Web accessibility is a fundamental aspect of the modern internet — but it’s not something the average user typically notices or is even aware of. But web accessibility features are always there, just below the surface if users need them. So what exactly is “web accessibility,” then?
The underlying goal of the internet lies in its universality. It should bring information, goods, services and connection to all users, regardless of disability. Essentially, web accessibility ensures that websites are designed and developed in a way that all people, including those with disabilities, can use them.
Websites that are inaccessible to certain users undermine that foundational goal. An accessible web, therefore, is available to people with a diverse range of hearing, movement, sight and cognitive abilities.
Badly designed websites can create barriers to accessibility — and because a content management system (CMS) is often the wizard behind the curtain controlling those websites, it’s important for CMS users, developers and the organizations around them to have a good grasp of accessibility best practices.
Understanding web accessibility
The legal guidelines around web accessibility come from , which is a federal law that requires equal access to information and communication from any organization that is funded by the federal government. This law was first introduced in 1973, then amended in 1998.
WCAG guidelines: What you need to know
The , meanwhile, are an international standard created by an independent group. The goal of the guidelines is to explain how to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities. Essentially, the guidelines are how to appropriately implement and design experiences that are inline with laws, and they apply to web content, apps and tools — including content management systems.
While WCAG itself doesn’t directly impose penalties, violations of these guidelines can lead to penalties under Section 508. And those fines can be steep — starting at $55,000 for the first offense and only growing from there.
Remember, these laws and guidelines are in place to ensure that the web is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. The idea is — if organizations follow the WCAG standards, organizations can provide a more inclusive and accessible web experience for all users. And yes, web accessibility does truly benefit all users.
How web accessibility standards benefit all users
Web accessibility ultimately boils down to inclusivity and universal design. It’s about making the web usable for everyone, regardless of their abilities or circumstances. That said, it’s obvious that many web accessibility principles align with general best practices for web usability. Accessibility is truly the rising tide that lifts all boats — an accessible website is often a more usable website for all users, leading to a better overall user experience.
Here are some ways in which web accessibility benefits all users:
- Device flexibility: Web accessibility standards ensure that websites work well with a variety of devices and platforms. If you’ve ever viewed a browser on a tablet vs. a phone vs. a smartwatch and noted the differences—some elements are hidden, some actions are disabled, the haptics vary – that’s, in part, accessibility at work. The goal is to provide a flexible “best fit” experience, so that the user can access the web from any device they prefer or have at hand.
- Situation limitations: There are times when “typical” users might face temporary or situational limitations. For example, a user might be standing on a bright, noisy city street — making it difficult to see a screen, and to hear audio. Accessible experiences are designed to adapt to these situations, providing a better user experience for everyone — by automatically dimming or brightening the experience, or providing subtitles or an auditory assistant.
- Slow Cconnections: Accessible websites are typically built so that they load quickly and efficiently — which makes it easier for users who may have slow connections (or limited data plans) to get the information they need. Imagine loading an article about the 2024 election results; the page might feature several large images, interactive charts, hundreds of comments and multiple interactive advertisements — now imagine viewing that article on a dial-up connection. Accessible design works to make the most important aspects of the website render as quickly as possible.
To put it plainly: Web accessibility is not just about disability. It’s about making the web accessible to as many people in as many situations as possible.
How your CMS can help adhere to web content accessibility guidelines
Your content management system has an important role to play in web accessibility. Depending on how the CMS is designed, configured, and administered, it can either facilitate or hinder overall accessibility. Your daily CMS users who are creating content also have a role to play.
Here’s how:
- Content structure: Your CMS should allow you to organize and structure your content so that it is easily consumed and navigated by screenreader technologies.
- Required content elements: Your CMS should at a minimum allow your users to add and edit important content elements, including links, images and headings. Soft warnings if important fields are left blank are important — and the gold standard is requiring certain attributes (like image alt text, for example) to be complete before a user can publish content.
- Accessible templates: The CMS should support the use of accessible templates, themes, and plugins. This ties closely to the front end of your site, and making sure that the visual experience is accessible as well (we’ll cover that in the next section).
