Common Web Accessibility Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Web accessibility is essential for ensuring that all users, including those with disabilities, can easily navigate and interact with websites. However, many businesses unknowingly make mistakes that hinder accessibility, leading to poor user experience, loss of traffic, and potential legal risks.

At ADA for Web, we specialize not only in compliance solutions, but also offer full-service web development, WordPress design, and secure web hosting—helping you build and maintain a website that is beautiful, functional, and accessible to everyone.

1. Missing or Poor Alternative Text for Images

The Mistake: Many websites either leave out alt text for images or use vague descriptions like “image123.”

The Fix: Provide descriptive alt text that conveys the purpose of the image. Learn more about alt text best practices here.

2. Lack of Keyboard Navigation

The Mistake: Some websites rely solely on a mouse for navigation, making it impossible for users with motor disabilities to browse using only a keyboard.

The Fix: Ensure all interactive elements can be accessed via the keyboard. A comprehensive checklist for accessibility improvements can be found here.

3. Insufficient Color Contrast

The Mistake: Low contrast between text and background can make content unreadable.

The Fix: Follow WCAG contrast ratio guidelines and test your site using tools like the WebAIM Contrast Checker.

4. Non-Descriptive Links

The Mistake: Using vague link text like “Click here” doesn’t provide enough context.

The Fix: Use descriptive links that clearly explain the destination.

5. Not Providing Captions or Transcripts for Multimedia

The Mistake: Videos without captions exclude deaf and hard-of-hearing users.

The Fix: Always provide captions for videos and transcripts for audio content.

6. Forms Without Labels or Instructions

The Mistake: Forms that lack clear labels can confuse users, especially those using screen readers.

The Fix: Ensure all form fields have descriptive labels and provide clear error messages.

7. Ignoring Mobile Accessibility

The Mistake: Many websites optimize only for desktop users, ignoring mobile accessibility.

The Fix: Use responsive design and ensure touch targets are large enough.

8. Skipping ARIA Landmarks and Semantic HTML

The Mistake: Developers often use and instead of semantic HTML elements like and .

The Fix: Use semantic HTML to provide structure and meaning.

9. Not Testing with Real Users and Assistive Technologies

The Mistake: Relying only on automated checkers without real user testing.

The Fix: Conduct usability testing with individuals who use screen readers. Learn more about best practices here.

Avoiding these common web accessibility mistakes will not only help you comply with ADA and WCAG guidelines but also create a better user experience. At ADA for Web, we offer everything from accessibility audits to custom WordPress builds and managed hosting—all designed with inclusivity in mind.

Need help improving your website’s accessibility? Visit ADA for Web to ensure compliance and provide an inclusive digital experience!

Working on a website can be difficult. Adding new media and updating pages is chore, even though you know your company website needs to evolve and become more accessible to the many users you are trying to reach. Maybe when you first built it, accessibility wasn’t even really discussed. But now you’ve taken a step back, looked at your customer base with a desire to include everyone and you’ve realized just how important it is to make your site accessible. However, the thought of building a robust site that can do all the things you want it to do is overwhelming.

What is Web Accessibility

A practice of designing and coding the website in order to provide complete compatibility in accessing it by people with disabilities. In addition, it is a way to improve search engine optimization only an ADA Compliant Web Designer will help you to make your website Compliant. Is your website compatible? By going through the checklist below, you can get the answer.

Assessing Current Web Pages and Content

The website must include a feature like a navigation link at the top of the page. These links have a bypass mechanism such as a “skip navigation” link. This feature directs screen readers to bypass the row of navigation links and start at the web page content. It is beneficial for people who use screen readers to avoid to listen to all the links each time they jump to a new page.
All the links should be understandable when taken out of the context. For example, images without alternative text and links without worded as “click here”.
All the graphics, maps, images, and other non-text content must provide text alternatives through the alt attribute, a hidden/visible long description.
All the documents posted on the website should available in HTML or another accessible text-based format. It is also applicable to other formats like Portable Document Format (PDF).
The online forms on the website should be structured so assistive technology can identify, describe and operate the controls and inputs. By doing this, people with disabilities can review and submit the forms.
If the website has online forms, the drop-down list should describe the information instead of displaying a response option. For instance, “Your Age” instead of “18-25”.
If the website has data charts and tables, they should be structured so that all data cells are associated with column and row identifiers.
All the video files on the website must have audio descriptions (if necessary). This is for the convenience of blind people or for having a visual impairment disability.
All the video files on the website must have synchronized captions. People with hearing problems or deaf can access these files conveniently.
All the audio files on the website should have synchronized captions to provide access to people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
All web pages should be designed so that they can be viewed using visitors’ web browser and operating system settings for color and font.

About Website Accessibility Policy and Procedures

One must have a written policy on website accessibility.
The website accessibility policy must be posted on the website at a location where it can be easily found.
The procedure should be developed to ensure that content is not added to the website until it has been made accessible.
It should be confirmed that the website manager has checked the code and structure of all new web pages before they are posted.
While adding the PDFs to the website, these should be accessible. Also, the text-based versions of the documents should be accessible at the same time as PDF versions.
Make sure that the in-house and contractor staff has received the information about the website accessibility policy and procedure to confirm the website accessibility.
It should be confirmed that in-house and contractor staff has received appropriate training on how to ensure the accessibility of the website.
The website should have a specific written plan if it contains inaccessible content. Also, it should include timeframes in place to make all of the existing web content accessible.
A complete plan to improve website accessibility should be posted along with invited suggestions for improvement.
The homepage should include easily locatable information that includes contact details like telephone number and email address. This is useful for reporting website accessibility problems and requesting accessibility services with information.
A website should have procedures in place to assure a quick response to the visitors with disabilities who have difficulty in accessing information or services available on the website.
Feedback from people who use a variety of assistive technologies is helpful in ensuring website accessibility. So make sure to ask disability groups representing people to provide feedback on the accessibility of your website.
Testing the website using a product available on the internet is helpful, These tools are of free cost and check the accessibility of a website. They may not identify all accessibility issues and flag issues that are not accessibility problems. However, these are, nonetheless, a helpful way to improve website accessibility.

Checklist of Action Items for Improving the Accessibility of a Website

In addition, while considering the above suggestions, the following checklist initially prepared by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for Federal Agencies provides further guidelines on ways to make websites more accessible for persons with disabilities.

This practical advice, as well as another checklist, are available at:

Satisfying all of these items does not necessarily mean that a website complies with ADA, but it will improve the website’s accessibility and decrease the risk of litigation. Again, an Expert or Web Accessibility Consulting & Services provider should be engaged to conduct a comprehensive review of your website.

Nothing brings you closer to reality than actually facing it. This is the premise of my latest attempt to spread awareness about Web Accessibility.

For better understand, here is a link in which a practical example is shown to make the websites’ user experience better by following the guidelines. Also, it tells the issues affecting various users on the internet with solutions.

You can make your website ADA compliant in an easy way by consulting the professionals, who can do this job effortlessly. Also, you can get a quick website audit from To Be ADA Compliant that offers complete web accessibility consulting & services in California, USA.

Resource: https://dev.to/chinchang/an-interactive-and-practical-introduction-to-web-accessibility-22o1