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Accessibility for Small Business Websites

Posted by: Jeff Mills on April 28, 2023

I have been with ADAudit for a while now as a Website Analyst and have a background in WordPress development and web hosting.

Before I took on this role, I felt that accessibility was critical for government and large corporate websites, but perhaps only a ‘nice to have’ feature for small business websites that generally have lower budgets and a smaller audience.

Yes, sometimes we must stand back and look at how wrong we can be!

One of the great things about the team at AbleDocs is the passion they have for web accessibility, and this has encouraged me to do better when it comes to the work I produce. It turns out accessibility for small business sites doesn’t have to be difficult.

Small business sites tend to be less complicated and less rigid than sites for large projects. Looking at accessibility from the start helps you build a strong foundation for your online presence.

Large corporate sites are often more restrictive with colours as they must match their branding; however, a small business can easily tweak these and achieve Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Level AAA compliance for colour contrast. Sites with fewer pages often require simple menu functions that allow for easier navigation, and even building in eye candy, such as hero sliders, can be not only effective but accessible as well.

WordPress is a popular Content Management System that powers almost 40% of websites on the internet and has many accessible features built into it. There is also a theme repository where you can download accessible themes that have to meet a minimum standard. Caring about accessibility when you build a website isn’t just the right thing to do; it is sensible as you remove barriers for potential clients and customers.

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