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Website accessibility means making your site usable for everyone — including people with low vision, colour blindness, hearing loss, limited hand movement, and older visitors who find small text difficult. In India, many customers are elderly parents booking services, or people using budget phones in bright sunlight. Accessible design helps all of them, and usually improves conversions and SEO.
10 practical improvements
- Readable font size: at least 16 px body text on mobile.
- Strong contrast: dark text on light backgrounds (or the reverse). Avoid light grey on white. Aim for WCAG contrast ratio 4.5:1 for normal text.
- Large tap targets: buttons at least about 44 × 44 px with space between them.
- Alt text for images that carry meaning.
- Form labels: every field has a visible label, not just placeholder text that disappears.
- Clear error messages: "Please enter a 10-digit mobile number", not "Invalid input".
- Keyboard navigation: all menus and buttons usable with the Tab key, with visible focus outlines.
- Don't rely on colour alone: add icons or text to show status.
- Captions for videos and transcripts for important audio.
- Logical headings: one H1, then H2/H3 in order — helps screen readers and SEO.
Things to avoid
- Auto-playing sliders that move before people finish reading.
- Pop-ups that are hard to close on mobile.
- Text inside images (phone numbers, prices).
- Blocking zoom on mobile.
Quick ways to test
- Lighthouse Accessibility audit in Chrome DevTools.
- Try using your site with only the keyboard.
- Ask an older family member to book something on your website — watch where they struggle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is accessibility legally required in India?
India's Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act and government guidelines emphasise accessibility, especially for public-facing services. For private businesses, it's also simply good practice and good business.
Does accessibility help SEO?
Many accessibility practices — headings, alt text, readable text, clear links — overlap with SEO best practices.
Is it expensive to fix?
Most basic fixes (contrast, font size, labels, alt text) are quick changes.
Build a site everyone can use
Joboo Web designs readable, mobile-first websites. See website design or contact us.