An accessible website is one that people can use whatever their eyesight, hearing, mobility or device. In Ontario, accessibility is also part of the law for many organizations. Whether or not the rules apply to you, the basics make a site better for every visitor.
Who accessibility helps
It helps people who use screen readers, people who navigate with a keyboard instead of a mouse, people with low vision or colour blindness and people with tremors who find small buttons hard to tap. It also helps someone reading in bright sunlight, holding a phone in one hand or using an older device. Accessible design is simply careful design.
The rules in Ontario
Ontario's accessibility legislation, the AODA, sets web accessibility requirements for public sector bodies and for larger private and non-profit organizations, based on the international WCAG guidelines. The details depend on the size and type of your organization and can change, so check the Government of Ontario's current guidance or get advice for your situation rather than relying on a summary.
The basics to get right
Make sure text has strong contrast against its background. Give meaningful images a text description. Use real headings in a sensible order. Make every link, button and form field usable with a keyboard, and show clearly which one is selected. Label form fields properly and explain errors in words, not only in colour.
Motion, media and forms
Avoid content that flashes, and let visitors pause anything that moves on its own. Respect the reduced motion setting on people's devices. Add captions to video. Keep forms short, mark required fields and never rely on a time limit that cannot be extended. These are small decisions during a build and awkward repairs afterwards.
How to check your site
Try using your site with only the Tab and Enter keys. Zoom the page to twice its size and see whether it still works. Run a free automated checker to catch common problems, remembering that tools find only part of what a person would. Then fix the highest-impact issues first: contrast, headings, labels and keyboard access.
Accessibility is not a feature added at the end. It is a standard held throughout a build. We design to WCAG AA on every site, because a website that more people can use is a website that wins more customers.