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What are the characteristics of accessible websites?

Web accessibility is not only an ethical obligation but also a legal requirement in many countries. It ensures that people with disabilities can use websites without difficulty. At the same time, an accessible website improves the user experience for all users and has a positive impact on SEO. But what exactly makes a website accessible? In this article, you'll learn about the most important characteristics and best practices.

Why is website accessibility so important?

An accessible website ensures that people with various disabilities – be it visual, hearing, motor, or cognitive impairments – can access digital content on an equal footing. According to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), there are four fundamental principles for accessible websites:

  • Perceivability – Content must be accessible to all users.
  • Usability – Navigation must function without restrictions.
  • Comprehensibility – Content must be easy to understand.
  • robustness – The website must be compatible with various devices and assistive technologies.

Now let's look at the specific features of accessible websites.

1. Clear and well-structured content

  • Plain language: Avoid complicated technical terms and long sentences.
  • Heading hierarchy: Use correctly structured headings (H1, H2, H3) for better orientation.
  • Lists and paragraphs: Clear paragraphs and well-organized lists make reading and understanding easier.

2. Alternative text for images (alt tags)

Images and graphics should always be accompanied by meaningful alternative text (alt tag). Screen readers read this text aloud so that blind or visually impaired users can also understand the content.

❌ Bad: <img src="bild.jpg" alt=""/> ✅ Good: <img src="hund.jpg" alt="A brown Labrador runs across a green meadow."/>

3. Keyboard-friendly navigation

Not all users can use a mouse. Accessible websites must be fully navigable via keyboard. This means:

✔ Pay attention to the tab order – The navigation should be logically structured. ✔ Make keyboard focus visible – Clearly highlight active elements such as buttons or links. ✔ Use jump links – Allow a direct jump to important areas such as the main content.

Example of a jump link:

<a href="#main-content" class="skip-link">Skip to main content</a>

4. High color contrast and easily readable fonts

Users with color vision deficiencies or visual impairments benefit from a high color contrast ratio between text and background. The WCAG recommends:

  • At least 4.5:1 for normal text.
  • At least 3:1 for large fonts or icons.

Furthermore, the font should: ✔ Not too small (At least 16px recommended). ✔ Be easy to read (sans-serif fonts such as Arial or Open Sans). ✔ Do not use purely color-based cues. (e.g., “red error message” should also have a label).

5. Subtitles and transcripts for multimedia content

Videos and audio files must be provided with subtitles or transcripts so that deaf users can understand them.

Example of a transcript integration:

<a href="/en/transkript.txt/">Download transcript</a>

6. Design forms to be accessible

Forms are often a hurdle for people with disabilities. Pay attention to the following points:

✔ Unique labels: Each input field must have a clear label. ✔ How to formulate error messages in an understandable way: Avoid unclear messages like "Error 1 occurred". ✔ Use autocomplete: Makes filling it out easier.

Example of an accessible label:

7. Responsive design and mobile friendliness

Accessibility also means that the website is displayed optimally on all devices (desktop, tablet, smartphone). Responsive design automatically adjusts content to the screen size.

✔ Do not block zoom function ✔ Sufficient distance between clickable areas ✔ Easily readable font sizes on small displays

8. Compatibility with screen readers and assistive software

Blind and visually impaired users use screen readers such as JAWS, NVDA, or VoiceOver. An accessible website:

✔ Uses semantic HTML (No nested div containers for navigation elements). ✔ Avoid automatic pop-ups or moving content that is difficult to stop. ✔ Has ARIA attributes (role="navigation"", aria-label="Menu""), to support screen readers.

9. Testing accessibility – tools for verification

There are various tools you can use to test whether your website is accessible:

Conclusion: Accessibility is a must for every website.

Read more about accessibility

An accessible website not only improves usability for people with disabilities, but also offers advantages for SEO, usability and legal security.

👉 Accessibility increases reach More users can consume your content. 👉 Google prioritizes accessible websites. – Improved rankings and fewer drop-offs. 👉 Comply with legal requirements – Avoid warnings and legal penalties.

Implementing accessible websites is not an optional extra, but a requirement for modern companies. Those who invest in accessibility today will benefit in the long term through a broader target audience and better online visibility.