WCAG basics for small business
9 min read · Updated
WCAG stands for the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. They’re the international standard for making websites usable by everyone, including people who are blind or have low vision, are deaf or hard of hearing, have limited movement, or have cognitive disabilities.
That’s a lot of people. Around one in five Australians has a disability, and many more have ageing eyes, a temporary injury, or are just using their phone in bright sunlight. Accessibility isn’t a niche concern. It’s about whether a good chunk of your potential customers can use your site at all.
Why it matters for your business
- More customers. If someone can’t read your text or use your booking form, they can’t become a customer.
- Legal risk. The Disability Discrimination Act applies to websites. Complaints to the Australian Human Rights Commission do happen, and WCAG is the standard they’re judged against.
- Better SEO. Many accessibility fixes, like clear headings, image descriptions and descriptive links, also help Google understand your site.
- A better site for everyone. Clear text, good contrast and simple forms help all your visitors, not just those with disability.
The four principles
WCAG is built on four ideas. Content must be:
- Perceivable: people can see or hear it. Images have text descriptions, videos have captions, and text contrasts enough with its background.
- Operable: people can use it. Everything works with a keyboard, buttons are big enough to tap, and nothing flashes dangerously.
- Understandable: people can make sense of it. Language is clear, forms explain what they need, and errors say how to fix them.
- Robust: it works with assistive technology like screen readers, now and in future.
The most common problems, and how to fix them
Most small business sites fail on the same handful of things. Fix these and you’ve dealt with the majority of barriers.
Low colour contrast
Light grey text on white, or white text on a bright colour, is hard to read for many people. WCAG level AA asks for a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. Free contrast checkers online will tell you if your colours pass. The fix is usually slightly darker text or a stronger background colour.
Images without descriptions
Screen readers read out an image’s alt text. Without it, a blind visitor hears nothing useful, or just a file name like “IMG_2041.jpg”. Describe what the image shows in a short phrase. For purely decorative images, leave the alt text empty so screen readers skip them.
Form fields without labels
This is one of the most damaging problems, because it can stop someone contacting you at all. Placeholder text inside a box, like “Your name”, disappears when you start typing and often isn’t read out properly. Every field needs a visible label connected to it. Error messages should say what went wrong in words, not just turn the box red.
Links and buttons that don’t say where they go
“Click here” and “Read more” make no sense out of context, and screen reader users often skim a list of links. Icon-only buttons, like a magnifying glass or a hamburger menu, need a text label for screen readers. Make link text describe the destination, like “Read our pricing guide”.
Pages you can’t use with a keyboard
Some people can’t use a mouse. Try navigating your site using only the Tab key to move and Enter to select. Can you reach every link, button and form field? Can you see where you are? If focus outlines have been removed or menus only open on hover, keyboard users get stuck.
Missing page language and poor headings
Your page should declare its language, so screen readers use the right pronunciation. That’s a one-line fix. Headings should form a logical outline (one main H1, then H2s for sections), because screen reader users jump between headings to find what they need.
How to get started
- Run a free scan. It checks many of these issues automatically and lists them in order of impact.
- Fix the quick wins: alt text, form labels, page language and link wording.
- Test your contact or booking form with just a keyboard, then with a screen reader.
- Get help for the harder parts, like colour changes, menus and complex forms, from a web developer or accessibility specialist.
A word about automated checks
Automated tools, including ours, catch a lot, but not everything. They can tell you an image has no alt text, but not whether the alt text you wrote makes sense. For a full picture, a person needs to test with a keyboard and screen reader. A good automated score means you’ve got the basics right, which is where most sites fall down.
Read more about our accessibility audit, or see making your phone number easy to tap for a related mobile fix.
Want the full picture? See what our free accessibility audit checks
Common questions
Is WCAG compliance required by law in Australia?
The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 makes it unlawful to discriminate against people with disability, and that applies to websites. The law doesn't name a technical standard for private businesses, but WCAG 2.2 level AA is the benchmark used in complaints and by government.
What's the difference between level A, AA and AAA?
They're levels of conformance. A covers the most basic barriers, AA is the widely accepted target for most websites, and AAA is the strictest and isn't expected for whole sites.
Can an accessibility overlay or widget make my site compliant?
No. Overlay widgets that promise one-click compliance don't fix the underlying problems, and many disabled users find them get in the way. Fixing the site itself is the only reliable approach.
How do I test my site with a screen reader?
Windows includes Narrator, and NVDA is free. Macs and iPhones have VoiceOver built in, and Android has TalkBack. Try filling in your contact form using only the screen reader and keyboard.