Accessibility, in plain words.
Start with what the ADA means for your website. Then short guides to the problems we find most often: what they are, who they shut out, and how to fix them.
Start here
What is the ADA, and what does it mean for your website?
The Americans with Disabilities Act explained for website owners: who it covers, how it applies online, what WCAG is, the 2027 and 2028 government deadlines, how lawsuits work, and where to start.
How to write alt text for images
What alt text is, who relies on it, and how to write it for photos, logos, icons, image links and decorative images. With examples and the mistakes we see most. WCAG 1.1.1.
Color contrast: the 4.5:1 rule explained
What contrast ratio means, the 4.5:1 and 3:1 thresholds, which text counts as large, how links and buttons fit in, and how to fix low contrast without losing your brand colors. WCAG 1.4.3, 1.4.1.
Form labels: every field needs a name
Why placeholders aren't labels, how to connect a label to its field, how to group radio buttons, and how to make required fields and error messages work for everyone. WCAG 1.3.1, 3.3.2, 4.1.2, 1.3.5.
Links and buttons that say what they do
Why “Read more” and icon-only buttons fail screen reader and voice-control users, and how to name links and buttons so everyone knows where they go. WCAG 2.4.4, 4.1.2, 2.5.3.
Explainers
What's new in WCAG 2.2: the nine new success criteria
WCAG 2.2 added nine success criteria to WCAG 2.1 and dropped one. What each new rule asks for, which are Level A and AA, and what to check on your own site first. WCAG 2.4.11, 2.5.7, 2.5.8, 3.2.6, 3.3.7, 3.3.8.
WCAG Level A, AA and AAA: what “AA” actually means
What the three WCAG conformance levels mean, why Level AA is the usual target in law and contracts, what a conformance claim covers, and why AAA is rarely required for a whole site.
ARIA basics: when to use it, and when native HTML is better
What ARIA is, the first rule of ARIA, the roles, states and properties you'll meet most, and the common mistakes that make a page harder to use with a screen reader, not easier. WCAG 4.1.2, 1.3.1.
Automated vs. manual accessibility testing: what each one catches
What automated accessibility scanners can reliably find, what only a person can judge, and a simple routine that combines the two without a big budget.
How-tos
Keyboard navigation: test and fix your site without a mouse
A ten-minute keyboard test anyone can run, the problems it usually turns up (hidden focus, keyboard traps, missing skip links, broken menus) and how to fix each one. WCAG 2.1.1, 2.1.2, 2.4.1, 2.4.3, 2.4.7, 2.4.11.
Captions, transcripts and audio description for video
Which WCAG rules apply to video and audio, the difference between captions, subtitles, transcripts and audio description, and how to produce each without a big budget. WCAG 1.2.1, 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.2.5, 2.2.2.
How to make an accessible PDF
Why so many PDFs are unreadable to screen readers, the four things every PDF needs (real text, tags, a title, a language), how to export one properly, and when to publish HTML instead. WCAG 1.1.1, 1.3.1, 1.4.5, 2.4.2, 3.1.1.
Accessible restaurant menus: why a picture of a menu fails, and what to do instead
Why a menu published as a JPG or scanned PDF fails five WCAG AA criteria at once, how to publish it as real text without losing the design, and how to keep it accessible as prices change. WCAG 1.1.1, 1.4.4, 1.4.5, 1.4.10, 1.4.12.
WordPress accessibility: practical tips for themes, blocks and plugins
How to choose an accessible WordPress theme, use the block editor without creating barriers, check plugins, and keep a WordPress site accessible after updates. WCAG 1.1.1, 1.3.1, 1.4.3, 1.4.4, 2.4.1, 2.4.6.
Law and news
The ADA Title II web rule: what state and local governments must do, and by when
The Justice Department's 2024 rule makes WCAG 2.1 AA the standard for state and local government websites and apps. Who it covers, the extended 2027 and 2028 compliance dates, and the exceptions.
The European Accessibility Act: what US businesses selling into the EU should know
The European Accessibility Act has applied since June 28, 2025. Which services it covers, the microenterprise exemption, the standard it points to (EN 301 549 and WCAG), and the transition periods.
Case studies
Case study: a multi-location restaurant group takes its menus out of pictures
How a multi-location restaurant group went from a failing accessibility score to a perfect one within a few weeks, by turning its menus, prices and promotions from images and PDFs into real text.
Case study: a restaurant brand reaches a perfect score and zero automated errors
How a restaurant brand fixed unlabeled forms, missing alt text, blocked zoom and low contrast across its site, and reached zero automated accessibility errors on every public page.
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