Creating a More Inclusive Internet
Fixing Accessibility Issues Through Design Inclusion
In the ever-evolving digital world, ensuring your website is accessible to everyone is paramount. Creating a site that works for all users, including those with disabilities, is not a trend — it is a necessity. Inclusive web practices address common accessibility issues and help build a better experience for all visitors. This guide outlines key tips and introduces the principles of design inclusion to support your ongoing accessibility work.
Understanding Accessibility Issues In Web Design
Accessibility issues often arise when websites are not built with inclusive thinking from the outset. These problems might include missing alt text, poor colour contrast, or content that cannot be navigated using a keyboard. Left unaddressed, these barriers exclude users with disabilities from accessing information, completing tasks, or engaging with your content.
Designing accessibly does not just help people with permanent disabilities. It also supports people using mobile devices, older users, and those with temporary impairments. A well-planned approach benefits everyone.
Foundations Of Design Inclusion
Design inclusion starts with the belief that digital spaces should be welcoming and usable by all. It requires thoughtful choices, such as semantic HTML, clear headings, and consistent navigation. These choices make your content easier to understand and interact with across a wide range of assistive technologies.
We encourage every website owner to adopt a mindset of inclusion from the beginning of each project. This reduces future retrofitting and creates stronger digital outcomes.
Accessible Forms And Navigation
One of the most common accessibility issues we encounter is forms that are not properly labelled or are difficult to complete using a keyboard. Forms should include labels, fieldset groupings, and error messages that can be read by screen readers.
Navigation is equally important. Every link, menu, and button should be reachable without a mouse. If users cannot move through your site with a keyboard alone, your site is not accessible.
Testing For Accessibility Issues
No single tool can find every problem. We use both automated scanners and manual testing to identify accessibility issues. Our disabled user testers use real assistive technologies to evaluate how well a site functions. This ensures we catch things that tools miss — like confusing link text, broken tab order, or screen reader traps.
This human-led testing forms the backbone of our access audit service. It gives you a reliable picture of how inclusive your site truly is.
Design Inclusion As A Long-Term Practice
Once you have resolved key issues, maintaining inclusive design must become an ongoing priority. Regular audits help track new accessibility issues as your site evolves. Staff training also helps your team create content with accessibility in mind.
Good design inclusion is not just a feature — it is a mindset. It builds trust with users and helps you comply with UK and EU legislation such as the Equality Act and the European Accessibility Act.
Where To Begin To Find Accessibility Issues
If your website was built without accessibility in mind, do not worry. Most sites can be improved over time. We recommend starting with an audit, then making high-impact changes first. Fixing keyboard navigation, contrast, and form labelling will quickly remove many of the worst accessibility issues.
From there, you can build a roadmap of updates that bring your site into full compliance while also delivering better experiences for all users.
Would You Like To Find Out More?
If you would like to find out more about website accessibility, please follow these links:
- Discuss an access audit of your website
- Watch my TED Talk
- Read how we deliver access audits
- Review your accessibility statement
- Understand WCAG 2.2 AA requirements
- See how we carry out accessibility testing
- Explore our manual user testing process to see how real disabled users shape every review
- Learn how our inclusive design approach builds better experiences from the start
