Website accessibility isn't just a nice-to-have — it's a legal requirement and a genuine business advantage. Around 15% of the global population lives with some form of disability, and in Ireland, the Disability Act 2005 and the EU Web Accessibility Directive set clear expectations for how websites should serve everyone. If your site isn't accessible, you're potentially excluding a significant portion of your audience and exposing your business to legal risk.
This checklist walks you through every key area of website accessibility, from basic structure to advanced compliance. Whether you're building a new site or auditing an existing one, use this as your practical guide to creating a website that works for everyone.
"We've seen first-hand how accessibility improvements benefit all users, not just those with disabilities. Better structure, clearer navigation, and proper labelling make every website easier to use — and search engines reward that too." — Ciaran Connolly
🧠 Accessibility + SEO = Double Win
Accessibility and SEO share huge overlap — proper heading structure, meaningful alt text, semantic HTML, and fast page loads serve both purposes. Run this checklist alongside the SEO Audit Checklist for a comprehensive review that improves search rankings and user experience simultaneously.
Why Website Accessibility Matters for Irish Businesses
Accessibility affects your bottom line in ways many business owners don't initially realise. Beyond the ethical imperative of not excluding people with disabilities, there are concrete business reasons to prioritise accessibility.
The EU Web Accessibility Directive (transposed into Irish law as S.I. No. 358/2020) requires all public sector websites and mobile apps to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards. While private sector businesses aren't yet directly covered by this specific directive, the Equal Status Acts 2000-2018 and the Disability Act 2005 create obligations around service provision that extend to digital services. In Northern Ireland, the Equality Act 2010 places similar duties on businesses to make reasonable adjustments, including for websites.
From an SEO perspective, accessible websites consistently perform better. Proper heading structure, alt text, semantic HTML, and clear navigation are exactly what search engines look for. Google has explicitly stated that accessibility and SEO share significant overlap.
Accessibility by the Numbers
- 1 in 6 people in Ireland have a disability (CSO Census 2022)
- 71% of users with disabilities leave a website that isn't accessible
- €17.1 billion — the spending power of disabled consumers in the UK (the 'Purple Pound')
- 98.1% of homepages have detectable WCAG 2 failures (WebAIM Million 2024)
Understanding WCAG 2.1 Standards
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 are the internationally recognised standard for web accessibility. They're built around four core principles, often remembered by the acronym POUR:
- Perceivable — Information and user interface components must be presentable in ways users can perceive (alt text, captions, sufficient contrast)
- Operable — Interface components and navigation must be operable by all users (keyboard access, enough time, no seizure-triggering content)
- Understandable — Information and operation of the user interface must be understandable (readable text, predictable behaviour, error prevention)
- Robust — Content must be robust enough to be interpreted by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies
WCAG defines three conformance levels: Level A (minimum), Level AA (the standard most legislation requires), and Level AAA (the highest level, not always practical for all content). For most Irish businesses, Level AA is your target.
Complete Website Accessibility Checklist
1. Page Structure and Semantics
Proper HTML structure is the foundation of accessibility. Screen readers and other assistive technologies rely on semantic HTML to understand and navigate your content.
- Use a logical heading hierarchy (H1 → H2 → H3) — never skip levels for styling purposes
- Use semantic HTML elements:
<nav>,<main>,<header>,<footer>,<article>,<aside> - Every page has exactly one
<h1>element - Page language is declared with the
langattribute on the<html>element - Use landmark roles to define page regions
- Lists are marked up as
<ul>,<ol>, or<dl>— not styled paragraphs - Tables are used for tabular data only, with proper
<th>headers andscopeattributes
2. Images and Media
Every non-decorative image needs meaningful alternative text. This is one of the most common accessibility failures — and one of the easiest to fix.
- All informative images have descriptive
alttext that conveys the image's purpose - Decorative images use empty alt attributes (
alt="") so screen readers skip them - Complex images (charts, infographics) have detailed descriptions nearby or via
longdesc - Videos have captions (closed captions for pre-recorded, live captions for live content)
- Pre-recorded audio content has text transcripts available
- No content relies solely on colour to convey meaning (e.g., 'click the red button')
- Animated GIFs and auto-playing videos can be paused or stopped
- No content flashes more than three times per second
3. Colour and Visual Design
Colour contrast is critical for users with low vision, colour blindness, or those viewing your site in bright sunlight. WCAG 2.1 Level AA has specific contrast ratio requirements.
