Why Accessibility Matters
15% of the world's population lives with some form of disability. Web accessibility ensures your website is usable by everyone — including people with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive disabilities. Beyond ethics, accessibility is a legal requirement in many jurisdictions.
WCAG 2.2 Key Guidelines
- Perceivable: Provide text alternatives for images. Ensure sufficient color contrast (4.5:1 minimum). Don't rely on color alone to convey information.
- Operable: All functionality must be accessible via keyboard. Provide skip navigation links. Don't use content that flashes more than 3 times per second.
- Understandable: Use clear, simple language. Provide consistent navigation. Help users avoid and correct errors.
- Robust: Use semantic HTML. Ensure compatibility with assistive technologies (screen readers, voice control).
Quick Wins
Add alt text to all images. Use semantic HTML elements (<nav>, <main>, <button>). Ensure focus states are visible. Test with a screen reader (NVDA, VoiceOver). Run automated checks with axe-core or Lighthouse.
Testing Tools
axe DevTools browser extension, WAVE evaluation tool, and Lighthouse accessibility audit catch 30-50% of accessibility issues automatically. Manual testing with screen readers catches the rest.