The State of Web Accessibility
According to a 2025 WebAIM report, 95% of the top one million websites have accessibility barriers. This means the vast majority of websites are difficult or impossible for people with disabilities to use.
For businesses, this isn't just an ethical issue—it's a legal and business one too.
Who Needs an Accessible Website?
The short answer: everyone. But legally, it's especially important for:
- E-commerce businesses that sell products online
- Government contractors or grant recipients
- Businesses with 15+ employees (under ADA Title I)
- Any business serving the public (under ADA Title III)
In 2024, nearly 2,500 federal lawsuits were filed regarding website accessibility under ADA Title III. And that doesn't count demand letters that settled before litigation.
What Does "Accessible" Mean?
Web accessibility follows the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) standards. At a high level, websites should be:
Perceivable
All users can perceive the content. This includes:
- Alt text for images
- Captions for videos
- Sufficient color contrast
- Resizable text
Operable
Users can navigate and interact with the site:
- Keyboard-only navigation
- Skip navigation links
- Adequate time to complete tasks
- No flashing content that could trigger seizures
Understandable
Content and navigation are clear:
- Readable language
- Predictable navigation
- Clear error messages
- Labeled form fields
Robust
Works across different technologies:
- Screen reader compatible
- Works with assistive devices
- Valid, clean code
The Business Case for Accessibility
1. Avoid Legal Liability
Accessibility lawsuits can cost:
- $5,000 - $50,000 in settlements
- $10,000 - $50,000+ in legal fees
- Additional remediation costs of $500 - $50,000
Under California's Unruh Act, statutory damages can be $4,000 per violation—and a single page can have multiple violations.
2. Expand Your Customer Base
About 1 in 4 Americans lives with a disability. By making your site accessible, you're opening your doors to a significant market segment that's often underserved.
3. Improve SEO
Accessibility and SEO go hand in hand:
- Alt text helps image search rankings
- Clear structure improves crawlability
- Fast, clean code boosts performance
- Transcripts create indexable content
4. Better User Experience for Everyone
Accessibility improvements help all users:
- Captions help people watching without sound
- Clear navigation benefits everyone
- Fast loading helps mobile users
- Good contrast aids outdoor viewing
5. Tax Benefits
The IRS offers incentives for accessibility improvements:
- Disabled Access Credit (Form 8826): Up to $5,000 annually for eligible small businesses
- Barrier Removal Deduction: Up to $15,000 annually for removing barriers
Common Accessibility Issues
The most frequent barriers we see:
- Missing alt text on images
- Poor color contrast between text and background
- Unlabeled form fields that confuse screen readers
- Missing heading hierarchy (jumping from H1 to H4)
- Non-keyboard-navigable menus and buttons
- Auto-playing videos without controls
- PDFs that aren't screen-reader friendly
How to Check Your Website
Free Tools
- WAVE (wave.webaim.org) - Visual accessibility checker
- axe DevTools - Browser extension for developers
- Google Lighthouse - Built into Chrome DevTools
- Color Contrast Checker - WebAIM's contrast tool
Manual Testing
- Try navigating your site with only a keyboard (no mouse)
- Use a screen reader (VoiceOver on Mac, NVDA on Windows)
- Zoom to 200% and check if content is still usable
- Check if all videos have captions
Getting Started with Accessibility
Quick Wins
- Add alt text to all images
- Ensure color contrast meets standards (4.5:1 for normal text)
- Add proper labels to all form fields
- Use proper heading hierarchy (H1 → H2 → H3)
- Make all buttons and links keyboard-accessible
Longer-Term Improvements
- Conduct a full accessibility audit
- Add captions to all video content
- Remediate PDF documents
- Train your team on accessibility best practices
- Build accessibility into your development process
Our Approach
When we build websites, accessibility isn't an afterthought—it's built in from the start. All our sites:
- Meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards
- Include proper semantic HTML
- Feature keyboard navigation
- Have optimized color contrast
- Include alt text for all images
Concerned about your website's accessibility? Contact us for a free accessibility assessment.