SUMMARY - Websites Everyone Can Use
Websites Everyone Can Use
A website that looks beautiful may be inaccessible to someone who cannot see it. A website that functions smoothly may be unusable for someone who cannot use a mouse. A website with elegant animations may be painful for someone with vestibular disorders. Web accessibility means building sites that work for everyone, regardless of how they perceive or interact with content.
The Technical Foundation: WCAG
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) provide the internationally recognized standard for web accessibility. Developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), WCAG organizes accessibility requirements around four principles:
Perceivable
Information and interface components must be presentable in ways users can perceive.
Text alternatives: Images need alt text describing their content for screen readers.
Captions and transcripts: Video needs captions; audio needs transcripts.
Adaptable content: Content structure should be programmatically determinable, not just visually indicated.
Distinguishable: Color contrast must be sufficient. Content should not rely solely on color to convey information. Text should be resizable.
Operable
Interface components and navigation must be operable.
Keyboard accessible: Everything should work with keyboard alone, without requiring a mouse.
Enough time: Users should have enough time to read and interact. Time limits should be adjustable or removable.
Seizures and physical reactions: Content should not flash in ways that can trigger seizures.
Navigable: Pages need titles, headings, and skip links. Focus order should be logical.
Understandable
Information and operation must be understandable.
Readable: Language should be identified. Unusual words should be defined.
Predictable: Pages should work consistently. Changes of context should not happen unexpectedly.
Input assistance: Errors should be identified and described. Suggestions should be provided.
Robust
Content must be robust enough to be interpreted by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies.
Compatible: Code should be valid and properly structured. Names, roles, and values should be programmatically determinable.
Beyond Compliance: Usable Accessibility
A website can technically meet WCAG requirements while still being frustrating or difficult for people with disabilities. Real accessibility requires understanding how people actually use assistive technology and testing with real users.
Screen reader testing: Does the site make sense when read linearly? Are links and buttons labeled meaningfully? Is the heading structure logical?
Keyboard testing: Can every function be reached and operated with keyboard? Is focus visible? Can keyboard users escape modal dialogs?
Zoom testing: Does the site work when zoomed to 200%? Do layouts break or content become inaccessible?
Color contrast verification: Does text meet contrast requirements? Is information conveyed through color also conveyed another way?
Common Accessibility Problems
Missing Alt Text
Images without alt text are invisible to screen readers. Decorative images should have empty alt attributes; meaningful images need descriptive alternatives.
Poor Heading Structure
Screen reader users navigate by headings. Sites without proper heading hierarchy—or that use headings for visual styling rather than structure—are difficult to navigate.
Unlabeled Form Fields
Form inputs without proper labels leave screen reader users guessing what information is requested.
Inaccessible PDFs
PDFs are often inaccessible by default. Properly tagged, structured PDFs are accessible but require deliberate creation.
Keyboard Traps
Interactive elements that cannot be escaped with keyboard—like some modal dialogs or media players—trap keyboard users.
Missing Skip Links
Without skip links, keyboard users must tab through navigation on every page load.
Auto-Playing Media
Media that plays automatically without user control can be disorienting and is particularly problematic for screen reader users.
Legal Requirements in Canada
Ontario's AODA requires WCAG 2.0 Level AA compliance for public sector organizations and large private organizations. The Accessible Canada Act establishes accessibility requirements for federally regulated organizations and the federal government. Other provinces have varying requirements.
Enforcement has been criticized as weak. Many organizations remain non-compliant with limited consequences. Legal requirements create floors, not ceilings—compliance is the minimum, not the goal.
Tools and Testing
Automated tools like WAVE, axe, and Lighthouse can identify some accessibility issues but cannot evaluate the full user experience. Automated testing should complement, not replace, manual testing and testing with people with disabilities.
Browser developer tools can simulate various conditions—color blindness, reduced motion preferences, forced colors mode—but cannot replicate the full experience of users who actually have these needs.
The Question
If websites are how people access government services, apply for jobs, manage finances, and participate in civic life, then inaccessible websites exclude people from participation. What would it take to make web accessibility the norm rather than the exception? Should non-compliant sites face meaningful consequences? And how can organizations move beyond checkbox compliance to genuinely usable accessibility?