Five Accessibility Checks for a Small Website

A small website can look polished and still be difficult to use with a keyboard or screen reader. Try these five checks on the homepage, a typical article and the contact page.

Check headings and image descriptions

Read the headings on their own. They should describe the page and its sections in a useful order. For meaningful images, describe the information they add. For example, a chart’s description should convey the main finding. Decorative images can use an empty alt attribute.

Test the keyboard path

Use Tab and Shift+Tab to move through the navigation, links and form fields. Confirm that the focused item is visible and that you can reach and operate the menu. A visitor should be able to leave each control and continue through the page.

Check form labels and contrast

Give fields persistent labels, such as Email address, so their purpose remains clear after typing. Check that text is readable against its background, especially over photographs and on muted buttons. Where a message uses colour, include text that explains the state.

Record and retest fixes

Write down the page, the step that failed and what should happen. Fix issues that block tasks first, such as a menu that cannot be opened with a keyboard. Repeat the same check after the fix. Use the W3C accessibility quick checks as a starting point for a broader review.

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