Website accessibility means designing and building your site so people with disabilities can use it, whether they navigate by screen reader, keyboard, voice control, captions, or enlarged text.
Accessibility matters because it lets customers book, buy, and contact you without barriers, and it also reduces legal exposure under the ADA for businesses open to the public, including online services. ADA website claims are common nationwide, and Florida has been an active state for them, so removing obvious blockers is a practical business move, not just a technical one. If you want the plain-English compliance basics, read our ADA and WCAG compliance FAQ.
In Orlando, we see accessibility show up in everyday moments: a patient trying to complete a new-patient form on a phone, a homeowner using keyboard-only navigation after an injury, or a visitor reading your service page with high-contrast settings. When the site works for them, you get more completed forms and fewer abandoned clicks. Many accessibility fixes overlap with clean UX and technical SEO (clear headings, descriptive links, fast pages, usable forms), so improvements often help conversion even for visitors who do not use assistive technology. This is built into our web design services when we build or rebuild a site.
What “accessible” looks like on a real small business site
| Area | What it means in practice | What it helps you avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Keyboard use | Menus, buttons, sliders, and popups work with Tab and Enter, and the focus indicator is visible | Users getting stuck before they can call or book |
| Text alternatives | Images have useful alt text, icons have labels, and form fields have proper labels | Confusing forms and missing context for screen readers |
| Readable visuals | Text has strong contrast, content still works when users zoom, and color is not the only cue | Unreadable pages for low-vision users and mobile visitors |
| Forms and errors | Clear instructions, error messages that explain what to fix, and success confirmations | Lost leads from broken contact and checkout flows |
| Video and audio | Captions for video, and transcripts when audio carries key info | Users missing critical details like pricing, hours, or steps |
| Page structure | Logical headings, consistent navigation, and “skip to content” style shortcuts | Long, tiring navigation that drives exits |
Most businesses aim for WCAG success criteria at WCAG 2.1 Level AA. WCAG is the yardstick most teams use for audits and fixes, and WCAG 2.2 adds a small set of newer checks on top of that foundation.
Accessibility is tied to mobile usability, too. If your layout shifts, buttons are tiny, or the site breaks on smaller screens, users who rely on zoom and larger text get stuck fast. Our responsive web design FAQ walks through what a mobile-friendly layout should do.
Quick checks you can run in 10 minutes
- Use only your keyboard: can you reach the main menu, dropdowns, and the contact button?
- Tab through a page: can you always see where you are (focus outline) and activate buttons?
- Zoom to 200%: does content stay readable without overlapping or hiding key buttons?
- Check forms: do fields have labels, and do errors tell you exactly what to fix?
- Play a video muted: are captions available for the spoken parts that matter?
- Scan links: do they describe what happens (not “click here” or “learn more” everywhere)?
Accessibility is not a one-time switch. It works best as a routine: run an audit, fix template issues first (navigation, headings, forms), then test the money flows like calling, booking, paying, and downloading forms. If your site is on WordPress, updates and new plugins can introduce new barriers, so ongoing checks belong in your maintenance plan. Our WordPress hosting and maintenance keeps the site stable while we handle updates and clean up issues that appear after changes.
If you want a clear starting point, we can review your top pages (home, main service, contact, booking) and give you a short list of fixes that help users and reduce risk without turning this into a huge project.
