Website accessibility is more than just a legal requirement – it’s about creating a digital space that everyone can use, regardless of ability. By ensuring your website is accessible, you make your content available to a wider audience and show that your organisation values inclusivity and user experience.
For UK businesses and public sector organisations, accessibility is essential for WCAG compliance (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) and meeting the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
Whether you manage a council website, an e-commerce site, or a small business page, accessibility should be part of your ongoing website strategy – not an afterthought.
5 Key Things to Check for Website Accessibility
Accessibility covers a wide range of areas, but here are five essential checks to get started:
1. Text Alternatives (Alt Text)
Every meaningful image should have descriptive alternative text. This helps screen reader users understand what an image conveys and improves SEO visibility.
2. Keyboard Navigation
Test that your website can be used entirely with a keyboard. Users should be able to tab through menus, links, and form fields smoothly without losing their place.
3. Colour Contrast
Ensure your text stands out clearly against the background. Tools such as the WAVE Accessibility Tool or Colour Contrast Analyser can help confirm your colours meet WCAG contrast ratios.
4. Accessible PDFs
PDFs are often forgotten, but they must also be accessible. Use proper document structure (headings, tags, reading order) and make sure the text is selectable and readable by screen readers.
The most common problems in PDFs are:
- PDF does not contain XMP metadata stream.
- PDFs must be tagged to be accessible by screen readers.
- Use the lang attribute to identify the language of the page.
- The metadata stream in the catalogue dictionary does not include the PDF/UA identifier.
- Figures and images in PDF documents should have non blank ALT text, except for decorative images which should be marked as artefacts.
- Document title must not be blank.
The best way to fix PDF problems is at the source, from the original document used to create the PDF. This could be a Word or Adobe document.
We can also recommend a couple of tools to help detect and fix issues.
5. Form Labels and Error Messages
All form fields should be clearly labelled, and any errors should explain what went wrong and how to correct it. Clear feedback improves usability for everyone.
5 Common Website Accessibility FAQs
Why is website accessibility important?
Accessibility ensures your website is usable by everyone, including those with disabilities. It also boosts your SEO, user engagement, and reputation for inclusivity.
What does WCAG compliance mean?
WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is an international standard that defines how to make web content accessible. Meeting WCAG 2.2 AA standards is the general benchmark for UK websites.
Who is responsible for website accessibility?
The responsibility lies with the website owner – but achieving accessibility is a team effort involving designers, developers, and content creators.
How can I check if my website is accessible?
Automated accessibility tools are a good starting point, but a professional website accessibility audit provides a full picture. It checks your pages, documents, and files against WCAG criteria.
Do accessibility improvements help SEO?
Yes! Many accessibility practices – such as using alt text, structured headings, and clear navigation – also improve your site’s search engine performance.
Website Accessibility Audits and Fixes in the UK
At Somerset Web Services, we provide website accessibility audits across the UK, helping businesses and councils achieve WCAG compliance and create fully accessible websites.
Our team can:
- Audit your entire website for accessibility and usability issues
- Review PDFs and downloadable documents
- Provide a detailed report with clear recommendations
- Implement fixes to bring your website in line with accessibility standards
Improving accessibility doesn’t just help you meet regulations – it enhances the experience for every visitor.
If you’d like to know how your website performs against accessibility standards, contact us today to arrange a website accessibility audit.