When it comes to web design, accessibility isn’t just a technical requirement, it’s about making sure everyone can use and enjoy your website. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are an international standard that helps designers and developers create websites that are inclusive and user-friendly for people of all abilities.
If you run a business, following accessibility best practices isn’t just the right thing to do, it can also improve your website’s SEO, usability, and overall customer experience.
What Does “Accessibility” Mean for a Website?
Accessibility means designing your website so that people with disabilities, including those who use screen readers, have low vision, colour blindness, hearing loss, or limited mobility, can navigate and interact with your content easily.
Understanding WCAG in Simple Terms
WCAG stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. It’s a set of recommendations developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to make websites more accessible.
The guidelines are based around four key principles, often remembered by the acronym P.O.U.R.
- Perceivable: Content must be presented in ways that users can perceive (e.g. text alternatives for images).
- Operable: Users must be able to navigate and use the website (e.g. keyboard-friendly navigation).
- Understandable: Information and operation of the site must be easy to understand.
- Robust: The site should work well with a variety of assistive technologies and browsers.
Why Accessibility Matters for Business
- Reach a Wider Audience: Accessibility opens your business to more people, including those who might otherwise struggle to use your site.
- Improve SEO: Search engines love clear, structured, and well-labelled content.
- Build Trust: Showing that you care about accessibility reflects positively on your brand.
- Future-Proof Your Website: Accessibility standards are becoming increasingly expected — getting it right now means you’ll be ready for the future.
How We Can Help
At Alistair Whiteley Web Design, we build every website with accessibility in mind from the start. Whether you need a new site or want to make improvements to your existing one, we can help you meet WCAG guidelines in a way that’s practical and affordable for your business. Get in touch with us today if you need any help!
