Designing for web accessibility means creating websites that can be used by everyone, regardless of their abilities or disabilities. It's not just a legal requirement for many businesses but also a best practice that improves the user experience for all visitors.

While the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are extensive, you can make a significant impact with just a few simple, foundational changes. Here are three easy tips for designing an accessible website.

1. Ensure Sufficient Color Contrast
This is a fundamental aspect of accessibility that helps people with low vision, color blindness, or other visual impairments. If the contrast between your text and its background is too low, the text can be difficult or impossible to read.

The Rule: The WCAG recommends a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text (which is defined as text that is at least 18pt, or 14pt bold).

How to Check It: Don't guess. Use a free online color contrast checker. You can simply input the hex codes of your foreground and background colors, and the tool will tell you if they meet the WCAG standard.

Beyond Text: This principle also applies to other important visual elements, such as icons, buttons, and other interactive components that convey information.

2. Write Clear, Descriptive Link Text
For many users, especially those using screen readers, a list of links is a primary navigation tool. If all your links say "click here" or "learn more," it's impossible for them to understand what each link leads to.

The Rule: Link text should be descriptive and make sense out of context. The user should be able to understand the purpose of the link just by reading the text.

What to Avoid: Steer clear of vague and generic phrases like:

"Click here"

"Read more"

"Download"

What to Do Instead: Use descriptive language that tells the user where the link will take them.

Instead of: "For more information on our services, click here."

Use: "Learn more about our digital marketing services."

Instead of: "To download the report, click here."

Use: "Download the 2025 Marketing Trends Report."

3. Use Headings Correctly to Structure Your Content
Headings (H1, H2, H3, etc.) are not just for making text bigger and bolder; they provide a hierarchical structure for your content. People using screen readers use these headings to quickly navigate a page and get an overview of its content.

The Rule: Use headings to create a logical outline of your page, like a table of contents.

There should be only one H1 tag per page, which represents the main topic.

Subsections should use H2 tags.

Sub-subsections should use H3 tags, and so on.

Do not skip heading levels. For example, don't jump from an H1 directly to an H3. This breaks the logical flow for screen reader users.

The Benefit: A well-structured document with a clear heading hierarchy is not only accessible but also much easier for all users to scan and understand, and it's also a major plus for SEO.