At Clique, one of our 3 values is “make somebody’s job easier.” Every time we build something, we challenge ourselves to keep this value at the forefront. Maybe you—like us—want to build accessible stuff too. That’s awesome.

What is accessibility?

Accessibility is the practice of designing products, devices, services, or environments for people who experience disabilities. It’s about creating opportunity for everyone to participate in x, y, or z.

It’s about inclusion

colored pencils

Web accessibility is all of this, but on the web. It’s more than just screen readers.

The goal of this guide

Our intention is to help you begin your accessibility initiative. It’s a great place to start, but—to be clear—it’s just that: a start. It outlines important stuff you need to know, from why you should care (hint: many, many reasons) to how you can have the biggest impact on web accessibility efforts in your role.

Use this guide as it best suits you. Read it from beginning to end, or reference it to refresh your mind on a specific topic. Favorite it. Open tab it. Pop it in your newsletter. Share, share, share.

You should care about web accessibility

Home-delivered grocery services are becoming a commodity in the U.S. Anyone who has used one knows the convenience of food dropped off at the front door. Imagine the gratitude you’d feel if, for whatever reason, you were unable to drive and lived miles away from the nearest store. Maybe you don’t have to imagine it, because you’ve felt it; you know that home delivery doesn’t only make lives convenient, but can improve them significantly.

basket of fresh produce

In a New York Times article, Mary West shared her story with home delivery services. West is “visually impaired” and wasn’t able to read labels in grocery stores. For her, shopping was a dependent activity, relying on friends, family, or employees to help her. Now, with the launch of digital grocery delivery services, she orders online with voice recognition software.

Mary West’s story is just one voice among those currently living with a disability. For her (and many others with disabilities), home delivery isn’t just convenient, it is empowering; it is independence.

Imagine if the people who can benefit from the internet most, beyond just a convenience, can’t use it. That’s the problem with inaccessible websites.

five stalks for asparagus

1 in 5 people in the U.S. currently have a disability

It is an ethical responsibility to serve all Americans, not just 80%.

Myth: designing for accessibility will make things worse.

Example: the curb cut.

curb cut at the end of a crosswalk
A curb cut is the flattened edge between an elevated curb and crosswalk. It allows for smooth transition between the sidewalk and street. Although curb cuts are designed to help people using a wheelchair, they help everyone. Pushing a stroller? Riding a bike? Dragging your legs after an intense leg day at the gym? Curb cuts (and designing for accessibility) often make experiences better for everyone.

You might be thinking: “cool metaphor, but does it actually apply to digital stuff?”

Short answer: yes.

Quick example: captions.

Captions were originally implemented for people who are hard of hearing to interact with audio content (ex. dialogue and sound effects in movies). However, captions also benefit people who forget their headphones or students who learn through reading rather than listening or me watching Peaky Blinders (their cockney accents are just too hard to understand sometimes, okay?).

Another way to frame how designing for accessibility can lead to better solutions for everyone is the Trickle Down Accessibility model.

In short, building for accessibility can make solutions better for everyone

crowd of people crossing the street

Still not convinced yet? Well I’m out of metaphors, but here’s a few more reasons to care about web accessibility.

You want to improve lives

Maybe you’re passionate about equal opportunity and want to help build more inclusive things (yay you!).

You want to make more money

I mean, who doesn’t? *winks at manager*

If money is on your mind, here’s some numbers to consider. 1 in 5 people in the United States currently have a disability. This amounts to around 56.7 million (yes, MILLION) people in the U.S. These people control around $175 billion (yes, BILLION) in discretionary income. More users = more money.

You want to avoid lawsuits

Lawsuits can happen to anyone. Lacking in accessibility — *cough* *cough* discriminating — could be grounds for a case; in fact, it has been. Here’s a limited list of companies that have faced web accessibility legal action:

Hobby Lobby (2017)

The court found the eCommerce functionality on their site to be inaccessible. Specifically, the gift card page confused the plaintiff and they were unable to purchase products from the site. Judge John F. Walter, the U.S. District Judge overseeing the case, stated:

“For over 20 years, the DOJ has consistently maintained that the ADA applies to private websites that meet the definition of a public accommodation. … Hobby Lobby had more than sufficient notice … to determine that its website must comply with the ADA.”

