Accessible websites work for more people, including those using keyboards, screen readers, voice control or magnification. The international benchmark is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, and the WCAG overview from the W3C explains how they are organised. In the UK, the Equality Act 2010 requires businesses to avoid discriminating against disabled people, which can include how they provide services online. For advice on your specific obligations, speak to a qualified adviser.

Get the structure right

Use real headings in a logical order, with one main heading per page and subheadings beneath it. Screen reader users often jump from heading to heading to scan a page, so headings chosen only for their visual size cause confusion. Write descriptive link text such as "read our branding guide" rather than "click here", because links are often read out as a list with no surrounding context.

Check colour and text

Low contrast is one of the most common failures. Light grey text on white may look elegant but is hard to read for many people. Aim to meet the contrast ratios in the WCAG 2.2 quick reference, and never rely on colour alone to convey meaning, such as marking errors only in red. Let text resize without breaking the layout.

Describe images and media

Give meaningful images short alternative text that explains their purpose, and leave decorative images with empty alt text so screen readers skip them. Add captions to video and a transcript where practical. Avoid autoplaying audio or moving content that cannot be paused.

Make forms usable

Label every field clearly, keep labels visible, explain errors in words and tell people how to fix them. Check the whole form can be completed using only the keyboard, since your enquiry form is the most commercially important thing on the site. Our article on improving website forms overlaps with many of these fixes.

Test with tools and with people

Automated checkers catch some problems, but not all, so combine them with manual checks:

• Tab through your key pages using only the keyboard and check you can always see where you are

• Zoom the page to 200 per cent and check nothing is lost

• Listen to a page with a screen reader to hear whether it makes sense

• Ask a few real users, ideally including disabled people, to complete a task

The UK government's introduction to making your service accessible is a clear, practical read even though it is written for public services.

Build it in from the start

It is cheaper to design accessibly than to retrofit. Choose accessible colours when you create your brand, plan menus that work with a keyboard, and think about small screens as covered in our mobile-first checklist. Clear navigation also benefits everyone.