What is website accessibility, and why does it matter for a small business?

Ascent Vision · Published October 15, 2026

Website accessibility means a site is built so people with disabilities can use it, including people who are blind, deaf, or cannot use a mouse. It matters for a small business because a site that shuts people out loses customers, and because U.S. Department of Justice guidance takes the position that the ADA covers businesses open to the public, online too. Owners can run simple checks themselves, such as image descriptions, contrast, captions and keyboard use; they catch common problems but do not show legal compliance.

What accessibility means

The W3C Web Accessibility Initiative defines web accessibility as websites and tools that are "designed and developed so that people with disabilities can use them". It covers auditory, cognitive, neurological, physical, speech and visual disabilities.

The same page notes that accessible sites also help people without disabilities, such as people on phones with small screens, older people, someone with a broken arm, someone in bright sunlight, and people on a slow internet connection.

What the Justice Department's guidance says

This is a plain summary, not legal advice. In its March 2022 "Guidance on Web Accessibility and the ADA", the U.S. Department of Justice takes the position that the ADA requires businesses open to the public to provide "full and equal enjoyment of their goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations" to people with disabilities. It says the Department has taken the position since 1996 that the ADA applies to web content.

The guidance also says businesses have flexibility in how they comply, but must still comply, and it says existing technical standards, including the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), provide helpful guidance. The guidance itself is not binding, and the Department has no regulation setting detailed web standards for businesses. Whether and how this applies to your business is a question for a lawyer. No checklist, tool or website build can promise legal compliance.

Common barriers the guidance lists

Poor color contrast between text and background.
Using color alone to give information, such as red text to mark required fields.
Images with no text alternative (alt text).
Videos with no captions.
Forms without labels, clear instructions or error messages.
Pages that can only be used with a mouse, not a keyboard.

Simple checks an owner can run

Images: ask whoever edits your site whether each meaningful photo has a short description of what it shows.
Contrast: look at your pages on a phone outdoors. Light gray text on white is a warning sign.
Captions: turn the sound off and play each video. If the words are lost, add captions.
Keyboard: put the mouse aside and press Tab to move through a page. You should see where you are and be able to reach every link, button and form field.
Readable text: zoom the page to twice its size. Text should grow and still fit without breaking the layout.
Forms: check that every field has a visible label and that a mistake produces a clear message.

Automated checkers help, but only so far

The Justice Department's guidance says automated checkers and overlays can be helpful but need to be used carefully, and that a clean report does not necessarily mean a site is accessible. It suggests pairing automated tools with a manual check, and it notes that a way for the public to report problems lets owners fix them.

Sources

Websites, upgraded or built

Most businesses do not need a new website. They need the one they have to load fast, say clearly what they do and ask the visitor to take one step.

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