An accessible website is one everyone can use — including people with low vision, hearing or mobility differences — and getting the basics right is good for your customers, your reputation, and even your SEO.
Why accessibility matters
A meaningful share of your potential customers experience the web differently — using screen readers, keyboard navigation, captions, or larger text. If your site shuts them out, you lose their business and their goodwill. And many accessibility practices (clear structure, descriptive text, good contrast) also help search engines and AI understand your site, so it’s a genuine win-win.
The basics every site should cover
- Descriptive alt text on images, so screen readers can convey what they show.
- Good colour contrast between text and background, so it’s readable for everyone.
- Clear heading structure (one H1, logical H2/H3) that screen readers can navigate.
- Readable text at a sensible size, that can be enlarged without breaking the layout.
- Keyboard-friendly navigation — everything usable without a mouse.
- Labelled forms so every field is clear to assistive tech.
- Captions or transcripts for video and audio.
It overlaps with good design
Notice how much of this is simply good, clean web design: clear structure, readable text, descriptive content, sensible navigation. Build a site well and you’re most of the way to accessible already. The same qualities make it fast and easy for Google and AI to read.
Getting it right
You don’t need to achieve perfection overnight — covering the basics already makes a real difference. We build accessibility into our work as standard. See our web design or get a website audit that includes an accessibility check.
FAQ
Is website accessibility a legal requirement in NZ?
Government sites have standards to meet, and accessibility is increasingly expected of all businesses. Beyond any rules, it’s simply good practice that widens your audience.
Does accessibility really help SEO?
Yes — descriptive text, clear structure and good contrast help both assistive tech and search engines understand your site.
Can my existing site be made more accessible?
Usually, yes. Many improvements (alt text, contrast, headings) can be added without a rebuild. An audit shows the priorities.
