Is My Website Accessible? A Plain-English WCAG 2.2 Checklist

If you are asking "is my website accessible?", the honest answer is that no automated checker can tell you. Tools can flag perhaps a third of the WCAG 2.2 success criteria, and an overlay widget does not fix the underlying code. The only reliable answer comes from combining automated scans with human judgement and, ideally, testing with people who use assistive technology. At Varsuite we run accessibility audits as part of our service, and this checklist covers the failures a UK business owner can spot in ten minutes, plus what to do about them.

Why does WCAG 2.2 matter to a UK business?

WCAG 2.2 is the current Web Content Accessibility Guidelines standard from the W3C. It sets out how to make web content more perceivable, operable, understandable and robust. In the UK, the Equality Act 2010 already requires service providers to make reasonable adjustments, and public sector bodies have specific accessibility regulations. Private businesses face growing legal and reputational risk too. Beyond compliance, accessible sites reach more customers, rank better in search, and tend to be easier for everyone to use. Roughly one in five people in the UK has a disability, so this is not a niche concern.

What can I spot in ten minutes?

Open your homepage and a key product or contact page. Then run these quick checks:

1. Tab through the page with your keyboard only. Can you see which element has focus at all times? If the highlight disappears or gets trapped, that is a WCAG 2.2 focus visibility failure.
2. Turn off images in your browser. Does the page still make sense? Missing or unhelpful alt text is one of the most common issues.
3. Zoom to 200 percent. Does content overlap, disappear, or force horizontal scrolling?
4. Check colour contrast. Light grey text on white is a frequent offender; small text needs a contrast ratio of at least 4.5 to 1.
5. Read your form labels. Placeholder text alone is not a label. Every field needs a visible, persistent label.
6. Look at your link text. "Read more" and "click here" tell a screen reader user nothing out of context.
7. Check for auto-playing video with sound, and for any animation that cannot be paused.
8. Try your cookie banner and any modal windows with a keyboard. Can you dismiss them? Focus should move into the modal and return when it closes.

If any of those fail, you have real work to do before you worry about the finer points of WCAG 2.2.

Why is an automated checker or overlay not enough?

Automated tools are useful for catching missing alt attributes, low contrast, and some structural issues. They cannot judge whether alt text is meaningful, whether a heading order makes sense to a human, or whether a form error message is actually helpful. An overlay is a JavaScript widget that claims to fix accessibility on the fly. In practice, overlays can interfere with screen readers, do not correct the source code, and have repeatedly been the subject of legal complaints rather than a defence against them. If you want a genuine answer to "is my website accessible?", you need code-level fixes plus manual testing. Our accessibility audits service covers exactly that: automated scanning combined with structured manual review.

What does Varsuite do about website accessibility?

We treat accessibility as part of production, not a bolt-on. Our AI agents scan and build with accessibility rules built in, testing markup, contrast, focus order and form behaviour as pages are generated. A human team then reviews the output, tests with keyboard and screen reader workflows, and corrects anything the machines miss. Because we build and manage sites through our websites service and ecommerce stores, accessibility checks run continuously rather than once at launch. We also offer testing and quality assurance as a standalone service if you already have a site and want an independent view. The point is simple: shipping an inaccessible site is a business risk, and fixing it later costs more than building it right.

How do I fix common accessibility problems?

Most quick wins are code changes, not redesigns. Add proper alt text and empty alt attributes for decorative images. Raise contrast on text and buttons. Add visible focus styles. Label every form input and connect error messages to the field. Use real heading levels in order. Make sure interactive elements are actual buttons or links, not divs with click handlers. Provide captions and transcripts for video. Test with a keyboard and a screen reader such as NVDA or VoiceOver. If you need site-wide changes, business automation can help you roll out fixes consistently rather than page by page.

What does good look like in practice?

An accessible site is not a separate version for disabled users. It is one site that works for everyone: clear headings, sensible navigation, readable text, working forms, and content that does not depend on a single sense. It loads cleanly, behaves predictably with assistive technology, and does not punish people for using a keyboard. That is also good SEO, because search engines read structure much like screen readers do. Our AI and automation services exist to make that standard the default, not an afterthought.

Frequently asked questions

Can I test my own website for accessibility?

Yes, partly. Keyboard testing, zoom testing, contrast checks and reading your own alt text will catch many common failures in ten minutes. What you cannot do alone is verify the experience with a screen reader or with people who have different needs, which is why a professional audit still matters.

Is an accessibility overlay enough to comply with WCAG 2.2?

No. Overlays do not change your underlying code, can conflict with assistive technology, and do not address the majority of WCAG 2.2 criteria. They are not a substitute for fixing the site itself.

How much does an accessible website cost?

At Varsuite, brochure websites start from £600 with a £100 per month care plan, online stores from £1,200 with a £150 per month care plan, custom CRMs from £1,700, and custom software or AI agents from £1,000. Accessibility is built into how we produce those, not charged as a separate extra.

Will fixing accessibility hurt my design or SEO?

No. Clear headings, readable contrast, meaningful link text and working forms help search engines and AI answer engines understand your pages. Accessibility and good SEO usually pull in the same direction.

If you want a straight answer on whether your site is accessible, start with the ten-minute checks above, then get a proper audit. It is far cheaper than discovering the problem through a complaint or a lost customer.