What accessibility means
An accessible website works for more people. It supports different abilities, devices, and situations.
It also reduces friction for everyone. Better structure, clearer forms, and fewer surprises improve completion rates.
Practical examples
If your site is accessible, these statements are true for the parts that matter, menus, forms, checkout, and key content.
- You can use the site with a keyboard only.
- You can see where you are on the page, because focus is visible.
- You can zoom to 200% and still read and use the page.
- You can complete forms with clear labels and clear error messages.
- Headings follow a sensible order and help you navigate.
- Links describe where they go, without relying on surrounding text.
- Videos have captions or transcripts where needed.
- Motion and animation respect reduced motion preferences.
What accessibility is not
- An overlay widget that appears after the page loads.
- An automated scan used as proof.
- A promise with no test evidence.
- A one-off pass that never gets checked again.
Quick checks you can run now
You do not need specialist tools for these checks. You need ten minutes and a web browser.
- Press Tab. Move through the page. You should reach all controls in a sensible order.
- Press Shift and Tab to go back. Focus should remain visible.
- Open the main navigation using keyboard only. Close it again using keyboard only.
- Submit a form with missing fields. Errors should explain the fix and link to the field.
- Zoom to 200%. Read the page and use key controls without horizontal scrolling on typical pages.
What to ask a supplier
- Which standard they work to, and which level.
- Which pages and journeys they test, and how they choose them.
- Which manual testing they do, keyboard, zoom, forms, and dynamic components.
- Which assistive technology they use for checks.
- What evidence you receive, report, fixes, retest notes.
Good outcomes to expect
- Fewer abandoned forms.
- Better mobile usability.
- Clearer content structure.
- Lower legal risk.
Next step
If you want a fast starting point, audit the top journeys first. Contact, donate, book, buy. Fix the blockers, then expand across templates.