Web Accessibility Checklist for Small Business Websites

Twenty percent of Canadians live with some form of disability. That's roughly one in five potential customers who might struggle to use your website if it's not accessible. Beyond the moral argument, there's a legal one: accessibility lawsuits are increasing, and provinces like Ontario have clear web accessibility requirements under the AODA.

You don't need a massive budget to make your website accessible. You need to know what matters most and implement it systematically. Here's the checklist we use at Zazen Media Group when building or auditing sites for Vancouver and BC clients.

Start with keyboard navigation

Your entire website must be navigable using only a keyboard. No mouse, no trackpad. This helps people with motor disabilities, those who use screen readers, and anyone who simply prefers keyboard shortcuts.

Test it yourself. Press Tab to move forward through interactive elements. Shift+Tab to move backward. Every link, button, form field, and interactive component should be reachable. You should see a visible focus indicator (usually an outline) showing where you are on the page.

Common failures: dropdown menus that only work on hover, custom widgets built without keyboard support, hidden focus indicators because someone thought they looked ugly. Fix these first.

Write proper alt text for images

Every image needs an alt attribute. Screen readers announce this text to users who can't see the image. The rule is simple: describe what the image shows and why it's there.

Bad alt text: "image1234" or "photo." Also bad: leaving it empty when the image conveys information.

Good alt text: "Architect reviewing blueprint at construction site" or "Bar graph showing 40% increase in revenue from Q1 to Q2."

Decorative images that add no information should have empty alt attributes (alt="") so screen readers skip them. Your logo in the header probably doesn't need alt text if you have text branding right next to it.

Use proper heading structure

Headings (H1, H2, H3) are not just visual design elements. They're structural signposts that help screen reader users navigate your content. One H1 per page (usually your page title). Then H2s for main sections. H3s for subsections under H2s. Never skip levels.

Most WordPress themes and page builders mess this up. They'll use an H3 because it's the right visual size, even though the document structure demands an H2. Fix this in your content management system or your theme code.

Screen reader users often navigate by headings, jumping from section to section. If your structure is broken, they get lost.

Ensure sufficient colour contrast

Text must have enough contrast against its background. WCAG 2.1 Level AA requires a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text (18pt or 14pt bold).

Light grey text on white backgrounds is a common failure. So is white text on pale yellow. Use a contrast checker tool (WebAIM has a good one) and test your colour combinations. This helps people with low vision and colour blindness, but it also helps everyone reading on a phone in sunlight.

Don't rely on colour alone to convey information. If you show error messages in red, also include an icon or text label. If your graph uses colour to distinguish data series, add patterns or labels.

Make forms accessible

Every form field needs a proper label, and that label should be programmatically associated with the field. Don't use placeholder text as a substitute for labels. Placeholders disappear when someone starts typing, which creates confusion.

Error messages should be clear and specific. "This field is required" is better than a red border with no explanation. Tell users exactly what went wrong and how to fix it.

Group related fields (like address components) using fieldset and legend elements. This helps screen readers provide context. If you have a required field, mark it clearly with text (not just an asterisk).

Add captions and transcripts to video content

Videos need captions. Not auto-generated YouTube captions (though those are better than nothing). Proper captions that accurately reflect what's being said.

Audio-only content (podcasts, voice recordings) needs transcripts. These help deaf users, people in quiet environments, anyone who prefers to skim text, and search engines trying to index your content.

Most video hosting platforms make this relatively easy now. Upload an SRT file with your captions. For podcasts, run the audio through a transcription service and post the results on your site.

Write descriptive link text

Never write "click here" or "read more" as link text. Screen readers can pull up a list of all links on a page, and a list of thirty "click here" links tells users nothing.

Good link text describes the destination or action: "Download the 2025 accessibility guidelines" or "Learn more about WCAG 2.1 compliance." The surrounding sentence should make sense with or without the link.

This also improves SEO, since search engines use link text as a ranking signal.

Essential accessibility checks before launch

Before publishing any new page or redesign, run through this quick list:

• Navigate the entire page using only Tab, Shift+Tab, and Enter
• Check all images for proper alt text
• Verify heading structure with a browser extension or your CMS outline view
• Test colour contrast on all text and interactive elements
• Ensure all form fields have visible labels
• Check that videos have captions and audio has transcripts
• Read through all link text out of context
• Test your site with a screen reader (NVDA on Windows or VoiceOver on Mac)

These checks take twenty minutes for a typical page. Build them into your workflow.

The business case is straightforward

Accessible websites reach more people. They rank better in search (Google rewards many accessibility practices). They're easier to use for everyone, not just people with disabilities. And they reduce legal risk in an environment where accessibility complaints are increasing.

Most accessibility work is about proper markup and thoughtful content decisions, not expensive custom development. A small investment in learning these practices pays returns immediately.

If you're building a new website or redesigning an existing one and want accessibility built in from the start, we can help. Zazen Media Group includes WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance in all our web projects for Vancouver clients. Reach out and we'll walk you through what that looks like for your specific business.