Web accessibility isn’t a “nice-to-have” anymore. In 2026, people expect websites to work for everyone – on any device, with any assistive technology, and in real-world conditions (bright sunlight, slow connections, one-handed use, ageing eyesight… the lot). Building an accessible website is one of the simplest ways to improve user experience, protect your brand, and grow your audience.
It can also help your SEO, because accessible sites tend to be easier for search engines to understand: cleaner structure, clearer content hierarchy, better image descriptions, and fewer UX dead-ends.
What Is Web Accessibility?
Web accessibility means designing and building your site so that people with disabilities can use it effectively, including users with visual, auditory, cognitive, and motor impairments.
In practice, that means someone should be able to:
- Navigate your site with a keyboard (not just a mouse)
- Use a screen reader to understand your content
- Read text with adequate colour contrast and sensible typography
- Complete forms without getting stuck
- Watch videos with captions
- Zoom in without the layout breaking
The global benchmark for this work comes from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and its Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), which publish the WCAG guidelines used worldwide.
Why Accessibility Matters For Your Business
1. You Reach More People (You Stop Turning Customers Away)
A huge number of people live with disabilities and many more experience temporary or situational barriers (injury, poor lighting, broken trackpad, noisy environment, ageing). If your website has blockers, those users bounce… and often don’t come back.
Accessibility removes friction. Less friction means more enquiries, more sales, and fewer abandoned forms.
2. It Improves UX For Everyone
Most accessibility improvements are just good usability:
- Clear headings
- Readable text
- Predictable navigation
- Buttons that are easy to tap on mobile
- Helpful error messages in forms
Better UX typically means longer sessions, lower bounce rates, and higher conversion rates.
3. It Supports SEO In A Very Practical Way
Search engines love clarity. Accessibility pushes you toward the same best practices SEO needs:
- Proper heading structure (H1 → H2 → H3)
- Descriptive link text (not “click here”)
- Meaningful image alt text
- Clean, semantic HTML
- Transcripts/captions that add indexable content
- Fewer broken journeys (which helps engagement signals)
It’s not “do accessibility to rank #1”, but it is a strong foundation that supports content performance over time.
4. The Legal And Compliance Landscape Keeps Tightening
In the UK, service providers have duties to make “reasonable adjustments” so disabled people aren’t disadvantaged when accessing services online (including websites). Government guidance also makes clear that public sector bodies must meet accessibility requirements and publish accessibility statements.
Across the EU, the European Accessibility Act has been applying from 28 June 2025, which has pushed many businesses to treat accessibility as a serious commercial requirement, especially if you sell to EU customers.
In the US, the U.S. Department of Justice finalised a rule in 2024 requiring state and local government web content and apps to be accessible (tied to WCAG-based expectations), showing how enforcement is moving toward clearer standards.
(Quick note: this isn’t legal advice, but if your website is part of how you deliver a service, accessibility is now a genuine business risk area, not a theoretical one.)
What’s Changed Recently
WCAG 2.2 Is The Current, Widely-Used Standard
WCAG 2.2 became an official W3C Recommendation on 5 October 2023, with an update published 12 December 2024.
WCAG 2.2 is also now an ISO standard (ISO/IEC 40500:2025), which matters for procurement and formal compliance conversations.
WCAG 3.0 Exists (But It’s Still A Draft)
WCAG 3.0 is in Working Draft status and isn’t something you should treat as a compliance target yet.
The UK Government Is Testing To WCAG 2.2 AA
The GOV.UK accessibility statement was reviewed on 29 January 2026 and notes testing against WCAG 2.2 AA (sample testing carried out in March 2025). That’s a strong indicator of where “normal” expectations are heading.
A Practical WCAG 2.2 Checklist
You don’t need to memorise the guidelines. Focus on the user journeys that matter: navigation, reading, buying, booking, contacting, and completing forms.
Here are high-impact improvements that cover most common issues:
Structure And Content
- Use one clear H1 per page, then logical H2/H3 headings (so screen readers and search engines understand the page).
- Write descriptive link text (e.g., “Download WCAG 2.2 Guide” instead of “Click here”).
- Provide alt text for meaningful images (and empty alt “” for decorative images).
Keyboard And Focus
- Make sure every interactive element is reachable by keyboard (tab/shift+tab).
- Ensure focus is always visible (a clear outline) and never gets trapped in modals/popups.
- Don’t let sticky headers or overlays hide the focused element – WCAG 2.2 specifically strengthened focus visibility expectations.
Colour Contrast And Readability
- Check contrast on body text, buttons, and links.
- Avoid relying on colour alone to communicate meaning (e.g., “errors in red” with no message).
- Keep line length and spacing comfortable; allow zoom to 200% without breaking layout.
Forms That People Can Actually Complete
- Every input needs a properly associated label (not just placeholder text).
- Use clear error messages that explain what went wrong and how to fix it.
- Don’t force users to re-enter the same info again and again – WCAG 2.2 includes success criteria aimed at reducing redundant entry.
Mobile And Touch Targets
- Make buttons and tap targets large enough (especially in menus and product filters).
- Avoid tiny “X” close buttons on popups; give users space to tap accurately.
Video And Audio
- Add captions for video (at minimum).
- Provide transcripts where it makes sense (great for accessibility and SEO).
PDFs And Downloadable Documents
If you publish PDFs (brochures, spec sheets, guides), make sure they’re accessible too – tagged structure, selectable text, headings, and proper reading order. Accessibility doesn’t stop at the webpage.
How To Improve Accessibility Without It Becoming A Massive Project
1. Start With An Accessibility Audit
Run automated checks (they’re fast) and do manual testing (it catches what automation misses): keyboard-only navigation, screen-reader spot checks, form journeys, and mobile checks.
2. Fix The Common Blockers First
Popups, menus, forms, checkout, and contact pages usually give the biggest wins.
3. Build It Into Your Routine
Accessibility is easiest when it’s part of your workflow:
- New pages use proper heading structure
- Images get alt text on upload
- Templates/components are keyboard-safe by default
- Every release includes a quick accessibility regression check
4. Aim for WCAG 2.2 Level AA
That’s the level most organisations target because it’s practical, widely recognised, and lines up with how many policies and procurement standards are written.
Accessibility Is A Win-Win
An accessible website is:
- Easier to use
- Easier to trust
- Easier to maintain
- Easier for search engines to understand
- Less likely to cause reputational or legal headaches
And most importantly: it makes sure real people aren’t excluded from your service.
Need Help?
If you want to make your website more accessible (and more conversion-friendly), Just There can help you audit, prioritise fixes, and bring your site in line with modern expectations like WCAG 2.2 AA. Reach out today and we’ll help you make your site inclusive, SEO-friendly, and built for everyone.
