18 Website Accessibility Changes to Boost Growth

Over one billion people worldwide live with some form of disability. For many, using the internet is part of daily life, but it often comes with unnecessary barriers. Websites that are not designed with accessibility in mind can create frustrating experiences that limit user engagement and even exclude entire groups of people.

Website accessibility is about removing these barriers. It ensures that your website can be used by people of all abilities, including those with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive challenges. While it is first and foremost about inclusivity, the benefits go far beyond compliance. Accessibility directly supports business growth, search visibility, and customer trust.

Why Website Accessibility Matters for Growth

Accessibility isn’t just a technical checkbox. It has real business value. Here’s why companies are prioritizing it:

• A massive global market: The World Health Organization estimates that over 16% of the world’s population has some form of disability. The global disability market represents more than 13 trillion dollars in annual disposable income when including families of people with disabilities. Ignoring this audience means leaving money on the table.
• Improved customer experience: Accessibility practices, such as clear navigation and legible text, make websites easier for everyone, not just those with disabilities. A smoother user experience leads to higher engagement, lower bounce rates, and better conversion rates.
• SEO synergy: Search engines favor accessible sites because many accessibility techniques overlap with SEO best practices. Features like semantic HTML, alt text, structured headings, and fast-loading pages improve how search engines crawl and rank content.
• Legal compliance: Many countries have introduced strict accessibility regulations. The ADA in the United States, Section 508 for government-related sites, and WCAG guidelines globally are becoming standard requirements. Non-compliance can lead to lawsuits, penalties, and reputational damage.
• Stronger brand reputation: Businesses that care about inclusivity show that they value all customers. This creates trust and loyalty, especially in competitive markets.

Is Website Accessibility Optional?

The short answer is no. Accessibility is essential for several reasons:

• Exclusion risks: Without accessible features, users may abandon your site and move to competitors who offer better experiences.
• Legal exposure: Lawsuits related to inaccessible websites have been on the rise. High-profile cases against retailers, restaurants, and service providers highlight the growing risk.
• Ethical responsibility: In today’s digital-first world, excluding users with disabilities means denying them equal access to information, services, and opportunities.

Accessibility should be viewed as both a compliance necessity and a business growth strategy.

6 Core Steps to Make Your Website More Accessible

1. Audit your website thoroughly
   Use automated tools like WAVE, AXE, or Lighthouse to find basic issues. Then pair that with manual testing using screen readers like NVDA or VoiceOver. Automated tools catch about 30% of accessibility problems, so human review is critical.
2. Follow WCAG guidelines
   WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 outline success criteria under four principles: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. These act as a framework to guide developers, designers, and content creators.
3. Improve readability
   • Use plain language where possible.
   • Break content into short paragraphs with clear headings.
   • Provide descriptive alt text for all images.
   • Avoid jargon and overly complex sentence structures.
4. Design inclusively
   • Ensure text and background colors meet minimum contrast ratios.
   • Allow users to resize text without breaking layouts.
   • Make all functionality available through keyboard navigation.
5. Support assistive technology
   Websites should work with tools like screen readers, voice navigation, and alternative input devices. This requires proper use of ARIA labels, semantic HTML, and descriptive form fields.
6. Prioritize mobile accessibility
   More than half of web traffic comes from mobile devices. A fully responsive design ensures that users with visual impairments, dexterity challenges, or older devices can still access your content easily.

How Accessibility Boosts SEO

Website accessibility doesn’t only help users, it helps search engines. Here’s how:

• Alt text improves discoverability: Well-written alt text makes images indexable in Google Images.
• Heading hierarchy clarifies structure: H1, H2, and H3 tags make content easier for search engines to understand.
• Semantic HTML enhances crawling: Proper use of tags helps search engines interpret content correctly.
• Performance improvements: Accessibility often involves faster loading speeds and lightweight code, which directly support Core Web Vitals.
• Engagement signals: Accessibility reduces friction, encouraging users to stay longer and interact more. This leads to positive behavioral signals that search engines value.

In short, website accessibility and SEO reinforce each other.

Additional Practices for Long-Term Accessibility

• Responsive design: Adapt layouts across all screen sizes and devices.
• Accessible forms: Add clear labels, instructions, and error messages. Ensure tab order flows naturally.
• Inclusive media: Provide captions, transcripts, and audio descriptions for videos and podcasts.
• Performance optimization: Compress images, use lazy loading, and ensure stable layouts to prevent motion-related triggers.
• Clear CTAs: Buttons should have descriptive labels (e.g., “Submit order” instead of “Click here”) and be large enough for easy use.
• Continuous training: Accessibility is not a one-off project. Train your design and development teams to embed it into workflows.

Partnering with Accessibility Experts

Choosing an accessibility partner can help scale improvements. Look for:

• Proven experience with WCAG, ADA, and Section 508 compliance
• Ability to provide both automated scanning and manual audits
• Scalable tools that integrate with CMS platforms like WordPress, Shopify, or Drupal
• Transparent reporting with actionable recommendations
• Ongoing monitoring and training, not just one-time fixes

Tools and Technologies to Support Accessibility

Technology can speed up adoption, but it should never be the only solution.

• Automated checkers: WAVE, AXE, Lighthouse
• Browser extensions: Accessibility Insights, tota11y
• Screen readers: NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver
• Plugins and widgets: AI-powered solutions for text resizing, color adjustments, or language detection

Remember: these are aids, not substitutes for human testing.

Accessibility as a Long-Term Growth Strategy

Website accessibility is not about quick fixes. It requires ongoing monitoring, updating, and adapting to new technologies. Businesses that commit to accessibility benefit from:

• Larger customer bases
• Improved SEO performance
• Stronger customer relationships
• Protection from legal risk
• A brand identity built on inclusivity

When accessibility is integrated into the foundation of a website, it becomes a driver of both social good and measurable growth.