Web Accessibility Made Simple for Everyone 2025

As someone who has spent countless hours creating websites, designing interactive applications, and enhancing user experiences, I can’t stress enough the importance of web accessibility. Web accessibility represents an absolute necessity in our digital age, not merely a consideration.

In this guide, I want to bring the key terms, practices, and concepts about web accessibility closer to you. When you finish reading this, I hope to instill in you not only the understanding but also the empathy required to design for everyone.

1. Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA)

ARIA, short for Accessible Rich Internet Applications, offers a lifeline to make dynamic content and advanced user interface controls accessible. Think of it this way – when you build interactive elements like dropdown menus, sliders, or custom buttons, screen readers often can’t figure out what they’re supposed to do.

That’s where ARIA comes in. Add ARIA attributes to your HTML to make certain elements more descriptive, helping assistive technology better understand the purpose of each element. For instance, use aria-label to help label buttons that don’t contain text, thereby aiding screen reader users.

Let’s say you have a search button that only shows a magnifying glass icon. Without aria-label=”Search”, a screen reader user has no idea what that button does. But with aria-label=”Search”, suddenly it makes perfect sense.

2. Alt Text

Alt text provides a concise description of images for those who can’t see them. This isn’t just about being nice – it’s about making your content accessible to everyone.

For example, for a company logo, alt text could be alt=”Company X’s logo”. For a graph showing quarterly sales data, you might write alt=”Bar chart showing 25% increase in sales from Q1 to Q4 2024″. This helps visually impaired users understand the content of your site.

But here’s something many people don’t know – decorative images shouldn’t have alt text at all. If an image is purely decorative and doesn’t add any meaningful information, leave the alt attribute empty (alt=””) so screen readers will skip it entirely.

3. Assistive Technology

Assistive technology refers to a range of devices that aid users with disabilities. This includes software like screen readers that read web content aloud, or hardware like specialized keyboards or switches that help people with motor disabilities navigate websites.

As a web designer, understanding how these technologies interact with your site becomes crucial. Screen readers like JAWS, NVDA, or VoiceOver don’t just read text – they interpret the structure of your HTML. If your code is messy or poorly structured, these tools can’t make sense of your content.

Voice recognition software like Dragon NaturallySpeaking allows people to navigate and interact with websites using voice commands. But if your site isn’t keyboard accessible, voice commands won’t work either since they rely on the same navigation paths.

4. Captions

For video content, captions prove vital. They are the text version of the audio, helping those who are deaf or hard of hearing understand what’s being said. Users in noisy or sound-sensitive environments also benefit from them.

But captions do more than just transcribe dialogue. Good captions also include sound effects, music cues, and speaker identification. They describe important audio information that contributes to understanding the content.

Think about it – when you’re watching a video in a crowded coffee shop or late at night when you can’t turn up the volume, captions aren’t just helpful, they’re essential. The same goes for users who are deaf or hard of hearing, except they need captions all the time, not just in specific situations.

5. Color Contrast

Color contrast between text and its background remains critical for readability. This affects not just people who are blind, but also those with low vision, color blindness, or anyone using their device in bright sunlight.

WCAG Color Contrast Requirements

Text Size	Minimum Contrast Ratio
Normal text (under 18pt)	4.5:1
Large text (18pt+ or 14pt+ bold)	3:1
Graphics and UI components	3:1

Use the WebAIM Color Contrast Checker to test your color combinations.

Quick Examples:

❌ Fails: Light gray (#999999) on white (#FFFFFF) = 2.85:1 ratio
✅ Passes: Dark gray (#666666) on white (#FFFFFF) = 5.74:1 ratio

Think about it practically – if you can’t read your text comfortably on your phone in bright sunlight, users with low vision definitely can’t read it indoors either.

6. Descriptive Links

Links should be self-explanatory, describing the anchor text and what the user can expect if they click on them. Instead of writing “Click here” or “More”, use a phrase like “Learn more about web accessibility”.

Why does this matter? Screen reader users often navigate by jumping from link to link, hearing only the link text out of context. If every link on your page says “click here” or “read more”, that’s not very helpful, is it?

Good link text also helps with SEO since search engines use link text to understand what the linked page is about. It’s a win-win situation.

7. Focus Indication

When users navigate with a keyboard, a focus indicator shows where the keyboard focus currently lies. This is usually a visible outline or highlight around the currently selected element.

