12 Web Accessibility Features Every Website Should Have

Key takeaways:

• Implementing web accessibility features improves the user experience for everyone, not just those with disabilities. 
• Prioritizing accessibility helps your website comply with laws like the ADA and reduces the risk of legal issues.
• Web accessibility features include screen reader compatibility, keyboard navigation, resizable text, and multimedia alternatives like captions. 

Web accessibility features help make websites usable for everyone. And yet, across the top one million homepages, over 50 million accessibility errors were detected in 2025. That’s an average of 51 issues per page, according to WebAIM’s latest report. This means that many websites are still missing vital accessibility elements that could benefit a wide range of users. And more often than not, this lack of inclusive design leads to usability issues that can affect your site’s user experience, engagement, and even your search rankings. 

To help evaluate the accessibility of your website, ask yourself these questions: 

• Is your business website easily accessible to people with disabilities?
• Can visually-impaired web visitors use a screen reader to hear what’s on your site?
• Can hard of hearing individuals turn on closed captions or find transcripts of your auditory content?
• Can disabled users navigate their way around your page? 

That said, let’s explore some important web accessibility features, plus a few tips so you can build a more inclusive, user-friendly website.

What is website accessibility? 

Website accessibility simply refers to the design and development of websites that provide equal access and usability for everyone. At its core, it promotes an inclusive digital environment where users, especially people with disabilities, can navigate, interact, and consume online content just as effectively as anyone else. 

Most of the disabilities it tries to address include: 

• Visual impairments. Includes conditions that affect a person’s ability to see or perceive visual content, such as blindness, low vision, and color blindness.
• Hearing impairments. Includes conditions such as deafness or difficulty hearing, which often require alternative methods of accessing auditory content.
• Motor impairments. Includes conditions like paralysis, muscular dystrophy, or arthritis that affect a person’s ability to control their movements and interact with digital devices.
• Cognitive impairments. Covers various conditions, including intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, and memory disorders, which may affect information processing, comprehension, and problem-solving abilities. 

As more of our important daily activities go online, it’s important that everyone gets the same access to the internet. That’s why many countries enacted laws and regulations that urge website accessibility. 

As a website owner, it’s your responsibility to make sure individuals with disabilities also have equal access to your content.

What are the four principles of web accessibility? 

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) outlined Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) based on four principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust—collectively referred to as POUR. These tenets ensure that everyone, including people with disabilities, can fully use your website. 

Perceivable 

Can users see, hear, or otherwise sense the content on your website?  

Different users experience content in various ways. Some may have visual impairments, whereas others may depend on assistive technologies. This principle makes sure your website’s content is available to everyone, no matter how they interact with it. 

Operable

In this principle, the focus is on ensuring that users can interact with your site, regardless of how they access your site. 

Your site should accommodate all visitors, including those who rely on a mouse, keyboard, or assistive technologies. Interactive elements, such as buttons and forms, must also be easy to operate for all users. For instance, individuals who can’t use a mouse should still be able to navigate through keyboard shortcuts, while others might use voice commands or specialized tools to engage with your site. 

Understandable

One of the most important aspects of web accessibility is making your content easy to read and navigate. As such, your website should be structured in a way that’s intuitive for all users. To be truly accessible, you must tick all these boxes: clear language, a logical layout, and error-free navigation. 

Robust

As technology evolves, so should your website. Meaning, your website should work well across all devices, browsers, and assistive tools, and remain functional as new technologies emerge.

What web accessibility features should your site include?

Here are some of the most important web accessibility feature examples that guarantee all users can easily navigate and engage with your content: 

1. Screen reader compatibility 

What would your website look like if you couldn’t see it? 

Your site should be compatible with screen readers, which convert on-screen text into speech so visually impaired users can hear what they cannot see. 

Use semantic HTML: structure your content with appropriate heading levels, provide descriptive link text, and avoid ambiguous or unnecessary elements. You should also specify what language your site is written in within the header code so that text readers can work with the correct language. 

2. Text alternatives for multimedia 

Provide descriptive alt text to your images and videos so that people who cannot see that content can hear a description of those objects. 

