An accessible website can be used by people with disabilities, including those who are blind, have low vision, are deaf, have motor impairments or cognitive differences. In Australia, accessibility is linked to the Disability Discrimination Act, and WCAG 2.2 AA is the widely accepted technical benchmark. Beyond compliance, accessible sites are easier for everyone to use and often perform better in search.
1The Legal Context in Australia
The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 makes it unlawful to discriminate against people with disability in providing goods and services, which can include websites. The Australian Human Rights Commission has published guidance pointing to WCAG as the standard to follow. Government websites are expected to meet WCAG, and private businesses increasingly use it to manage risk. This is general information, not legal advice.
2What WCAG 2.2 AA Covers
- Text alternatives for images
- Captions and transcripts for audio and video
- Sufficient colour contrast
- Full keyboard navigation and visible focus
- Clear headings, labels and link text
- Forms with labels, instructions and error messages
- Content that resizes and reflows on small screens
3Common Accessibility Problems
The most frequent issues we see are low-contrast text, images without alt text, forms without labels, buttons that cannot be reached by keyboard, auto-playing sliders, and links like ‘click here’. Many are quick to fix once identified.
4How to Test Your Website
Start with automated tools like Lighthouse, WAVE or axe, then test manually: navigate the whole site with only a keyboard, try a screen reader, zoom to 200% and check forms. Automated tools catch only part of the issues, so manual review is essential.
5Accessibility and SEO
Many accessibility improvements, such as proper headings, descriptive alt text, clear link text and fast, well-structured pages, also help search engines understand your content. Accessibility is good business as well as the right thing to do.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is website accessibility a legal requirement in Australia?
The Disability Discrimination Act applies to services, which can include websites. WCAG 2.2 AA is widely used as the benchmark. Seek legal advice for your specific situation.
What is WCAG 2.2?
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2, published by the W3C, set out testable criteria to make web content accessible. Level AA is the common target.
Are accessibility overlays enough?
Overlay widgets do not fix underlying code problems and are not a substitute for building an accessible site.
How much does it cost to make a website accessible?
It depends on the site’s size and issues. Building accessibly from the start is far cheaper than retrofitting later.
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