Today is Global Accessibility Awareness Day, and a reminder that the web should work for everyone, not just people who happen to interact with it the same way you do.
And every year, well-meaning businesses share statistics and say the right things. But then nothing changes.
So this year, I want to try something different. Instead of overwhelming you with everything that could be better, I want to give you a challenge: pick just one thing from this list, and commit to actioning it over the next few weeks.
That's it.
Because one thing, done properly, is worth more than ten things half-started.
1. Write better alt text for your images
Alt text is the description of an image that screen readers read out loud to blind or visually impaired users. If your images don't say anything, it's missed out completely. If it's packed with key search terms like "DEI consultant based in Glasgow", that's not describing the image, it's just annoying for the screen reader user to listen to. If your description is basic like "a dog in a park", that's not really sharing context or meaning in the image - it's just there.
Good alt text on the other hand, is descriptive, and gives the listener detail and context as to why it's there. Instead of "a speaker standing in front of a presentation board", why not "David delivering a training on inclusive hiring to a room of HR professionals".
Got any graphs, or infographics on your site? Explain what they say, so screen reader users understand the context.
Audit the images on your site, and update any missing or unhelpful alt text.
A note on decorative images: not every image needs a detailed description. If an image is purely decorative (a background texture, a dividing graphic, a stock photo that adds no real information) an empty alt attribute (alt="") tells screen readers to skip it entirely, which is the correct approach. Use your judgement: if the image adds meaning or context, describe it. If it doesn't, leave it blank
2. Check your colour contrast
Low contrast between text and it's background is the biggest accessibility failure across the internet. Yet it's the easiest to fix, and prevent. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG2.2) requires a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text.
My favourite tool is WebAIMs Contrast Checker, which makes it super east to add your colour combinations, and make sure your text is easy to read.
3. Add captions to your videos
Captions aren't just for deaf or hard of hearing viewers - they help anyone watching in a noisy environment, in bed at midnight, a quiet office. They're also massively helpful for people who process information better when they can read along. If you're posting videos on social media, or embedding them on your website, or sending out pre-recorded trainings, then captions should be a non-negotiable.
A note on social media captions: avoid using animated captions where words come up one at a time, or each word is highlighted as you speak it. Instead, opt for full sentences with a solid background colour.
4. Make your PDFs accessible
Most PDFs are completely inaccessible to screen readers. There's no tags, no reading order, no structure. If you share any kind of resource as a PDF (think checklists, reports, workbooks) then they should be properly tagged, and readable for everyone.
To check your existing PDFs, open it up in Adobe Acrobat, and run the built-in accessibility checker, to get started.
5. Write descriptive link text
Screen reader users, and people with physical impairments will often navigate a page by jumping between links. If your links only say "click here" or "read more", they're completely meaningless out of context. Making links more descriptive like "Download the accessibility checklist" or "Read our latest case study", makes navigation much easier for everyone.
Use the tab key on your keyboard to jump between your links, and update any vague text to something more useful.
6. Use proper heading structure
Headings aren't just visual, they create a navigational structure that screen reader users rely on to move through a page. A page that jumps from H1 to H4, or uses bold text instead of actual heading tags, is confusing and difficult to navigate. Make sure your headings follow a logical hierarchy: H1, H2, H3, in order, without skipping levels. This is also good for your websites SEO - so it's got a bonus point!
Install the free WAVE browser extension to check the heading structure on your key pages
7. Add descriptions to photos of people on your website
If you have headshots or photos of yourself or your team on your website, add a description of yourself or that person. A sighted visitor can immediately see who they're looking at and form an impression. A blind or visually impaired visitor deserves the same opportunity. A description gives them that.
My one thing this month
Three months ago I created a PDF download for my website. The design is done - but I haven't finished the accessibility work. The tagging and reading order still need to be sorted before it's truly usable for screen reader users. So by 18th June, I'll have it fully accessible and live on the site for downloading.
So, what's your one thing going to be?
Whether you're a solo business owner just starting to think about accessibility, or a team lead looking to make meaningful improvements across your organisation, there's something on this list for you. Pick one. Do it properly. Then tell me about it.
I'd love to hear what you're working on - send me a message or drop a comment if you've found this useful. And if you'd like some support making your website more accessible, I'm always happy to have a conversation.