While this is helpful for all users with vision impairments, it’s especially vital for users who rely on screen readers. When an image, chart, or video contains important information, your alt text serves as the only way for those users to access it. 

3. Resizable text and zoom support 

Bear in mind that visual impairment extends well beyond total vision loss. Look at your website through the eyes of someone with age-related vision loss or difficulty reading small text. Use a large, easy-to-read font and allow zoom on mobile devices. More importantly, make sure your text is resizable.  

4. Color contrast and color blind-friendly design

It’s also preferable to use a background color that contrasts with your text color to improve readability. As much as possible, stay away from color pairings that can be hard to tell apart for users with color blindness, such as blue and purple or red and green. 

To go a step further, don’t rely solely on color to convey important information. Also use patterns, labels, or icons alongside color cues. Consider testing your color contrast with tools like the WebAIM Contrast Checker to ensure your design meets WCAG guidelines. 

5. Accessible forms 

Forms should be designed with accessibility in mind. In addition to being screen reader-friendly, they should include clear and visible labels for all input fields—not just placeholder text. 

Make sure form fields follow a logical tab order so users can navigate them predictably using only a keyboard. You should also provide helpful error messages that explain what went wrong and how to fix it, rather than just highlighting fields in red. 

6. Captions and transcripts for multimedia 

Does your site include videos with narration or sound? What about podcasts or voiceover descriptions? If so, make sure users who are deaf or have hearing impairments can access your content. This means providing closed captions for videos and text transcripts for audio. These alternatives help users read the content they cannot hear. 

Additionally, captions can benefit other users in noisy environments or situations where audio cannot be played aloud. 

7. Visual alternatives to audio cues

Any time your site relies on sound to convey important information (e.g., alerts or confirmations), you should provide a visual equivalent. This could be an icon, message box, or symbol. This way, people who can’t hear the audio alerts can still receive the same message in an accessible format. 

8. Keyboard navigation and alternative input support 

Many people with motor impairments rely on keyboards or alternative input devices to navigate websites. As such, you should avoid relying solely on mouse-based interactions. 

Offer alternative ways for visitors to interact with your website, such as using keyboard shortcuts or providing accessible buttons or links for actions. This allows users to perform functions without requiring precise mouse movements. Example: users should be able to navigate through the website’s elements in a predictable order using the “Tab” key. 

9. Touch-friendly and responsive design 

People with motor impairments may also use assistive devices with different screen sizes and capabilities. Knowing this, your website should support a variety of devices and input methods. 

Use touch-friendly design principles: include large, well-spaced buttons and ensure that important actions are easy to perform on touchscreens or adaptive hardware. 

10. Clear content structure 

Cognitive impairments can affect how a person processes and comprehends information. You’ll want to avoid making your website difficult to read or navigate. 

Organize your content with easy-to-navigate menus, headings, and subheadings, and avoid cluttered layouts that can overwhelm users. You don’t need unnecessary distractions, such as excessive animations, flashing lights, or auto-playing media. 

11. Simple language

Choose simple and concise language in short sentences for your website’s content. Consider providing explanations or tooltips for unfamiliar items as well as visual cues to help users better understand the website’s functionality. This is especially helpful for users with learning or cognitive disabilities (like dyslexia) and those with lower literacy levels. 

Here’s the reality: about 54% of American adults read below a 6th-grade level. That’s all the more reason to skip jargon, avoid acronyms when possible, and provide brief explanations for unfamiliar terms, along with visual cues, to improve comprehension and usability. 

12. Assistive technology compatibility

Familiarize yourself with common assistive technology, devices, and software that individuals with disabilities may use to access your website. These include screen readers, magnifiers, speech recognition software, alternative input devices, and more. 

Test your website’s compatibility with various assistive technologies. Use these tools and interact with your website as users with disabilities would. During this phase, you can identify and tackle any issues that may hinder your site’s accessibility. 

Why should you make your website accessible?  

Here are five reasons why you should integrate web accessibility features into your site: 

Expanded user base and increased engagement

If your website is inaccessible, you might be unintentionally slamming the door on millions of valuable prospective customers. 