Netflix (2011)

person holding remote and pointing it at a television that has the Netflix logo on display

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) filed a lawsuit against Netflix for lacking closed captioning for streaming videos. NAD President Bobbie Beth Scoggins explained:


Judge Ponsor ruled that Netflix was in violation of the ADA, stating that it would be “irrational to conclude that places of public accommodation are limited to actual physical structures.” Netflix paid $755,000 for legal fees and damages. Additionally, the court mandated that by 2014, Netflix needed to caption all streaming videos already in their library and thereafter.

Peapod (2014)

After a lawsuit was brought against Peapod, the leading Internet grocery service in the U.S., for lack of accessibility (specifically inaccessible to “individuals who are blind or have low vision, individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, and individuals who have physical disabilities affecting manual dexterity”). Peapod came to a settlement with the courts to ensure that it makes changes.

“This agreement ensures that people with disabilities will have an equal opportunity to independently and conveniently shop online for groceries,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta for the Civil Rights Division.  “We applaud Peapod for working cooperatively with the department and for its commitment to customers with disabilities.”

Soooooo, yeah. Lawsuits can happen to anyone. If you’re interested in learning some legal specifics, the next section pours a foundation for you.

Making your website accessible is the law

There are two main laws that dictate the legal precedent for web accessibility: The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Both were a result of the Disability Rights Movement, an ongoing movement in which people with disabilities are demanding equal protection under the law.

Black and white photo of a group of people with disabilities at a Disability Rights movement protest. They hold a banner above their heads that says "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. - Martin Luther King Jr."

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs conducted by federal agencies, receiving federal financial assistance, in federal employment and in the employment of federal contractors. In 1998, the act was amended to add Section 508, which requires federal agencies to provide accessible electronic resources and information technology to people with disabilities, and specifically, calls out the Internet. Section 508 built grounds for web accessibility focused lawsuits for both members of the public and employees. However, this act does NOT require non-government funded or related companies to comply. Friendly reminder: it doesn’t mean that you can’t.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Technically a labor law, The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is the most extensive piece of legislature for disability rights. The ADA guarantees people with disabilities the same opportunities as everyone else in employment, purchase of goods/services, and participation in government programs. Because it was founded in 1990 before the widespread use of the Internet (feel old yet?), there is not a specific section that mentions web accessibility. However, lawsuits have leveraged the ADA to set a precedent for the ADA to apply to intangible goods and services (including websites). Specifically Title II, which states that communications with persons with disabilities must be “as effective as communications with others,” and Title III, which addresses public accommodation of people with disabilities.

If you do not follow the guidelines of accessibility, you might be sent an ADA compliance notice. To learn more about the specifics of that process, read our article Website Accessibility and ADA Compliance Notices.

Additionally, there are laws all over the world to address disability rights and web accessibility.

One last thing. Clique is an expert in a lot of things (#humblebrag), but legal advice is NOT one of them. We recommend consulting with your legal people to learn about how the law applies to your specific industry, consumer-base, and business. Clique is not responsible for any legal decisions you make after reading this guide. Have I been explicit enough? (Uhhh legal people? We good here? Cool.)

What is a disability?

A disability can be permanent, chronic, or temporary.

For example, a motor disability can be something that a person is born with and a permanent piece of their life (ex. Cerebral Palsy), or it could be the result of an accident and be temporary.

glasses held in front of eye exam chart

A disability can be the result of a disease, trauma, or genetics.

Poor eyesight, a relatively common disability, can be the result of developing glaucoma, staring at the sun, genetic history, etc. Wait—back up—needing glasses is considered a disability? Yes. In fact, needing eyesight correction was a BIG problem, but with the development of assistive technology, it has become a much more common accommodation in our society.

1. Visual

A person with a visual disability has an impairment in their vision. Ability ranges from poor vision (usually corrected with glasses/contact lenses) to complete blindness. Color-blindness is also a visual disability

2. Hearing

A person with a hearing disability is limited in their ability to interact with audio content. Ability ranges from mild to severe hearing loss to complete deafness.

3. Motor

A person with a motor disability has physical impairments which can impede movement, coordination, or sensation. Examples include spinal injuries, loss or damage of limbs, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, etc.