Make this clearly visible and follow a logical order. Many designers remove focus indicators because they think they look ugly, but for keyboard users, removing focus indication is like turning off the lights and asking someone to navigate your site blindfolded.

The focus order should follow a logical sequence – typically left to right, top to bottom. Users should be able to reach all interactive elements and never get trapped in one section of the page.

8. Forms and Input Fields

These need to be clearly labeled and provide error messages to guide users. Include a description of what is expected in an input field and use error identification such as aria-describedby to associate error messages with form controls. This greatly enhances usability.

Every form field needs a proper label that’s programmatically associated with the input. Use the <label> element and connect it to the input using the “for” attribute. When someone clicks on the label, it should focus the corresponding input field.

Error messages should be specific and helpful. Instead of “Error in field”, tell users exactly what went wrong: “Password must be at least 8 characters long and include one number”. And make sure error messages are announced by screen readers using aria-describedby or aria-live regions.

9. Headers

Headers not only organize your content for all users but also provide an overview of the page to screen reader users. Make sure to use them sequentially (H1-H6), and avoid skipping levels.

Think of headers like an outline for your content. Your page should have one H1 (the main heading), then use H2 for major sections, H3 for subsections under those H2s, and so on. Don’t jump from H1 directly to H3 – that’s like having a chapter 1 followed immediately by section 1.3.1.

Screen reader users can navigate through headings to quickly understand the structure of your page and jump to the section they need. If your headings don’t follow a logical hierarchy, this navigation becomes confusing and unhelpful.

10. Keyboard Navigation

One of the key aspects of web accessibility involves making sure that every feature of your website can be accessed using only a keyboard. Some users may have physical disabilities that make using a mouse difficult, while others may rely on assistive technologies like screen readers that depend on keyboard use.

Essential Keyboard Commands

Key	Function
Tab	Move forward through interactive elements
Shift + Tab	Move backward through interactive elements
Enter	Activate links and buttons
Space	Activate buttons, checkboxes, and controls
Arrow Keys	Navigate within dropdown menus, sliders, tabs
Escape	Close modals, dropdown menus, or cancel actions

Test your website regularly with these commands. Can you complete every task on your site – filling out forms, making purchases, accessing all content – using only keyboard navigation? If not, you’ve found accessibility barriers that need fixing.

11. Transcripts

Just like captions are vital for videos, transcripts are essential for audio content. They help deaf or hard of hearing users follow along, and can also aid in comprehension for users who may struggle with the language in the audio content. Whenever possible, include a complete transcript of any audio content on your site.

Transcripts go beyond just captions. While captions are synchronized with video, transcripts provide the full text in a readable format that users can browse, search, and reference at their own pace.

For podcasts, webinars, or audio instructions, transcripts make the content accessible to everyone and also improve your SEO since search engines can index the text content.

12. WCAG and ADA

WCAG stands for the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, a set of guidelines designed to make web content more accessible to individuals with disabilities. The current version is WCAG 2.2, which includes 9 additional success criteria beyond WCAG 2.1, focusing on mobile accessibility and cognitive disabilities.

WCAG Conformance Levels

Level	Requirements	Best For
A	Minimum level	Basic compliance
AA	Standard level	Most websites and legal requirements
AAA	Highest level	Specialized applications (often not practical for entire sites)

The POUR Principles

WCAG is organized around four main principles:

• Perceivable – Information must be presentable in ways users can perceive
• Operable – Interface components must be operable by all users
• Understandable – Information and UI operation must be understandable
• Robust – Content must work with various assistive technologies

The ADA or Americans with Disabilities Act, is a U.S. law that requires certain businesses and organizations to provide accessible websites. Recent updates require state and local governments to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards. Not adhering to ADA can lead to legal implications, so keeping current with WCAG updates helps your website stay both accessible and legally compliant.

13. Mobile Accessibility

Mobile accessibility deserves special attention since most web traffic now comes from mobile devices. Touch targets should be at least 44 pixels in size to accommodate users with motor impairments who might have difficulty tapping small buttons accurately.

Screen reader support varies between iOS VoiceOver and Android TalkBack, so test with both if possible. Consider how users navigate with swipe gestures and voice commands. Mobile users with cognitive disabilities benefit from simplified layouts and clear, single-column designs that reduce cognitive load.

