Website accessibility basics for contractors

What accessibility means

An accessible website is one people can use whether they see well or not, use a mouse or not, hear well or not. The common guideline is WCAG, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, published by the W3C, the group that sets web standards. It's long and technical, but a few basics cover a lot of ground on a small contractor site.

Six basics you can check today

1. Contrast

Light gray text on white is hard to read for many people, and for anyone outdoors. Use dark text on a light background, or the reverse. Free contrast checkers online let you type in two colors and tell you whether the pair meets the WCAG level you're aiming for.

2. Text size

Body text should be comfortable to read on a phone without pinching. Then zoom your browser in until the text is about twice as big. The page should still work, with nothing cut off or overlapping.

3. Alt text on photos

Alt text is a short description attached to an image. Screen readers, the programs that read pages aloud for blind users, speak it. Write what the photo shows: "New gray shingle roof on a two-story house", not "image1" and not a list of keywords.

4. Labels on forms

Every box in your quote form needs a visible label that stays put, such as "Phone number". Gray hint text that disappears when you start typing isn't enough. Error messages should say what's wrong in words, not just turn a box red. See our guide to quote request forms.

5. Keyboard use

Put the mouse aside and press Tab. You should be able to reach every link, button and form field in a sensible order, see which one you're on, and open the menu. If you get stuck, so will someone who can't use a mouse.

6. Captions

If you post videos with talking, add captions. They help deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors, and anyone watching with the sound off.

Smaller things that help

• Links that say where they go ("See our gutter services"), not "click here"
• Headings in order, used as headings and not just as big text
• Buttons large enough to tap with a thumb
• Your phone number as real text, not inside a picture
• Nothing that flashes or plays sound by itself

What to be careful about

• Anyone who promises your site will fully comply with the ADA or any other law. Whether a particular site meets a legal duty is a legal question, and a web company can't promise that.
• The idea that an add-on widget by itself makes a whole site accessible. A toolbar can add options, but the labels, contrast and photo descriptions underneath still have to be right.
• Treating it as a one-time job. New photos and pages need the same care.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Accessibility laws can apply to business websites, and how they apply depends on your situation, so check with a lawyer if you have questions. Our own approach, and how to report a problem on this site, are on our accessibility page.