What is WCAG, and why should you care?
WCAG stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. It’s a set of best-practice standards used to make websites easier to use for people with disabilities. And, honestly, it improves usability for everyone.
WCAG is built around four simple ideas. Your website should be:
- Easy to perceive: people can see or hear the content clearly
- Easy to operate: people can use it (mouse, keyboard, voice, touchscreen)
- Easy to understand: the wording and actions make sense, and errors are clear
- Built to work reliably: it functions well across devices, browsers and assistive technology
You don’t need to memorise these terms, they’re just a helpful framework for good design decisions.
The accessibility basics that make the biggest difference
Make text and buttons easy to read
When the text on your website doesn’t stand out from the background, most people will struggle to read it, which is frustrating. And frustrated visitors are likely to leave your website and go elsewhere – usually to your competitors. Ouch.
Good accessibility looks like:
- Strong contrast between text and background (especially for buttons and key information)
- Clear, readable font sizes (particularly on mobile)
- Avoiding light grey text on white backgrounds (you’d be amazed how many websites do daft things like this)
Common mistake: relying on colour alone to communicate something.
For example, showing a form field in red if it’s missing information, rather than explaining in writing what the issue is.
Better approach: pair colour with a clear message, such as:
“Please enter your phone number (required).”
Why it matters: it helps people with low vision or colour blindness, and it also helps anyone reading on a small screen or in bright sunlight.
Design for mobile properly (not as an afterthought)
Responsive design isn’t just about making things “fit” on smaller screens, it’s about making sure the website still works.
Good accessibility looks like:
- Layouts that adjust logically across screen sizes
- No missing content or “hidden” features on mobile
- Touch targets (buttons/links) that are easy to tap
- Text that stays readable without constant zooming
Common mistake: text and spacing that looks fine on desktop but becomes cramped and hard to read on mobile.
Why it matters: a huge chunk of your visitors will be on phones, and if your website is fiddly to use on a small screen, they will give up and go elsewhere.
Use clear structure so people can scan and understand
Most people skim websites. If the layout is confusing, or everything looks the same, visitors can struggle to find what they need. And if they can’t find what they need, they’ll – you guessed it – look elsewhere. And that’s when they’ll find your competitors.
Good accessibility looks like:
- Clear headings that guide the reader
- Short paragraphs and bullet points
- Consistent styling for headings, body text and links
- Enough spacing between lines and sections so text doesn’t feel cramped
Why it matters: it helps people using screen readers, and it also makes your content easier for everyone to digest quickly.
Make your website usable without a mouse
Some visitors navigate using a keyboard, voice controls, or assistive technology, and if your site isn’t set up for that, they can get stuck.
Good accessibility looks like:
- Menus and forms that can be navigated with a keyboard
- Visible focus states (so you can see where you are as you tab through)
- Buttons and links that behave predictably
Why it matters: if someone can’t get through your navigation or your form, you’ll never hear from them, even if they want to buy.
Why accessibility is worth doing - even if you’re not “a big organisation”
When accessibility is built in from the start, it delivers benefits across the board:
- More potential customers can use your website
- Fewer people drop off when they hit friction (especially on forms and mobile)
- Better overall user experience, which supports trust and conversion
- A stronger brand impression (people notice when a site is easy to use)
- Reduced risk of complaints or reputational issues tied to usability barriers
Put simply: accessibility is good design: and good design is good for business.
Want to know how accessible your site is?
At Hydra Creative, we design websites with accessibility in mind from the beginning, not bolted on at the end. If you’d like a straightforward review of your key pages, we can highlight quick wins and priority fixes to improve usability for real customers.
Get in touch and we’ll talk you through the next steps.
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