Accessible websites for the people you serve

Who it is for

The people a community group serves and the people who volunteer for it include older adults, people with low vision, people who are blind, people who can't use a mouse, and people reading in a second language. An accessible site lets all of them do the same things everyone else does: read about a program, give, sign up and find the next event.

What we build in

• Text and button colors that meet WCAG AA contrast, checked for every pair we use
• A visible focus outline, so keyboard users always know where they are
• Headings in order, so screen reader users can jump through a page
• Form labels that stay visible, with errors explained in words next to the field
• Alt text for photos that carry meaning, and empty alt text for decoration
• Pages that still work when text is enlarged to twice its size
• Plain language, short sentences and links that say where they go

How we test

Automated checkers catch some problems, and we run them. Many problems only show up by hand, so we also go through every main page with a keyboard alone, with a screen reader, at large zoom and on a small phone. The donation form, the volunteer form and the calendar get extra attention, since those are where people get stuck.

Fixes for a site you already have

If your site works but people have trouble with it, an accessibility review may be enough. We go through the main pages and forms, write up what fails and why, and sort the list by how much each fix helps. You can have us make the fixes, hand the list to whoever built the site, or plan a redesign if the problems run deep.

A note on legal questions

We design and test against WCAG, which is a technical standard. Whether a given law applies to your group, and what it requires, is a question for your attorney. We don't give legal advice, and nothing on this site should be read as a promise about legal compliance.

Questions