How to Make Your Website Accessible: A Step-by-Step Guide
Knowing how to make your website accessible comes down to a repeatable loop: find what’s failing, fix the barriers that block people first, and keep it from slipping back. This guide walks through it in order, from fixes that take five minutes to the ones worth handing to a developer.
If you want the standard behind this, our pillar on website accessibility and ADA compliance covers WCAG and the legal side.
Step 1: Audit what’s failing
You can’t fix what you haven’t found. Run an automated scanner (WAVE, axe, or Lighthouse) to catch the mechanical issues, then walk the site yourself with a keyboard and a screen reader. Work from a written list. Our website accessibility checklist gives you one to work through.
Step 2: Fix the high-impact barriers first
Some issues merely annoy. Others stop people from using the site at all. Start with the blockers:
- Add alt text to every meaningful image, and empty alt text to decorative ones.
- Fix colour contrast so text hits at least 4.5:1. This is usually a quick design-token change.
- Label every form field, and make error messages explain how to fix the problem.
- Make sure everything works by keyboard, and that there’s a visible focus outline.
- Set a logical heading structure: one H1, then H2s and H3s in order.
These five cover a large chunk of real-world complaints, and most are fast.
Step 3: Handle the harder issues
Some things need more care:
- Custom components (menus, tabs, modals, carousels) that need correct ARIA roles and keyboard behaviour.
- Dynamic content that updates without a page reload, which screen readers need to be told about.
- PDFs and other documents, which have their own accessibility requirements.
- Third-party embeds you don’t fully control.
This is where a developer usually earns their keep, because broken ARIA is worse than none.
Step 4: Test with real assistive technology
Automated tools can’t tell you whether your site actually works for someone using it. Turn on NVDA (Windows) or VoiceOver (Mac) and try to complete a real task start to finish. Navigate with only the keyboard. Zoom to 200%. If you can’t finish the task, neither can your users.
Step 5: Keep it accessible
Accessibility slips the moment you stop watching it. A new plugin, a new landing page, a redesign, and barriers creep back in. Build a quick check into your publishing routine, and re-audit periodically. On WordPress, the right tools help here; see our guide to the best WordPress accessibility plugins.
Do you need a developer?
For the quick wins, no. Alt text, contrast, labels, and headings are within reach of anyone comfortable editing their site. The harder issues (ARIA, dynamic content, custom components) usually are a developer’s job. If you’d rather not juggle it, WP Relieve handles accessibility fixes as ongoing tasks on a flat monthly plan.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make my website accessible?
Audit it against WCAG 2.1 AA, fix the barriers that block people first (alt text, contrast, keyboard access, form labels, headings), handle harder issues like ARIA and dynamic content, test with a real screen reader, and keep checking as the site changes.
How long does it take to make a website accessible?
The high-impact fixes on a small site can be done in days. Larger sites, or ones with lots of custom components and documents, take longer. Because sites keep changing, accessibility is really ongoing rather than a single finish line.
Can I make my website accessible myself?
Partly. Alt text, contrast, labels, and headings are DIY-friendly. Custom components, ARIA, and dynamic content usually need a developer, since incorrect ARIA can make things worse.
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