What accessibility means
An accessible website works for more people. It supports different abilities, devices, and situations Source 1 .
It also reduces friction for everyone. Better structure, clearer forms, and fewer surprises improve completion rates Source 3 .
Practical examples
If your site is accessible, these statements are true for the parts that matter, menus, forms, checkout, and key content Source 1 .
- You can use the site with a keyboard only Source 1 .
- You can see where you are on the page, because focus is visible Source 1 .
- You can zoom to 200% and still read and use the page Source 1 .
- You can complete forms with clear labels and clear error messages Source 3 .
- Headings follow a sensible order and help you navigate Source 1 .
- Links describe where they go, without relying on surrounding text Source 1 .
- Videos have captions or transcripts where needed Source 1 .
- Motion and animation respect reduced motion preferences Source 1 .
What accessibility is not
- An overlay widget that appears after the page loads Source 8 .
- An automated scan used as proof Source 2 .
- A promise with no test evidence Source 2 .
- A one-off pass that never gets checked again Source 2 .
Quick checks you can run now
You do not need specialist tools for these checks. You need ten minutes and a web browser Source 2 .
- Press Tab. Move through the page. You should reach all controls in a sensible order Source 1 .
- Press Shift and Tab to go back. Focus should remain visible Source 1 .
- Open the main navigation using keyboard only. Close it again using keyboard only Source 1 .
- Submit a form with missing fields. Errors should explain the fix and link to the field Source 4 .
- Zoom to 200%. Read the page and use key controls without horizontal scrolling on typical pages Source 1 .
What to ask a supplier
- Which standard they work to, and which level Source 1 .
- Which pages and journeys they test, and how they choose them Source 2 .
- Which manual testing they do, keyboard, zoom, forms, and dynamic components Source 2 .
- Which assistive technology they use for checks Source 2 .
- What evidence you receive, report, fixes, retest notes Source 2 .
Good outcomes to expect
- Fewer abandoned forms Source 5 .
- Better mobile usability Source 1 .
- Clearer content structure Source 1 .
- Lower legal risk Source 6 .
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 Source 2 .
Sources
- [1] W3C. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2. Back to article
- [2] W3C WAI. Evaluating Web Accessibility Overview. Back to article
- [3] W3C WAI. Forms tutorial. Back to article
- [4] W3C. WCAG 2.2, Guideline 3.3 Input Assistance. Back to article
- [5] GOV.UK Design System. Error message component. Back to article
- [6] GOV.UK. Accessibility requirements for public sector websites and apps. Back to article
- [7] Bird and Bird. UK accessibility requirements for websites and mobile applications. Back to article
- [8] The A11Y Project. Should I use an accessibility overlay?. Back to article
- [9] European Disability Forum and IAAP. Joint statement on accessibility overlays. Back to article
- [10] WebAIM. Survey of Web Accessibility Practitioners, results, overlay effectiveness. Back to article