Website Accessibility Checklist

When I talk to business owners across Ireland, one question comes up again and again: “Do I really need to worry about website accessibility?” The short answer is yes - accessibility isn’t just about legal compliance; it’s about creating a website that works for everyone. It improves usability, SEO, and your brand reputation. In this guide, we’ll walk through a practical accessibility checklist tailored for Irish SMEs. You’ll get easy examples, best practices, and direct links to helpful Web Wizard resources.

If you’d like a quick introduction first, have a look at our post What Is Web Accessibility? A Simple Guide Using HTML Attributes. It explains basic HTML accessibility features like alt text and ARIA labels in simple language.

Why Website Accessibility Matters for Irish Businesses

Accessibility means that your website can be used by people with disabilities - visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive - and by those using assistive technologies such as screen readers or voice commands. But even beyond that, accessibility helps everyone, including people using mobiles, older devices, or slower internet connections.

• Legal and ethical responsibility: Ireland is adopting the European Accessibility Act, which encourages businesses to make their websites usable for all.
• Wider reach: You make your site available to more people, including potential customers who might otherwise be excluded.
• Better SEO: Accessible sites often have clean code, proper tags, and descriptive text - which help search engines too.
• Brand trust: Showing care for inclusivity builds a positive image for your company.
• Improved user experience: Accessibility improvements make navigation smoother for everyone not just those with disabilities.

Key Accessibility Standards to Understand

WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines)

WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 define international best practices for accessibility. Most companies aim for Level AA compliance, which covers most real-world accessibility needs.

ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications)

ARIA attributes such as aria-label, aria-hidden, and aria-describedby make interactive or dynamic elements (like dropdowns or modals) understandable to assistive tools.

Semantic HTML and Landmarks

Using proper HTML tags like <header>, <nav>, <main>, and <footer> helps both screen readers and Google understand your content hierarchy.

Website Accessibility Checklist

Here’s a practical checklist to follow for your Irish business website. You don’t need to do everything at once; even small improvements make a big difference.

1. Page Structure and Headings

• Use headings in order: h1 for main title, h2 for major sections, and so on. Avoid skipping levels.
• Add clear page landmarks using <header>, <nav>, <main>, and <footer>.
• Include a “Skip to main content” link for keyboard users.
• Use meaningful link text, not just “Click here”.

<nav aria-label="Main navigation">
  <ul>
    <li><a href="/services">Services</a></li>
    <li><a href="/blog">Blog</a></li>
  </ul>
</nav>

2. Text and Readability

• Ensure a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text.
• Use relative units (em or rem) for text sizes so users can resize them easily.
• Choose legible fonts and use enough spacing (line-height between 1.4 and 1.6).
• Keep paragraphs short and scannable for easy reading.

3. Images and Media

• Provide descriptive alt text for all meaningful images.
• Use alt="" (empty) for decorative images to skip them in screen readers.
• Add captions or transcripts for videos and audio clips.
• Do not auto-play media; give users full control to play or pause.

4. Keyboard Navigation and Focus

• Every interactive element must be usable with keyboard only (Tab, Enter, Space).
• Ensure visible focus styles so users can see where they are on the page.
• Maintain a logical tab order that follows your visual layout.
• Use ARIA attributes like aria-expanded and aria-hidden for dropdowns and modals.

<button aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="menu">Menu</button>
<div id="menu" aria-hidden="true">Menu links here</div>

5. Forms and Inputs

• Each input must have a clear label connected via for and id.
• Don’t rely only on placeholders; they disappear once users type.
• Provide clear, friendly error messages and validation hints.
• Use <fieldset> and <legend> for groups of radio buttons or checkboxes.

<label for="email">Email address</label>
<input id="email" type="email" aria-describedby="emailHelp">
<span id="emailHelp">We’ll never share your email with anyone.</span>

6. Navigation and Menus

• Ensure menus are fully keyboard-accessible.
• Use role="navigation" and aria-label for clarity.
• Provide breadcrumbs for multi-page websites.
• Include a clearly labelled search box for large content sites.

7. Dynamic and Interactive Content

• Use aria-live for dynamically updated content.
• Allow users to pause animations or slideshows.
• Provide keyboard support for carousels (next, previous, pause buttons).
• Avoid flashing animations that may trigger discomfort.

8. Colour and Contrast

• Ensure proper contrast ratios - 4.5:1 for body text, 3:1 for large text.
• Don’t rely solely on colour to show meaning (e.g., use text or icons for errors).
• Test how your design looks for colour-blind users using online simulators.

9. Mobile Accessibility

• Use responsive layouts that adapt smoothly to smaller screens.
• Keep touch targets large enough (at least 44x44 pixels).
• Don’t disable zoom or pinch gestures.
• Ensure your mobile menu has proper labels and is keyboard-accessible.

10. Testing and Validation

• Use tools like Lighthouse, WAVE, and Axe for quick automated audits.
• Test your site using screen readers such as NVDA or VoiceOver.
• Navigate your site using only a keyboard to check tab order and focus.
• Get real feedback from users with accessibility needs if possible.

Common Accessibility Issues in Websites

• Missing labels: Forms without proper labels confuse users. Always connect them using for and id.
• Low-contrast text: Pale grey text on a white background fails accessibility checks.
• Unlabelled icons: Icons or buttons (like a shopping cart) should have aria-label attributes describing their function.
• Keyboard traps: Some modals don’t let users exit with the keyboard - always allow Esc or close buttons.

Accessibility and SEO Go Hand in Hand

Accessibility improvements help Google understand your site better. For instance, using descriptive alt text for images helps both visually impaired users and search engines index your images.

In our blog post Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Building a Business Website, we discussed how ignoring mobile design or slow site speed affects user experience. Those same mistakes can also hurt accessibility and rankings.

Conclusion

Accessibility isn’t just another technical task - it’s part of good design. For Irish companies looking to build trust and reach more people, making your website accessible is one of the best investments you can make. It shows you care, it helps your SEO, and it improves everyone’s experience on your site.