4. Cognitive

Cognitive disabilities encompass conditions that alter cognition (head injury, autism, developmental disabilities) and learning disabilities (dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD), distractibility, inability to remember or focus on large amounts of information.

5. Seizure

A person with a seizure disability is more susceptible to seizures caused by strobing, flickering, or flashing effects.

People with disabilities are using the things you create

How? With the help of assistive technology and adaptive tools. Some common assistive technologies to be familiar with include…

Screen readers: Software that translates on-screen information into speech. Sneak peak: this is where alt text, proper HTML rule following, and breadcrumbs become super important.

Magnifiers: Both hardware (a physical lens) and software (the ability to zoom) that increases the size of the content on the screen.

Large print and tactile keyboards: Keyboards with bigger letters and/or raised letters that allow users to read and press the keys with more ease.

a tactile keyboard with raised and color coded keys
Eye tracking systems: Reads and translates a user’s eye movement as actions on the device.

Speech recognition: A device with the ability to listen to your speech and translate it into actions or text. Everyday examples of things that use speech recognition include SiriAlexa, and Google Home.

Closed captions: Text across the bottom of a screen that can translate either live or past audio or video into a readable script for the user.

Sip and puff device: A mechanical straw that inserts in a user’s mouth and interprets a breath as actions on the device

Head mouse or head button system: Allows for the interpretation of a user’s head movement or tapping of the head on a button as actions on the device

Accessibility advice for everyone

chocolate chip cookie dough
Designing for accessibility is like baking chocolate chip cookies. 

When you bake chocolate chip cookies, you add the chocolate chips in at the beginning, mixing them into the batter with all of the other ingredients. Now, imagine if you waited until the cookies were done to add the chocolate chips. It wouldn’t work. Well—to be fair—you might eventually get a few chocolate chips shoved into the cookies, but

  1. It would be messy.
  2. It would require immense effort.
  3. It would produce a worse result.

Accessibility is the chocolate chips of building websites. It’s another ingredient in the mix, and—if you’re anything like my chocoholic sister—it’s the best part of the cookie.


Web accessibility shouldn’t be a checklist at the end of a project. It shouldn’t be a let-me-think-about-accessibility-for-five-minutes-before-I-build-this-thing either. It should be a fully integrated part of what you do. If you include people with disabilities, in the testing, build, and post-launch, chances are you’ll end with something pretty dang accessible.

W3C, WAI, and WCAG

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) develops international standards for the Web: HTML, CSS, and many more. Its main initiative is the WAI, and it publishes the WCAG.

The Web Accessibility Initiative(WAI) is an initiative to create standards and support materials to help you understand and implement accessibility in the digital space.

The WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is a comprehensive document explaining how to make accessible content—images, videos, text, animations, designs, and the overall structure/code—on web pages or sites for people with disabilities. The WCAG also governs PDFs and similar documents.

The WCAG 2.0 vs. WCAG 2.1

The WCAG 2.0 is available online for people to reference but, because it was published in 2008, it lacks accessibility tips about widespread devices today. However, the WCAG 2.1 was just released (yay upgrades!) and it provides 17 new success criteria for creating web accessible sites. Specifically, the WCAG 2.1 addresses in greater detail…

  1. mobile accessibility
  2. people with low vision
  3. people with cognitive and learning disabilities

All success criteria from 2.0 are included in 2.1, but here is an expansive guide outlining the new guidelines included in the WCAG 2.1.

four different tools

To make the WCAG easier for users to navigate, W3C organized the guidelines under four principles: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust.


“Information and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive.” AKA—content must be available to the senses either through browser or other assistive technologies. The perceivable principle includes making sure that content is distinguishable (color choice, contrast levels, text zoom capabilities, etc.) and also providing alternative content (alt text, captions, subtitles, etc.).


“User interface components and navigation must be operable.” AKA—the user must have access to all controls and interactive elements using either the mouse, keyboard, or an assistive device. The operable principle includes giving users enough time to interact with the page (pause capabilities, elimination of countdown clocks, etc.) and labeling navigation and links clearly to signal the meaning to the user (alternative texts, clear call-to-actions, etc.).