In contrast, making your website accessible opens your business or organization to a larger user base. When your website works for people with visual, auditory, or other impairments, you improve your conversion rates by helping them engage with your site, contact you for more information, or directly purchase your products and services 

Better user experience 

When your disabled audiences are accommodated, your non-disabled visitors have their user experience improved as well. Making your website accessible enhances navigation for everyone. It also becomes more readable and over all usable, which results in everyone’s convenience. 

Legal compliance

In several countries, there are laws and regulations that enforce website accessibility for individuals with disabilities. This means you’re legally required to follow guidelines and create an accessible website to avoid potential issues down the line, like fines or lawsuits. 

For example, section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 mandates the state and local governments to make their informational assets—including websites—accessible to those with disabilities. This also extends to local government services and those who do business with federal agencies. 

Meanwhile, Title III of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits disability-based discrimination on spaces for public accommodation. While it doesn’t specifically mention the internet, it also doesn’t expressly limit public accommodations itself to physical locations, so being ADA compliant is a best practice. 

Enhanced SEO

Search engines value website accessibility features, such as proper headings, descriptive alternative text for images, and structured content. These are accessibility practices that can improve your website’s search engine optimization (SEO) rankings when implemented, so you’re hitting two birds with one stone. 

An accessible website also leads to better organic traffic as more people prefer websites that can cater to their needs. The more inclusive your website’s accessibility is, the more people visit your site and the higher your organic ranking becomes. 

Positive brand image and customer relations 

These days, customers are conscious about whether the brands stand up for the issues they care about. They no longer buy from impersonal companies. Rather, they want to support brands that care for them. 

Adopting a web accessibility initiative, for one thing, demonstrates social responsibility. In doing so, you play a part in building a more inclusive society where all individuals have equal access to online content and services. 

It shows that you value your customers. You provide equal opportunities for all users and improve your brand image and customer relations.

How can you increase accessibility on your website? 

Now you know why it’s important for web pages on your website to be accessible, it’s time to make a website that meets web accessibility standards. Here are some general tips to follow: 

Conduct an accessibility audit 

An accessibility audit evaluates your website’s compliance with accessibility standards. The process typically includes a combination of manual reviews, automated testing tools, and user testing with individuals with disabilities.  

Use accessible design and development practices  

It’s highly important to follow accessible design and development practices as you create your website. This includes: 

• using semantic HTML markup
• providing proper labels and descriptions for interactive elements
• ensuring color contrast
• using accessible forms and error messaging
• implementing responsive design principles

Test regularly for accessibility issues 

You can use automated accessibility testing tools to scan your website for common accessibility issues. Some widely used tools include: 

• WAVE by WebAIM. Great for visualizing accessibility errors on any webpage.
• axe DevTools. A browser extension for developers to catch issues directly in the browser.
• Accessibility Insights. Microsoft’s tool that offers fast automated checks, plus guided manual testing.
• IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker. Offers real-time feedback, checks against WCAG 2.1 standards, and provides detailed reports for both automated and manual testing. 

On another note, you can also conduct manual tests on your assistive technologies to evaluate the user experience for individuals with disabilities. This way, you can address accessibility issues that automated tools might’ve missed.  

Educate your team on web accessibility 

Training and educating your content creators and developers on web accessibility best practices is important for long-term accessibility success.

Provide them with resources, guidelines, and training sessions on creating accessible web content, using accessible design techniques, and understanding the needs of users with disabilities.

Prioritize web accessibility features to support all users 

All that is to say, website accessibility features create a better experience for all your visitors. Plus, it improves search engine rankings and safeguards your business from potential legal issues. 

In a nutshell, here are the web accessibility features your site should include: 

• Screen reader compatibility
• Text alternatives for multimedia
• Resizable text and zoom support
• Color contrast and color blind-friendly design
• Accessible forms
• Captions and transcripts for multimedia
• Visual alternatives to audio cues
• Keyboard navigation and alternative input support
• Touch-friendly and responsive design
• Clear content structure
• Simple language
• Assistive technology compatibility   

Want a website that works for everyone? Check out our accessibility-ready web design services and let’s make your site more inclusive. 

Frequently asked questions