Websites · How it works
Website accessibility basics
Website accessibility means people with disabilities can use your site, including those using screen readers, keyboards or zoom. The basics are readable colour contrast, text alternatives for images, a clear heading structure, descriptive link text, labelled form fields and pages that work without a mouse. These follow the WCAG guidelines most laws refer to.
About one in five people live with some form of disability, and many more have temporary or situational limits, such as a broken arm or bright sunlight on a phone. An accessible site works better for all of them.
Nuwan Madhusanka · Co-founder
3 min read · Published
- 1
Check contrast
Body text needs a contrast ratio of at least 4.5 to 1 against its background, large text 3 to 1. Use a contrast checker on your colours.
- 2
Describe images
Give every meaningful image short alt text that says what it shows; leave decorative images with empty alt text.
- 3
Use headings in order
One main heading per page, then section headings in order, so screen reader users can jump through the page.
- 4
Write clear links and labels
Links say where they go, not click here, and every form field has a visible label.
- 5
Test with a keyboard
Tab through the page: every link, button and field should be reachable and show a visible focus outline.
Why it matters
Accessibility is about customers you would otherwise lose: someone with low vision who cannot read pale grey text, someone using a screen reader who cannot tell what an unlabelled button does. In many countries, including Australia under the Disability Discrimination Act, inaccessible services can also be a legal risk.
The standard everyone cites
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, WCAG, from the W3C, set testable criteria at levels A, AA and AAA. Level AA is the common target in law and policy. Most of what a small business site needs is covered by contrast, alt text, structure, labels, keyboard use and captions for video.
What the builder can and cannot do
A good builder handles structure: one main heading, labelled forms, skip links, keyboard friendly menus and colour pairs that pass contrast. It cannot write your alt text, choose plain words or caption your videos. Those depend on the content you add.
Common mistakes
Text on busy photos, images of text such as a menu photographed instead of typed, buttons that only say More, form errors shown only in red, and videos without captions. Each has a simple fix once noticed.
Where it shows up in OneCraft
Every palette in light and dark is tested so the text and background pairs the site draws meet WCAG AA contrast, and focus rings meet 3 to 1. Pages carry a skip to content link, labelled form fields, a menu button that works by keyboard, and the language tag. The image picker has an alt text field under each image; AI generated images start with empty alt text for you to fill.
Questions people ask
Is website accessibility a legal requirement in Australia?
The Disability Discrimination Act makes it unlawful to discriminate in providing goods and services, which can include websites, and the Australian Human Rights Commission points to WCAG as the benchmark. Private businesses have faced complaints. Meeting WCAG AA is the practical way to reduce that risk.
What is alt text and how do I write it?
Alt text is a short description of an image read aloud by screen readers and shown if the image fails to load. Describe what matters in context in a sentence, such as Two volunteers packing a fresh food box. Skip phrases like image of, and leave decorative images empty.
Do I need captions on my videos?
Yes, for prerecorded video with speech, captions are a WCAG requirement at level A, and they help everyone watching without sound. Platforms such as YouTube let you upload or generate captions, which then show in the embedded player on your site.
How do I test my site for accessibility?
Start with free automated checkers such as browser accessibility audits, which find missing alt text, low contrast and unlabelled fields. Then tab through the site with a keyboard and try a screen reader on one key page. Automated tools catch only part of the issues.
Does accessibility help SEO?
Indirectly, yes. Clear headings, descriptive link text, alt text and fast, readable pages help search engines understand content as well as people. Accessibility work rarely conflicts with good SEO, and often the same fix serves both, so the effort pays twice.
Make one with websites
The button opens the generator with this use case already described. Change the wording to match your own.
Create a website with OneCraftRelated questions
- What are Core Web Vitals?What are Core Web Vitals? Three measures of loading, responsiveness and visual stability, LCP, INP and CLS, with the thresholds Google uses and what moves them.
- What is a call to action on a website?What is a call to action on a website? The button or link that asks visitors to take the next step, such as book, call or buy. Placement, wording and examples.
- What is a hero section?What is a hero section? The large opening block of a web page with the main heading, a supporting line, a button and an image. Layouts, copy and mistakes.
Written and checked by the OneCraft team. Last checked .