2025 Website Accessibility Guide: Key Checks and Must-Have Tools

Navigating the digital world without accessibility is like building a bridge that only some people can cross. Globally, an estimated 16% of the population, or about 1.3 billion people, live with a disability, and in Australia alone, 5.5 million individuals live with a disability. These numbers highlight the importance of inclusive design. Digital accessibility is not just about meeting legal standards, it is about creating a fair and equitable online experience for all users, regardless of their abilities.

This guide is here to help you stay ahead of the curve, ensuring your website is compliant, functional, and welcoming to every user. From essential accessibility checks to must-have tools, we will walk you through everything you need to build a website that is not just modern but truly inclusive.

Website Accessibility Compliance Across Top-Level Domains

Web accessibility refers to making websites usable by all people, regardless of their abilities or disabilities. This involves designing websites that are easy to navigate, readable, and interactive for users with varying needs, such as those with visual, auditory, or mobility impairments.

When looking at websites from different countries, there is a noticeable variation in web accessibility. This year, websites with Canadian (.ca), UK (.uk), and Australian (.au) domains tend to have fewer web accessibility errors compared to those with domains from countries like China (.cn), Vietnam (.vn), and South Korea (.kr).

Australian websites stand out with a notably lower error rate of 43.8%, reflecting a strong commitment to web accessibility. This indicates that Australia is making considerable progress in ensuring that its websites are designed to be accessible for all users, a trend worth highlighting as the country continues to prioritise inclusive digital experiences.

2025 Website Accessibility Checklist

Accessibility ensures that everyone, regardless of their abilities, can use your site effectively. This checklist covers the key aspects of website accessibility that every developer, designer, and content creator should consider:

Alt Text for Images

All images on your website should include descriptive alt text. The alt text should be concise and descriptive, providing enough context so the user understands the purpose of the image. If an image is purely decorative, use an empty alt attribute (alt="") to avoid unnecessary clutter for screen readers.

Keyboard Navigation

This is essential for users with motor disabilities who cannot use a mouse. All interactive elements, such as buttons and forms, should be easily accessible using keyboard shortcuts like the Tab key, Enter, and Spacebar.

Captions for Videos

This is important for users with hearing impairments, as well as those who prefer to watch without sound, and also for users in noisy environments or who speak a different language. Make sure the captions are synchronised with the video's audio and include relevant sound descriptions (e.g., background music, and sound effects).

Screen Reader Compatibility

Ensure your website is compatible with screen readers, which are used by people with vision impairments. Use semantic HTML, such as proper heading structures (<h1>, <h2>, etc.) and ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) landmarks, to help screen readers convey the page structure effectively.

Sufficient Colour Contrast

Ensure there is enough contrast between text and background colours. A contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for regular text and 3:1 for large text is considered good practice.

Accessible Forms

Forms should be easy to fill out for all users, including those using screen readers or keyboard navigation. Each form field should be clearly labelled, and the labels should be programmatically associated with their respective inputs.

Text Resizing Options

Your website should allow users to resize text without breaking the layout. This is essential for users with low vision who need to increase the size of the text to read it comfortably.

Descriptive Link Text

This is especially important for users who rely on screen readers, as vague link text like "Click here" doesn’t provide enough context. Use descriptive phrases like "Read our privacy policy" or "Shop our new collection" instead of generic terms like "Click here" or "More info."

Website Accessibility Evaluation Tools

There are several tools available to help web developers, designers, and digital marketers assess and improve the accessibility of their websites. Here are some of the most popular and widely used web accessibility evaluation tools that you must have:

WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool

Developed by WebAIM, the WAVE tool is one of the most well-known web accessibility evaluation tools. It provides a free Chrome Extension that makes it easy for users to quickly assess potential accessibility issues on their websites in real time.

WAVE offers a straightforward way to identify issues related to contrast, missing alternative text, form labels, and more. It's ideal for getting a quick check and is especially useful for non-experts looking to make their sites more accessible.

WebAIM Contrast Checker

The WebAIM Contrast Checker is a free tool that allows you to evaluate colour contrast ratios on your website. This helps ensure compliance with WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) 1.4.3, which recommends a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for regular text and 3:1 for large text. It is an easy-to-use tool that can quickly improve the legibility of your website.

Lighthouse Google Chrome Developer Tool

Google's Lighthouse is an open-source, automated tool aimed at improving the overall quality of websites. It includes features for performance optimisation, SEO, and accessibility. The Lighthouse Accessibility Tool focuses on identifying barriers that could impact users with disabilities.

Lead the Way in Accessibility: Start Preparing for 2025 Today

By 2025, will Australia continue to lead in web accessibility with fewer errors? As more nations recognise the importance of accessibility, it is expected that the global standard for inclusive web design will improve. Our expert team can guide you through the essential accessibility checks and equip you with the must-have tools for 2025. Don't wait for the regulations to catch up, let's make your website as inclusive as it can be today. Reach out to us and let’s make sure your website is ready for the next era of digital inclusion.