A Guide to Website Accessibility

Web accessibility refers to websites, tools, and technologies that are designed to be inclusive of all people, regardless of disability or situational restrictions. Accessibility standards make digital tools and information available to more people.

Creating an accessible website means you’re doing your part in building a more accessible internet. Accessible websites give more people a way to shop, join communities, pay bills, sign up for appointments, and participate in society—without feeling excluded.

Why removing accessibility barriers is important

A barrier to access is anything that prevents someone with disabilities from completing a task with the same ease as someone without disabilities. The goal of accessibility is to minimize those barriers as much as possible. 

Web accessibility solutions create a better web experience for everyone, not just people with disabilities. Digital accessibility for page loading speeds or text readability, for example, make websites more accessible for:

• People with low vision

• People in rural areas with slower internet bandwidth

• People with color blindness

More equal access online also creates a better user experience. That’ll extend the reach of your brand and send a strong message about your values.

Types of disability 

There are several types of disabilities to consider in your website design. The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) categorizes different kinds of disability as visual, auditory, cognitive, and motor control. 

• Visual: Includes blindness (no vision at all), low vision (may need aids to see), and color blindness (can’t see colors as people without color blindness do)

• Auditory: Includes people who are no/low hearing and/or communicate through sign language as well as people who are hard of hearing that can communicate orally but may use assistive technology like hearing aids

• Cognitive: The most common kind of disability. Some examples include barriers to memory, problem-solving, attention, reading, math comprehension, and visual comprehension

• Motor: A broad category that includes people who may not be able to use a mouse or keyboard, users who navigate with voice-activated software, and people who become fatigued when interacting with a website

A few changes in your web design can offer people with disabilities equal opportunity to enjoy or learn from your website. These changes can be as simple as ensuring your text is readable against the page background or adding captions to multimedia content.

Why it’s important to have an accessible website

Beyond the benefit to internet users as a whole, making your website accessible also has benefits for you. For example, search engines factor accessibility issues into SEO since they impact a web page’s usability. 

A more inclusive website will naturally reach a broader audience. That means more clients, customers, or followers for you. 

There’s a regulatory angle too. Businesses and organizations may need to meet certain accessibility requirements based on local laws. Not doing so could earn you fines or make you vulnerable to legal action.

How to build an accessible website

Note: This guide is available as a resource to help you get started, but shouldn't be construed or relied upon as legal advice. Squarespace can't provide advice about making your site compliant with any specific accessibility laws, regulations, or standards.

We’re all susceptible to biases and stereotypes based on our own experiences. When designing your website, remember that your visitors will come from all walks of life. Apply these five principles as a starting point to protect against accessibility problems.

1. Choose your colors thoughtfully. Be aware of the difference in brightness between the background and the items you place in the foreground, known as color contrast. Make sure there is enough difference in color and brightness so that your text is readable against background colors or images. If you’re using color for emphasis, remember to convey that emphasis in your text too.

2. Add alt text to your images. Alternative text is an image description that explains what your site visitors need to know about an image. This text is picked up by people using screen readers, and can also be read when an image fails to load (due to slower bandwidth for example).  

3. Caption any videos. Add captions to help those who are unable to hear the video for any reason, or who may simply prefer reading the captions. Offering a transcript for any video or audio content allows for more people to have access to the information (plus, it’s great for SEO). 

4. Organize your copy clearly. Well-organized content with clear titles and headings is easier for assistive technology to pick up and read in a way that makes sense. It’s key to use headings appropriately and in order. For example, H3 headings should follow H2 headings.

5. Consider working with a professional. Work with an accessibility specialist or a web designer with accessibility experience. Their expertise is especially valuable if you need to meet local regulations. 

Web accessibility is an ongoing practice, but doing your best will go a long way in helping to create a more accessible internet. Solutions that support people with permanent disabilities often benefit others who have temporary disabilities and people without disabilities.

Learn more about how to make your website more accessible

Where to find web accessibility resources

For detailed web accessibility guidelines, look to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). WCAG 2.0, created and maintained by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), sets the standards for web accessibility. There you’ll find in-depth information about how to make your web content more accessible.

For additional resources, try:

• W3C’s Stories of Web Users: Read first-hand accounts of how different people navigate the web, curated by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).

• Inclusive Design Principles: Get tips and guidelines for designing with accessibility in mind from leaders in the web and app design space.

• Government resources: U.S.-based brand and business owners can follow the government’s guidance on web accessibility standards. The government sets certain legal requirements based on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). 

At Squarespace, we believe in building inclusive products. We’re constantly working to improve the accessibility of the things we create. And we want to give creators functionality to make their sites more accessible too. Check out our help guides or learn more about accessibility at Squarespace.

Ready to build your website?

This post was updated on September 22, 2023.