Top 5 Website Accessibility Issues

When we talk about website accessibility issues, visually impaired user experiences are typically at the top of the list. While making sure websites are accessible for visually impaired individuals is important, there is more to website accessibility than that.

If your website isn’t accessible to everyone, it can leave visitors confused at best and upset at worst, which can negatively impact your brand’s reputation.

What Is Website Accessibility?

Website accessibility is exactly what it sounds like: making sure a website is easy to use and accessible for everyone, including those with disabilities.

This includes how easy your website is to use and ensuring that technology like screen readers can access your website.

If you aren’t sure how accessible your website is for all users, Hubspot has a great free checklist you can use.

Common Website Accessibility Problems

If you haven’t considered the accessibility of your website before, here are a few common issues you may want to check out.

Unhelpful ALT Text

Every image should have ALT text so those who are visually impaired can understand what is visually being presented. It’s also a great way to boost your SEO.

You want to make your ALT text as descriptive and helpful as possible. 

For example, instead of “green office wall with logo on it”, use “green mural that says ‘1Eighty Digital’ on a wall in 1Eighty Digital’s Warsaw office”.

Incorrect Heading Usage

Headings are a crucial part of your web design. They work similarly to ALT text when it comes to accessibility and SEO.

Headings give each page on your website structure, making it easy to read and understand for everyone, whether the visitor is using assistive technology or not.

Make sure your headings clearly reflect the text on your page and intuitively lead the reader from section to section.

Poor Keyboard Navigation

For those who can’t use a trackpad or mouse to navigate a website, keyboard navigation is essential.

This can be included in your website on the development level, adding custom controls that include menus and forms.

Inaccessible Online Forms

Forms are a great way to capture leads from your website, but you can lose out on potential customers if your forms aren’t accessible to everyone.

Best practices when creating an online form for your website include ensuring keyword navigation works properly, using visual labels instead of placeholder text, and clearly explaining each input label.

Nondescriptive Hyperlinks

For those who use assistive technology to access websites, having nondescriptive hyperlinks is a huge problem. This refers to hyperlinks that are vague, such as “Click Here” instead of explaining what the link actually is.

For example, the hyperlink I used in the above paragraph to link to a resource on assistive technology is more helpful than simply saying “click”.

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