How can we make businesses better?
The world is increasingly polarised at the moment, and many business owners are looking at their digital presence and asking a critical question:
“Is my business actually contributing to the inclusive world I want to see?”
The first thing we tend to focus our efforts on, is our supply chains, our carbon footprint, or the charities we support. But there is a massive part of the brand experience that often gets overlooked - the digital doorstep.
If your brand values are rooted in kindness, equity, and community, those values shouldn't stop at your logo.
They need to live within the very code and design of your website.
The Inclusion Gap: When "Pretty" Isn't Enough
In the world of web design, there is often a gap between a site that "looks nice" and a site that actually works for everyone. We’ve all seen them: whether it's a beautiful, coulourful site filled with bright colours and overlapping images, or the minimalist websites with tiny grey text, and complex animations.
To a person with full sight and high tech-literacy, these sites look modern. But to a significant portion of your audience, those same design choices feel like a "Keep Out" sign.
Inclusive design isn't about compromising your aesthetic; it's about ensuring your digital space doesn't accidentally shut the door on the people you claim to care about.
Common Issues (And Why They Matter)
It is rare to find a website that was designed to be intentionally exclusive. However, when we don't design with intention, we often overlook:
- Low Contrast & Tiny Fonts: Over 2 million people in the UK live with sight loss. If your text is too small or yellow on white, your message is literally invisible to them.
- The "Center-Alignment" Trap: While centered paragraphs might look "balanced" or artistic, they can be incredibly difficult to read. Since the starting point of every line moves, the reader’s eye has to work twice as hard to find the beginning of the next sentence. This is particularly challenging for people with dyslexia or visual tracking issues. Left-aligned text is always the best choice for the brain.
- Complex Navigation: For the 1 in 7 people who are neurodivergent (including those with ADHD or Dyslexia), a cluttered or unpredictable layout can be physically overwhelming.
- The "Mouse-Only" Trap: Many sites are impossible to navigate without a mouse or a touchscreen. This excludes people with motor impairments who rely on keyboards or assistive tech.
- Vague Instructions: Phrases like "Click Here" or "Read More" tell a screen reader user nothing about where they are going.
Why "Doing Good" Includes Digital Accessibility
If your business is built on fairness, accessibility is your silent brand ambassador.
- The Purple Pound: The combined spending power of disabled households in the UK is estimated at £274 billion. An inaccessible site isn't just an ethical oversight; it’s a missed business opportunity.
- The "Silent" User Experience: People remember how a website made them feel. When a site is easy to use, it builds a level of trust and psychological safety that a shiny sales page can’t replicate.
- SEO & Longevity: Search engines reward accessibility. Proper headings, alt text, and fast-loading, clean code help you rank higher. Plus, with accessibility laws tightening globally, getting it right now saves you a headache later.
5 Practical Ways to Audit Your Own Site Today
You don’t need to be a developer to start making your website more inclusive. Here are five things you can check right now:
- Test Your Contrast: Use a tool like the WebAim Contrast Checker. Input your brand colours to see if they meet the minimum readability standards.
- Remove "Click Here": Update your buttons to be descriptive. Use "Download the Guide" or "Book Your Discovery Call" instead.
- Check Your Hierarchy: Ensure you are using headings (H1, H2, H3) in order. This acts like a map for both Google and screen readers.
- Add Alt Text: Go through your images. If an image conveys information, add a short description in the "Alt Text" field so everyone gets the full story. If it is purely for decoration, then make sure it is marked as "decorative".
- The "Keyboard Test": Put your mouse aside and try to navigate your homepage using only the Tab and Enter keys. If you get stuck, your customers might be getting stuck too.
Is your brand as inclusive as you think it is?
If you’ve built your business on care, community, and inclusion, your website should be the digital embodiment of those promises.
It doesn’t need to be perfect from day one, it just needs to be thoughtful and evolving.
Does your website reflect your true values?