Website accessibility means designing and building a site so people with disabilities — including visual, hearing, motor or cognitive impairments — can use it effectively. In practice, this includes things like readable color contrast, keyboard navigation, descriptive text for images, and a clear, logical page structure.
Why does accessibility matter for a business website?
An inaccessible website turns away visitors who can't use it — screen reader users, people navigating by keyboard, or anyone relying on assistive technology. Beyond that, many accessibility practices (clear structure, good contrast, descriptive content) simply make a site better for everyone.
What are some basic accessibility practices?
- Sufficient color contrast between text and background
- Descriptive alt text on meaningful images
- A logical heading structure that screen readers can navigate
- Keyboard-accessible navigation and forms
- Clearly labeled form fields and error messages
Does an accessible website need to look different?
Not necessarily. Most accessibility improvements happen under the hood — in code structure, contrast ratios and labeling — rather than requiring a visibly different design. A well-designed site can be both attractive and accessible.
Is accessibility a legal requirement?
Accessibility requirements vary and can carry legal risk in some cases; a qualified attorney is the right resource for compliance questions specific to your business. Walker Internet Services builds every site with accessibility-conscious development practices (WCAG best practices) as a baseline, though this is not a substitute for legal advice.
Learn more
See Walker Internet Services' full Website Design service page for how accessibility is built into every site.