“Information and the operation of user interface must be understandable.” AKA—content is clear and limits confusion and ambiguity. users need to be able to read and comprehend the information. The understandable principle includes making the content readable (elimination of jargon, abbreviations, and complex vocabulary, etc.) and predictable (normal patterns of information, consistency, expected behavior, expected location for elements, etc.), and additionally helping users identify their errors (labels and instructions, error prevention, suggested corrections, etc.).


“Content must be robust enough that it can be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies.” AKA—content must be future-friendly and translatable across platforms/programs. The robust principle includes making the content flexible across devices and also writing valid code.

The conformance levels of WCAG: A, AA, AAA explained

Not everyone has the needs or resources to meet all of the guidelines (and that’s okay). In fact, some sites aren’t capable of meeting all requirements due to the purpose of the site. For example, an academic site may need to time tests given to students, which is in direct violation of Guideline 1.2 (timed material needs to have an alternative option or the ability to pause). To know if you can meet certain accessibility guidelines, we recommend consulting your client, leader, and a legal team.

There are different conformance levels of WCAG: A, AA, and AAA. Generally, A (lowest level) is not enough to meet legal conformance, AA *might* be enough to meet legal conformance, and AAA is *usually* enough to cover legal conformance.

A equals good, AA equals better, AAA equals great

~ One last casual reminder that none of this is legal advice and should not be treated as thus. Consult your legal teams, people! Got it? Good. Onward! ~

Another way to think of the levels is that A includes things you MUST be doing, AA includes things you SHOULD be doing, and AAA includes things you MIGHT be able to do (and if you can, you should). How do you know if you should try to meet AAA? Look at your users. Does a significant portion of your users have a disability? If you’re a screen reader company, nursing home, or university, for example, chances are the answer is “yes, you should be hitting on most AAA requirements.”

Ultimately though,

Accessibility advice by role

Q: Who on your team is responsible for accessibility? 

A: Everyone.

 Leaders, content strategists, UX designers, visual designers, front and back end developers, project managers, and clients all contribute to building accessible stuff.


paper with a work flow drawn on it

Although it might not be earth-shattering advice, leaders need to lead by example. Leaders need to make accessibility a priority. Incorporate it into the workflow and education practices for your team. Write it into the budget. Talk about it. If you make web accessibility a priority, your team will follow.

Here’s some quick tips to help you start considering web accessibility.

  • Frame accessibility as a challenge, not a burden
  • Know who on your team is responsible for different WCAG requirements and what should be happening at each level of the process
  • Train and educate your employees on web accessibility
  • Build a diverse and inclusive team and culture
  • Start now

Content strategists

person highlighting a piece of paper with sketches on it

Content strategy and creation play HUGE roles in web accessibility initiatives. The content team must create content that is readable, available, and comprehensible for people with disabilities. The simpler the experience, the better for everyone.

Now, the specifics:

1. Use clear language, especially in call-to-actions

Basically, keep things simple. Describe the specific action that will happen when the user does an action. For example, on a shopping cart button “I want it!” is not great copy and may confuse people, while “add to my cart” is clear and specifies exactly what action will occur. This practice helps people with cognitive disabilities as well as people from different cultural contexts (it’s the curb cut effect in action!).

2. Avoid jargon, abbreviations, and high reading level vocabulary

Basically, keep things simple (see a pattern here?). In doubt about whether to include a definition for a vocabulary word? Pop in a link. Not sure if a description is too jargon-heavy to comprehend? Work with your UX team to conduct user testing and ask the opinion of people with disabilities.

3. Stop using dark pattern techniques

Stop with your tricks! Writing “yes, I want to save money” or “no, I want to pay full price” as the only two options for subscribing to a newsletter can confuse people. Instead, be clear about the benefits AND choices that the user has; it doesn’t mean you can’t get creative, it just means you have to try a little harder (ex. “yes, I want to sign up and save” and “a good newsletter that could help me save money? no thanks”).

4. Create consistent content

Simple, patterned copy (ex. creating numbered lists like this one here) makes comprehension easier. Also, using the same commands for the same/similar actions helps people with cognitive disabilities recognize the pattern and learn how to use the site.