- It’s worth noting that the CMS itself should also be web accessible — meaning that all of the users or employees of your organization are able to use the CMS to create web accessible content. (And in case you were wondering — Brightspot CMS is WCAG 2.1 Level AA certified.)
How your website’s front-end plays a role in web accessibility
The front end of your website — which your users interact with directly — significantly impacts web accessibility.
Here’s how:
- Visual design: The colors used (and the contrast between them), the font and font size, and the site layout can affect readability and usability, especially for users with visual impairments.
- Interactive elements: These specialized components (things like buttons and links, navigation menus and flyouts, images and videos) all need to be designed and developed with accessibility in mind. This includes providing keyboard-based navigation for those who can’t use a mouse and ensuring screen reader compatibility.
- Semantic HTML: Using appropriate HTML elements for content (like <button> for buttons and <nav> for navigation) helps assistive technologies understand the content.
- Dynamic content: If your website uses JavaScript to update content dynamically, it’s important to ensure that these updates are announced to assistive technologies.
- Multimedia content: Providing captions for videos, transcripts for audio and alternative text for images ensures that these types of content are accessible to all users. (So remember to encourage — or even better, require — the users of your CMS to input this content!)
In essence, both the CMS and the front-end design of a website play crucial roles in ensuring web accessibility. To that end, there are a number of testing tools that can be used to evaluate front end experiences for accessibility scores (such as and ); the results can then be used to refine the site’s accessibility. (These tests are a standard part of the pre-launch front end testing done as part of Brightspot’s professional services when working with customers.) By considering accessibility at every stage of web development, we can create a more inclusive web for everyone.
Web accessibility compliance in action, and in the wild
As mentioned at the outset, you’ve likely experienced web accessibility as a user without even noticing it. That’s because the driving force behind web accessibility is making the web usable for everyone, in all situations and of all abilities. Let’s look at a few real-world examples of great accessible sites.
Patagonia: This leading outdoor clothing company is a great example of an e-commerce experience that is also highly accessible. The text offers high contrast, all images have the necessary alternative text, and the pages are well structured, making it easy for anyone to navigate the website.
The Los Angeles Times: For a great example of an accessible news website, look no further than the LA Times. The site is easy to navigate and read—with a font clearly chosen for readability across many devices.
Dropbox: Dropbox has made significant efforts to ensure their cloud storage service is accessible. They have a dedicated accessibility team, and have incorporated features like keyboard shortcuts, screen reader compatibility and high contrast modes to assist users.
Conclusion: Accessibility to internet content should be considered for all
As you can see, web accessibility is more than a list of technical standards to check off; it is a crucial aspect of digital inclusivity. By ensuring that web content — and the content management systems responsible for it — adhere to established guidelines like WCAG, organizations can create a web environment that is universally usable, regardless of a user's abilities or circumstances.
This mission not only fulfills the ethical obligation of the internet at large — to provide equal access to information to all users — but it also enhances the overall user experience, broadening the reach and effectiveness of websites for all users — even if they don’t realize it.
In summary: Website accessibility FAQs
How to explain website accessibility?
What are the four principles of web accessibility?
- Perceivable: Information and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive.
- Operable: User interface components and navigation must be operable.
- Understandable: Information and the operation of the user interface must be understandable.
- Robust: Content must be robust enough to be reliably interpreted by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies.
Why is web accessibility important?
What are the basics of web accessibility?
- Providing text alternatives for non-text content.
- Making content adaptable and distinguishable.
- Ensuring that users can navigate and find content easily.
- Making content readable and understandable.
- Providing compatibility with various technologies, including assistive devices.
How to make a website accessible?
- Follow WCAG guidelines.
- Use semantic HTML for content structure.
- Ensure all interactive elements are accessible via keyboard.
- Provide alternative text for images.
- Offer captions and transcripts for multimedia.
- Design with readability and contrast in mind.
- Regularly test and update your website for accessibility.
What is WCAG?
Is WCAG 2.0 a legal requirement in the U.S?
How to make a website ADA compliant?
- Ensure that all multimedia content has captions and transcripts.
- Provide text alternatives for images and non-text content.
- Design your website for keyboard navigation.
- Use high-contrast color schemes and readable fonts.
- Implement accessible forms and error messages.
- Regularly test your website with accessibility evaluation tools.