Mobile devices also present unique challenges – users might be operating them with one hand, in bright sunlight, or while distracted. Design patterns that work well in these situations often benefit everyone.

14. Cognitive Accessibility

Cognitive disabilities affect how people process information, remember details, and make decisions. According to the CDC, 12.8% of adults in the U.S. have some type of cognitive disability.

Common Cognitive Disabilities Include:

• Dyslexia – Difficulty reading and processing written language
• ADHD – Challenges with attention and focus
• Autism – Different ways of processing sensory and social information
• Memory impairments – Difficulty retaining or recalling information
• Learning disabilities – Challenges processing specific types of information

Design Guidelines for Cognitive Accessibility

Creating cognitively accessible websites requires intentional design choices that reduce mental effort and confusion. These guidelines help you build interfaces that work for people with varying cognitive abilities, attention spans, and processing speeds.

Keep language simple and clear

• Use everyday words instead of jargon
• Write in short, simple sentences
• Define technical terms when you must use them

Maintain consistent navigation

• Keep menus in the same place on every page
• Use predictable interactions throughout your site
• Avoid sudden changes in layout or functionality

Provide clear feedback and instructions

• Tell users what to expect before they take action
• Give specific error messages that explain how to fix problems
• Use progress indicators for multi-step processes

Avoid overwhelming content

• Break up long blocks of text with headings and white space
• Don’t auto-play videos or audio – they can be disruptive
• Limit the number of choices presented at once

Remember – what helps users with cognitive disabilities often makes your site easier for everyone to use. We all have moments when we’re tired, stressed, or distracted.

15. Modern Testing Tools

Automated testing tools can catch about 30% of accessibility issues, but manual testing remains vital. Here’s your testing toolkit:

Automated Testing Tools

Tool	What It Does	Best For
WAVE	Identifies accessibility errors visually on your page	Quick overview of issues
aXe DevTools	Browser extension for detailed accessibility analysis	Developer workflow
Lighthouse	Built into Chrome DevTools	Overall site performance including accessibility
Color Contrast Analyzers	Check if text meets contrast requirements	Design phase

For comprehensive evaluation, combine automated scanning with keyboard navigation testing and screen reader verification. But here’s the most important part – user testing with people who have disabilities provides the most valuable feedback. After all, they’re the ones actually using these technologies every day.

Remember, automated tools are great for catching obvious problems like missing alt text or insufficient color contrast. But they can’t tell you if your content actually makes sense to someone using a screen reader, or if your navigation is intuitive for someone with a cognitive disability.

Practical Tips for Better Web Accessibility

Web accessibility isn’t a one-time project, but an ongoing effort. Here are actionable tips that you can implement right now to improve the accessibility of your website:

These aren’t just theoretical recommendations – they’re practical steps you can start implementing today. Each improvement you make creates a better experience for someone who needs it, and many of these changes will improve your site for everyone.

Include alt text for all meaningful images. This practice benefits both accessibility and SEO performance. But remember – decorative images should have empty alt attributes (alt=””) so screen readers skip them.

Check color contrast. Make sure that your text is easily readable against its background using tools like the WebAIM Color Contrast Checker. This helps users with low vision, color blindness, and anyone using devices in challenging lighting conditions.

Make your website keyboard navigable. Regularly test your site to verify that all features can be accessed via keyboard. Start at the top of your page and tab through every interactive element – can you reach everything? Can you complete all tasks?

Use clear, descriptive links. Instead of “click here”, use “read more about our accessibility guidelines”. Screen reader users often navigate by jumping from link to link, so make sure each link makes sense out of context.

Provide transcripts for audio content. Include transcripts to help users who can’t hear your audio content can still access the information. This includes podcasts, video narration, and any audio instructions or announcements.

Test with automated tools. Use free tools like WAVE or browser extensions to identify common accessibility issues quickly. These tools are great starting points, but they’re not the complete solution.

Test with real users. Nothing beats feedback from people who actually use assistive technologies daily. Their insights will reveal problems that no automated tool can catch.

Stay current with WCAG. Keep up-to-date with the latest WCAG 2.2 guidelines to help your website remain accessible and legally compliant as standards continue to evolve.

The goal here isn’t perfection overnight – it’s progress. Every improvement you make creates a better experience for someone who needs it. As a web designer, you have the power to create experiences that everyone can enjoy, regardless of their abilities.