When most business owners think about their website, accessibility isn't the first thing that comes to mind. But here's the reality: over 1 in 4 adults in the United States lives with some form of disability. If your website isn't accessible, you're potentially shutting out a significant portion of your market -- and you might be exposing your business to legal risk.
What Is Website Accessibility?
Website accessibility means designing and developing your website so that people with disabilities can use it effectively. This includes people with:
- Visual impairments: Blindness, low vision, and color blindness
- Hearing impairments: Deafness and hard of hearing
- Motor disabilities: Difficulty using a mouse or keyboard, limited fine motor control
- Cognitive disabilities: Learning disabilities, attention disorders, and memory impairments
Accessible websites work with assistive technologies like screen readers, voice recognition software, switch devices, and screen magnifiers. They also benefit many other users -- older adults, people with temporary injuries, and even people using the web in challenging environments like bright sunlight or noisy areas.
The Legal Landscape
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted in 1990 to prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities. While the original law didn't specifically mention websites, courts have increasingly ruled that business websites are "places of public accommodation" under Title III of the ADA.
The Growing Trend of Lawsuits
Website accessibility lawsuits have increased dramatically in recent years. In 2025 alone, thousands of businesses were sued over inaccessible websites. These aren't just big corporations -- small and medium-sized businesses are frequently targeted. Common plaintiffs include individuals with visual impairments who rely on screen readers and find that they can't navigate or use websites effectively.
For Virginia businesses, the risk is real. Federal courts in Virginia have heard ADA website accessibility cases, and the trend is clear: courts expect businesses to make their websites accessible.
Beyond ADA: Other Requirements
In addition to the ADA, other regulations may apply:
- Section 508: Requires federal agencies and organizations receiving federal funding to have accessible websites
- Virginia state laws: Virginia's Information Technology Access Act requires state entities to comply with accessibility standards
- Industry-specific regulations: Healthcare (HIPAA), education, and financial services have additional accessibility requirements
Understanding WCAG: The Accessibility Standard
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), published by the W3C, are the internationally recognized standard for web accessibility. The current version, WCAG 2.2, organizes guidelines around four principles known as POUR:
Perceivable
Information and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive.
- Text alternatives: All images, icons, and non-text content need alt text that conveys their meaning
- Captions and transcripts: Videos need captions, and audio content needs transcripts
- Color contrast: Text must have sufficient contrast against its background (at least 4.5:1 for normal text)
- Don't rely on color alone: Information conveyed by color should also be conveyed through text or icons
Operable
User interface components and navigation must be operable by all users.
- Keyboard navigation: Every function must be accessible using only a keyboard -- no mouse required
- No time traps: Users should have enough time to read and interact with content
- No seizure-inducing content: Avoid content that flashes more than three times per second
- Skip navigation: Provide a way for keyboard users to skip repetitive navigation and jump to main content
Understandable
Information and the operation of the user interface must be understandable.
- Readable text: Use clear, simple language appropriate for your audience
- Predictable navigation: Navigation should be consistent across pages
- Error handling: Forms should clearly identify errors and suggest corrections
- Language declaration: The page's language should be declared in the HTML
Robust
Content must be robust enough that it can be interpreted by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies.
- Valid HTML: Clean, standards-compliant code ensures compatibility with assistive technologies
- ARIA labels: Use Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) attributes to enhance semantics where needed
- Testing: Regularly test with screen readers and other assistive technologies
Common Accessibility Issues We Find on Business Websites
When we audit websites for Virginia businesses at Crozetti, these are the most frequent accessibility problems we encounter:
- Missing alt text: Images without descriptive alt attributes are invisible to screen reader users
- Poor color contrast: Light gray text on a white background might look sleek, but it's unreadable for many people
- No keyboard navigation: Dropdown menus and interactive elements that only work with a mouse
- Missing form labels: Input fields without associated labels make forms impossible for screen readers to interpret
- Auto-playing media: Videos or audio that play automatically can be disorienting and disruptive
- Missing heading hierarchy: Jumping from H1 to H4 confuses screen readers and makes navigation difficult
- Non-descriptive links: "Click here" tells a screen reader user nothing about where the link goes
How to Test Your Website's Accessibility
You don't need to be an expert to start assessing your site's accessibility:
- Automated tools: WAVE (wave.webaim.org), Lighthouse (built into Chrome), and axe DevTools can identify many common issues
- Keyboard test: Try navigating your entire site using only the Tab, Enter, and arrow keys. Can you reach and use every feature?
- Screen reader test: Try NVDA (free for Windows) or VoiceOver (built into Mac) to hear how your site sounds to a blind user
- Contrast checker: Use WebAIM's contrast checker to verify your color combinations meet WCAG requirements
Making Accessibility Part of Your Website Strategy
The best approach to accessibility is to build it in from the start rather than retrofitting later. When you build a new website or redesign an existing one, accessibility should be a core requirement, not an afterthought.
At Crozetti, we build accessibility into every website we create for businesses in Charlottesville and across Virginia. From semantic HTML and keyboard navigation to proper color contrast and screen reader testing, we ensure your site is usable by everyone.
Need an accessibility audit of your current website? Contact Crozetti and we'll evaluate your site against WCAG standards and provide a clear roadmap for compliance.
