Is your website accessible? A plain-English WCAG 2.2 checklist

Is my website accessible? The fastest honest answer is that you can check the basics yourself in ten minutes, but an automated checker or an overlay widget will not make you compliant. WCAG 2.2 is the current international standard for web accessibility, and UK law already expects reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010. This checklist covers the failures I see most often, the checks you can run today, and why accessibility belongs in how a site is designed and built, not bolted on at the end.

The standard is built on four principles: content must be perceivable, operable, understandable and robust. WCAG 2.2 adds criteria around focus appearance, dragging movements, target sizes and consistent help. You do not need to memorise the standard. You do need to know where real people get stuck.

What are the most common web accessibility failures?

In my experience reviewing sites for UK clients, the same handful of problems come up again and again.

Low colour contrast is the most frequent. Grey text on a white background looks modern in a design file and becomes unreadable in sunlight or for anyone with reduced vision. Body text should meet a contrast ratio of at least 4.5 to 1 against its background. Large text can be 3 to 1.

Missing alternative text on images is next. If an image carries meaning, it needs a short description. If it is purely decorative, it should be marked as such so screen readers ignore it.

Empty links and buttons are close behind. A link that says "read more" or a button with only an icon tells a screen reader user nothing about where it goes or what it does.

Then there are keyboard traps and missing focus styles. If you cannot tab through a form, a menu or a cookie banner, some visitors simply cannot use your site. Removing the focus outline because it looks untidy is one of the most damaging quick fixes a designer can make.

Finally, forms without proper labels. A placeholder is not a label. It disappears as soon as someone starts typing, and it is often read inconsistently by assistive technology.

How can I check my website accessibility in ten minutes?

You can run a useful first pass without any specialist tools.

1. Unplug your mouse. Tab through your homepage, a product page and your contact form. Can you reach every link, button and field? Can you always see where you are? Can you get back out?
2. Zoom the browser to 200 per cent. Does the layout still work, or does content overlap and disappear?
3. Turn off images in your browser or check the alt text in your content management system. Are meaningful images described?
4. Read your headings out of context. A screen reader user often navigates by heading. If your page has one H1 and then jumps to H4, the structure is broken.
5. Play a video. Are there captions, or at least a transcript?
6. Try your main form with the keyboard only. Are errors explained in text, not just a red border?
7. Check every link and button label. Would it make sense read aloud on its own?

If any of those checks fail, you have found real barriers, not theoretical ones.

Why is an automated checker or overlay not enough?

Automated tools are useful, but they only catch part of the picture. Industry research consistently finds that automated testing detects a minority of accessibility issues. The rest need human judgement.

A scanner can tell you an image has no alt attribute. It cannot tell you whether the alt text is accurate or useful. It can flag low contrast. It cannot tell you whether your error message makes sense to a stressed customer. It can find missing form labels. It cannot tell you whether your checkout flow is logical.

Overlays are worse. An overlay is a script that sits on top of your site and tries to fix accessibility at runtime. It cannot repair broken semantics in your underlying HTML. It often interferes with screen readers, adds its own keyboard traps, and creates a false sense of security. In several jurisdictions, overlays have been the subject of legal action precisely because they did not deliver compliance.

The honest position is that accessibility is a build quality issue. It is cheapest and most reliable when it is designed in, tested properly and maintained. That is how we treat it at Varsuite. AI agents can scan, test and flag issues across every page and every release, and our human team reviews the judgement calls that machines get wrong. We also run accessibility audits alongside testing and QA so that accessibility is checked the same way as any other quality standard.

What does WCAG 2.2 mean for a UK business?

WCAG 2.2 is the reference standard most UK organisations use to demonstrate they have taken accessibility seriously. It is not a law in itself, but it informs legal expectations under the Equality Act 2010 and is widely referenced in public sector guidance and procurement.

For most businesses, the practical target is WCAG 2.2 Level AA. That covers contrast, keyboard access, resizing, captions, consistent navigation and clear error handling. Level AAA is stricter and not usually required across an entire site.

Accessibility also overlaps with search and answer engines. Clear headings, meaningful link text, accurate alt text and well structured pages help screen readers and crawlers alike. Good SEO and AIO automation and good accessibility tend to reinforce each other.

How do you fix accessibility properly?

Start with an audit that combines automated scans with manual testing. Automated checks give you coverage and consistency. Manual checks give you truth.

Then fix by pattern, not by page. If your buttons are wrong, they are probably wrong everywhere. Fixing the component fixes hundreds of instances.

Then keep it fixed. Accessibility regresses quietly. New content, new plugins and new templates reintroduce old problems. This is where AI accelerated production genuinely helps. Agents can run accessibility checks on every build and every content change, flag regressions immediately, and hand the ambiguous cases to a human. Our always improving approach means accessibility is monitored continuously rather than audited once a year.

If you are planning a rebuild, it is far cheaper to build accessibility in from the start. Our website production service includes accessibility checks as standard, with brochure websites from £500 plus a £100 per month care plan, and online stores from £1,000 plus a £150 per month care plan. Custom software and AI agents start from £1,000.

Frequently asked questions

Is my website legally required to be accessible in the UK?

The Equality Act 2010 requires businesses to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, and that includes digital services. There is no single accessibility statute for all private businesses, but failing to provide an accessible website can expose you to complaints and legal risk. WCAG 2.2 Level AA is the practical benchmark most organisations use.

Can I just install an accessibility overlay?

No. Overlays attempt to fix accessibility with a script on top of your site. They cannot repair poor underlying HTML, they often conflict with screen readers, and they do not deliver compliance. They may create a false sense of safety. Real accessibility is built into the code and content.

How often should I test my website for accessibility?

At least once a year for a stable site, and after every significant change: a redesign, a new template, a plugin update or a new content type. The best approach is continuous automated checking on every release, with a human review at planned intervals.

How much does an accessibility audit cost?

It depends on the size and complexity of your site. At Varsuite, brochure websites start from £500 plus a £100 per month care plan, online stores from £1,000 plus a £150 per month care plan, and custom software or AI agents from £1,000. Get in touch and we will give you a straight answer for your situation.