- Normal text (under 18pt) has a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 against its background
- Large text (18pt+ or 14pt+ bold) has a contrast ratio of at least 3:1
- UI components and graphical objects have a contrast ratio of at least 3:1
- Links are distinguishable from surrounding text (not by colour alone — use underlines or other indicators)
- Focus indicators are clearly visible with sufficient contrast
- Information isn't conveyed through colour alone — use icons, patterns, or text labels as well
- Text can be resized up to 200% without loss of content or functionality
- Content reflows properly on zoom — no horizontal scrolling at 400% zoom on a 1280px viewport
4. Keyboard Navigation
Many users navigate entirely by keyboard — whether due to motor disabilities, preference, or assistive technology use. Every interactive element must be reachable and usable without a mouse.
- All interactive elements are reachable via Tab key in a logical order
- A visible focus indicator shows which element is currently selected
- No keyboard traps — users can always Tab away from any element
- Skip navigation links are provided to bypass repeated content (menus, headers)
- Custom interactive components (dropdowns, modals, tabs) support expected keyboard patterns
- Dropdown menus can be operated with arrow keys, Enter, and Escape
- Modal dialogs trap focus within the modal and return focus when closed
- Custom buttons and links respond to both Enter and Space keys where appropriate
5. Forms and Input
Forms are where accessibility often breaks down most noticeably. A form that's impossible to complete with a screen reader or keyboard means lost leads and frustrated users.
- Every form field has a visible, associated
<label>element - Required fields are clearly marked (not by colour alone) and indicated in the label
- Error messages are specific, descriptive, and programmatically associated with the relevant field
- Form validation doesn't rely solely on colour (e.g., red borders) — include text messages and icons
- Autocomplete attributes are used for common fields (name, email, address, phone)
- Group related fields with
<fieldset>and<legend> - Users can review and correct information before final submission
- Time limits on forms can be extended, adjusted, or turned off
- CAPTCHA alternatives are provided (audio CAPTCHA, logic questions, or invisible reCAPTCHA)
⚠️ Ecommerce Accessibility
If you run a WooCommerce store, pay special attention to your checkout forms and product pages. An inaccessible checkout directly costs you sales. The WooCommerce Pre-Launch Checklist includes essential checks, but accessibility testing should go deeper — test the entire purchase flow with a screen reader and keyboard-only navigation before going live.
6. Navigation and Wayfinding
Clear, consistent navigation helps everyone find what they need, but it's especially critical for users relying on assistive technology.
- Navigation is consistent across all pages
- Multiple ways to find content are available (menu, search, sitemap)
- Current page or section is clearly indicated in the navigation
- Breadcrumbs are provided for sites with complex hierarchies
- Links have descriptive text — avoid 'click here' or 'read more' without context
- Links that open in new windows/tabs are clearly indicated
- Search functionality is accessible and supports keyboard operation
- Page titles are unique and descriptive for every page
7. Content Readability
Making content readable and understandable benefits users with cognitive disabilities, learning difficulties, and non-native speakers — which is a significant consideration for Ireland's multicultural population.
- Content is written in plain, clear language appropriate for the audience
- Abbreviations and acronyms are expanded on first use
- Unusual words or jargon are defined or explained
- Paragraphs are short (3-4 sentences maximum)
- Important information comes first (inverted pyramid style)
- Instructions don't rely on sensory characteristics ('the button on the right', 'the green icon')
- Text alignment is left-aligned (not justified, which creates uneven spacing)
- Line height is at least 1.5 times the font size, and paragraph spacing is at least 2 times the font size
Good content accessibility also improves your content audit results — readable, well-structured content performs better in search and keeps visitors engaged longer.
8. Mobile and Responsive Accessibility
With over 60% of web traffic coming from mobile devices, mobile accessibility is essential. WCAG 2.1 added several mobile-specific success criteria.
