— ACCESSIBILITY & USER EXPERIENCE
Website Accessibility: 7 Practical Checks That Help Real People
Seven human-centered checks for clearer focus, usable controls, better forms and fewer barriers—without treating an overlay as the whole accessibility plan.
BY CYNDEE ADKINS • Curio Creative Agency
— THE SHORT ANSWER
Accessibility is easiest to understand when you stop thinking about a compliance badge and start watching how a person completes a task. Can someone see where the keyboard focus moved? Can they understand an error? Can they tap a control without hitting the one beside it? Those moments are where a site becomes usable—or quietly shuts someone out.
1. Complete the important journey with a keyboard
Put the mouse aside. Use Tab and Shift+Tab to move through the header, navigation, forms, popups and footer. Press Enter or Space where appropriate. You should be able to reach every interactive control, understand where you are and leave any component without getting trapped.
Do not test only the home page. The most important journey is usually a service page, contact form, checkout, booking flow or account task.
2. Make focus visible—and keep it visible
A focused link or button needs a clear visual state. A subtle color shift that disappears against the background is not enough. WCAG 2.2 also addresses focus being obscured by sticky headers, cookie banners or other author-created content.
Tab through the page at mobile and desktop sizes. If the focused control slides under a sticky element, the visitor knows something moved but cannot see what. That is a design problem, not a user problem.
3. Give controls enough room
WCAG 2.2 includes a minimum target-size criterion of 24 by 24 CSS pixels, with defined exceptions and spacing rules. The practical lesson is simple: tiny controls packed closely together are hard to use for people with limited dexterity, low vision, a shaky hand or a small screen on a moving vehicle.
Check close icons, carousel dots, radio choices, footer links and compact menu controls. A visually delicate interface should not require delicate motor control.
4. Check the page without color as the only clue
Color can reinforce meaning, but it should not carry the entire message. Required fields, errors, selected states, charts and status messages need text, shape, position or another cue as well.
Contrast matters too. Test real combinations—not the palette in isolation. A brand color that works beautifully as a large background may fail as small text on cream.
5. Make headings, labels and link text do useful work
A person using a screen reader may navigate by headings or links instead of reading every line. Headings should describe the section that follows and follow a sensible hierarchy. Form fields need persistent labels. Links should make sense without the surrounding paragraph.
Repeated ‘learn more’ links force the visitor to investigate each destination. ‘Explore website care’ or ‘Read the accessibility checklist’ carries the purpose with it.
6. Write alternate text for purpose, not inventory
Meaningful images need alternate text that explains why the image is present in that context. Decorative flourishes should generally use an empty alt attribute so they do not create noise. A logo linked to the home page can describe that destination.
Do not stuff keywords into alt text. Do not describe every visual detail when one useful sentence will do. If an image contains essential information, make sure the same information is available in text.
7. Test errors, instructions and recovery
Submit a form with required fields empty. Enter an invalid email. Trigger a validation error. The message should explain what needs attention, be associated with the correct field and remain available long enough to act on it.
Automated scanners help identify patterns, but they cannot judge whether an instruction is clear or a workflow makes sense. Combine automated checks with keyboard testing, zoom, screen-reader review when possible and real task completion.
Accessibility is ongoing work
A redesign can improve the foundation, but new content, plugins and campaigns can introduce new barriers. Build accessibility into publishing checklists, component decisions and maintenance reviews.
This article is practical design guidance, not legal advice or a guarantee of conformance. The useful goal is continuous, documented improvement that helps more people use the site successfully.
— PRIMARY SOURCES
Sources & further reading
— A USEFUL NEXT STEP
Turn the checklist into an improvement plan.
Curio can review the experience, prioritize barriers and build practical publishing guardrails for your team.