked. Say “required” in words, not just with an asterisk.
- Error messages explain the fix. “Please enter an email address like [email protected]” is far kinder than “Invalid input”.
- Spam checks have an accessible route. If a verification step fails, people should still have another way to reach you, such as an email address.
Screen readers: does it all add up?
- Buttons have meaningful names. An icon-only button, like a magnifying glass, needs a hidden label such as “Search”.
- The page language is set. This helps screen readers pronounce your content properly.
- Updates are announced. If something changes on the page, like an “Added to basket” message, screen reader users should hear about it.
Here’s a tip: Most phones and computers include a free screen reader. VoiceOver on Apple devices and NVDA on Windows are good places to start. Ten minutes with one will teach you a lot!.
Keep it going
Accessibility isn’t a one-off job. New pages, plugins, and features can add new barriers without anyone noticing.
- Run an automated check. Free tools like axe catch common problems quickly. They won’t catch everything, so pair them with manual checks.
- Publish an accessibility statement. Explain what you’ve done, what you know still needs work, and how people can report problems.
- Make feedback easy. Give a simple way to report a barrier, then reply personally and fix what you can.
- Review regularly. A quick check every few months keeps small problems from piling up.
Fewer barriers, more people through the door
You don’t need a perfect website to make a real difference. Clear headings, good contrast, proper labels, and keyboard-friendly navigation will remove many of the barriers people meet every day. Each fix you make means someone else can book, buy, apply, or find what they need without a fight.
If you’d like to make your website more accessible, I’m available to help. I can review what you have, explain what needs fixing in plain English, and sort it properly. A rough idea of your site and what it’s for is enough to start.
Book a call and let’s work it out together.