- Touch targets are at least 44x44 CSS pixels with adequate spacing
- Content works in both portrait and landscape orientations
- Gestures that require complex movements (pinch, swipe) have single-pointer alternatives
- Motion-triggered actions (shake, tilt) have conventional alternatives and can be disabled
- Content doesn't disappear or become inaccessible at different viewport sizes
- Hover/focus content can be dismissed, hovered over, and remains visible
- Input modality isn't restricted — support touch, keyboard, mouse, and voice
9. Assistive Technology Compatibility
Your site needs to work properly with screen readers (JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver), screen magnifiers, speech recognition software, and other assistive technologies.
- ARIA roles, states, and properties are used correctly where native HTML isn't sufficient
- Custom widgets follow WAI-ARIA authoring practices
- Dynamic content updates are announced to screen readers using ARIA live regions
- Status messages are communicated without changing focus
- The site works with common screen readers (test with VoiceOver on Mac/iOS and NVDA on Windows)
- Content is accessible when CSS is disabled
- JavaScript-dependent content has accessible fallbacks or is properly ARIA-labelled
10. Documents and Downloads
If your site offers downloadable documents, those documents need to be accessible too.
- PDF documents are tagged for accessibility (not just scanned images)
- Downloadable documents are available in accessible formats (HTML alternative where possible)
- Document links clearly indicate file type and size
- Spreadsheets and presentations follow accessibility best practices
- Forms provided as downloads are also available as accessible web forms
Free Accessibility Testing Tools
You don't need expensive software to start testing. These free tools cover the basics:
| Tool | What It Tests | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| WAVE (WebAIM) | Automated WCAG checks, contrast, structure | Quick visual accessibility audit |
| axe DevTools (Deque) | Automated testing in browser DevTools | Developers during build process |
| Lighthouse (Chrome) | Accessibility score with specific issues | Overall site quality checks |
| Colour Contrast Analyser | Foreground/background contrast ratios | Design and colour decisions |
| NVDA Screen Reader | Real screen reader experience on Windows | Manual testing with assistive tech |
| Keyboard-only testing | Tab through your entire site manually | Finding keyboard navigation issues |
Important: Automated tools catch roughly 30-40% of accessibility issues. Manual testing with real assistive technology is essential for a thorough audit.
Legal Requirements in Ireland and the UK
The legal landscape around web accessibility is tightening across both jurisdictions:
Republic of Ireland: The EU Web Accessibility Directive (S.I. No. 358/2020) requires public sector websites and apps to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA. The Disability Act 2005 and Equal Status Acts create broader obligations for service providers. The European Accessibility Act (coming into force June 2025) will extend requirements to private sector businesses including ecommerce, banking, and transport services.
Northern Ireland / UK: The Equality Act 2010 requires 'reasonable adjustments' for disabled people, which courts have interpreted to include websites. The Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018 mandate WCAG 2.1 AA for government and public body websites. The UK has seen increasing legal action around inaccessible websites.
The trend is clear — accessibility requirements are expanding, not contracting. Investing in accessibility now protects your business and prepares you for upcoming legislation.
Common Accessibility Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Mistakes That Undermine Accessibility
- Using overlay widgets as a fix — Accessibility overlays don't actually make your site accessible and can make things worse for assistive technology users
- Treating accessibility as a one-time project — Accessibility needs ongoing attention as content and features change
- Only testing with automated tools — Automated scanners miss the majority of real-world accessibility issues
- Ignoring cognitive accessibility — Complex language, unclear navigation, and overwhelming layouts affect users with learning disabilities
- Retrofitting rather than building in — It's far cheaper to build accessibility into the design from the start
- Missing alt text or writing poor alt text — 'IMG_3847.jpg' tells a screen reader user nothing useful
- Low contrast trendy designs — Light grey text on white fails contrast requirements
- Removing focus outlines for aesthetics — Keyboard users lose the ability to see where they are on the page
Quick-Start Accessibility Checklist
Essential Accessibility Checklist (Print & Use)
| ☐ | All images have meaningful alt text (or empty alt for decorative) |
| ☐ | Colour contrast meets 4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text |
| ☐ | All functionality is keyboard accessible with visible focus indicators |
| ☐ | Heading structure is logical (H1 → H2 → H3, no skipped levels) |
| ☐ | Form fields have associated labels and clear error messages |
| ☐ | Videos have captions and audio content has transcripts |
| ☐ | Skip navigation link is provided |
| ☐ | Page language is declared in the HTML element |
| ☐ | Links are descriptive (no 'click here' or 'read more' without context) |
| ☐ | Touch targets are at least 44x44 pixels on mobile |
| ☐ | Content is readable at 200% zoom without horizontal scrolling |
| ☐ | ARIA is used correctly (or not at all — bad ARIA is worse than no ARIA) |
| ☐ | Site tested with a screen reader (NVDA or VoiceOver) |
| ☐ | Automated scan run with WAVE or axe DevTools |
| ☐ | Downloadable documents are accessible or have HTML alternatives |
| ☐ | No content relies solely on colour to convey information |
| ☐ | No keyboard traps exist anywhere on the site |
| ☐ | WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance verified across all page templates |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my business website legally need to be accessible in Ireland?
Public sector websites are legally required to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA under S.I. No. 358/2020. For private businesses, the Equal Status Acts and Disability Act create obligations around service provision that extend to digital services. The European Accessibility Act (June 2025) will expand requirements to private sector ecommerce, banking, and transport. Even without specific legislation, accessibility is increasingly seen as a duty of care.
What level of WCAG compliance should I aim for?
WCAG 2.1 Level AA is the standard target. It's what legislation requires and what most accessibility audits measure against. Level A is the bare minimum and misses many important criteria. Level AAA is aspirational but not always practical for all types of content — aim for AAA where feasible.
How much does it cost to make a website accessible?
Costs vary significantly depending on your starting point. Building accessibility into a new website typically adds 10-15% to the development budget. Retrofitting an existing site can cost considerably more, depending on the severity of issues. Simple fixes like adding alt text and improving contrast can be done at minimal cost. A professional accessibility audit typically costs between €500 and €3,000 depending on site complexity.
Do accessibility overlays and widgets actually work?
No. Accessibility overlays — those third-party widgets that promise 'instant compliance' with a single line of code — don't deliver on their promises. Major accessibility organisations, disability advocacy groups, and the National Federation of the Blind have all spoken against them. They can interfere with actual assistive technology, create a false sense of compliance, and some have faced legal action. Proper accessibility requires fixing the underlying code and content.
How often should I audit my website for accessibility?
Run automated scans monthly and conduct a thorough manual audit at least annually or whenever significant changes are made to your site's design, functionality, or content management system. If you're regularly publishing content, include accessibility checks in your content publishing workflow — checking alt text, heading structure, and link text as part of every new page or post.
Can I make my WordPress site accessible?
Yes, WordPress can be made highly accessible, but it depends on your theme, plugins, and content practices. Choose a theme that's been tested for accessibility (look for the 'accessibility-ready' tag in the WordPress theme directory). Use accessible plugins, add proper alt text to all images, and ensure your content follows good structure. Make sure your WordPress security is solid too — a compromised site can introduce accessibility-breaking malware and scripts.
How does accessibility impact my SEO?
Significantly. Proper heading structure helps search engines understand your content hierarchy. Alt text helps images rank in Google Image search. Semantic HTML gives search engines clearer signals about your content. Fast page loads (a Core Web Vitals factor) also benefit accessibility. Run the SEO Audit Checklist alongside this accessibility checklist for maximum impact on both fronts.
Need Help Making Your Website Accessible?
Our team builds accessible websites from the ground up and can audit your existing site for WCAG compliance. Let's make your website work for everyone.
Get a Free Accessibility Review →Related Resources
- SEO Audit Checklist — SEO and accessibility work hand in hand
- WooCommerce Pre-Launch Checklist — Accessible ecommerce setup
- WordPress Security Checklist — Protect your accessible WordPress site
- Content Audit Checklist — Improve content readability and structure
- Local SEO Checklist — Make your local presence accessible
- Google Business Profile Checklist — Accessible local listings
- YouTube Channel Launch Checklist — Accessible video content
Written by
Founder of Web Design Ireland. Helping Irish businesses make smart website investments with honest, practical advice.