5. Write good alt text

Screen readers help users with low vision “read” the website. When the browser lands on an image, make sure that the alt text is descriptive and concise to communicate what the image is to the user. To learn more about specific alt text guidelines, read this alt text guide .

6. Care about captions

All video and audio content need accurate captions to go with it. Someone has to write it. Why can’t that person be you? If this is too time consuming, prioritize it in the budget and hire a freelancer or captioning company to do it for you.

7. Don’t rely on sensory/context characteristics to define

When you’re writing copy for a site, make sure that you’re being descriptive enough for people with disabilities. Relying on context to explain things can cause issues. For example, stating “click the red icon” to a user with colorblindness or “click on the left button” to a user who relies on a screen reader are inaccessible descriptions.

**To view content-filtered WCAG guidelines, visit this filterable WCAG guideline and check the “content creation” tag on the filter sidebar.

UX designers

sticky notes "run a usability test"

How do UX designers come into play for web accessibility efforts? It’s right there in your job title: the users! You’re tasked with reminding your team of the users when they build stuff. You should be a voice for ALL users with diverse experiences, including people with disabilities.

Now, the specifics

1. Include people with disabilities in user testing

Although the exact numbers vary project-to-project, chances are that some target users have a disability. Listen to their opinions throughout the process (before, during, and after) to ensure that if there are any web accessibility issues, your team finds out early.

2. Simplify the layout of the content

Work with your content strategy team to ensure that you are communicating as clearly as you can when copy and design come together. Are there small changes you can make to the user flow, sitemap, or story to communicate better? Can you simplify the layout? If so, do it. Also – don’t forget to avoid dark patterns (tricks used in websites and apps that make you buy or sign up for things that you didn’t mean to).

3. Pay attention to how errors are communicated

One of the most common barriers for users with accessibility is when it comes to filling out a form. When a mistake is committed, be sure to notify the user with contextual, descriptive, and visual cues.

**To view interactive design filtered WCAG guidelines, visit this filterable WCAG guideline and check the “interaction design” tag on the filter sidebar.

Visual designers

graphic art

You can do a LOT to help web accessibility efforts. Oftentimes, visual designers have the biggest impact (yay you!). When you design, ask “does it make using the site easier or harder for people with disabilities?”

Myth-buster time:

Clean, modern, minimalist designs can be accessible. White space and contrast are two trends that align with designing for accessibility. Accessible things can be beautiful. Need proof? Check out, a government site that meets a level of AAA accessibility.

Now, the specifics:

1. Design with patterned learnings in mind

Don’t just chase trends to chase trends. Consider common user assumptions as a rule book that you shouldn’t stray too far from. For example, an “X” is a symbol usually used to communicate the action of “close.”

2. Use color as a compliment, not a one-man-show

People with colorblindness need more than just color to communicate a message. Error messages should not solely rely on a red outline, but there should be text and symbolic representation of the error as well (ex. add an ‘x’). Additionally, in infographics or data, adding labels creates a colorblind-friendly design.

While I’m talking color, also consider color contrast (higher contrast = better accessibility) and follow best practices when choosing a color palette for the website. To learn more about color, read our color and accessibility article.
color wheel with "effective" for yellow and violet used together but "not effective" for red and orange used together
3. Pick fonts that are comprehensible and compatible with magnifiers

Make sure that the fonts you’re choosing are first, readable (ex. does an “L” look different than an “I”?), and scalable (set up line heights to correctly scale with the fonts size).

4. Don’t make animations TOO busy

Animations enhance the purpose, content, and messaging on the page. Make sure that they make the content easy to comprehend (for people with cognitive disabilities) and/or pausable (for people with seizure disorders). Flashing images, loud colors, and sometimes busy patterns can trigger seizures or be distracting for people with cognitive disabilities and conditions, so please, just be mindful.

5. Think about the size of interactive elements

How many times have you accidentally clicked on something while trying to click on something else? All. The. Time. When you design interactive elements (i.e. buttons), think about the size, especially on mobile devices or tablets. Touch screens are delicate things.

6. Allow people to pause

When creating animations, audio, video, or text/image carousels, give users control. First, if things move too quickly, people with disabilities may have trouble taking in the information and comprehending it within preset time. Second, people with cognitive disabilities and/or seizure disorders may be sensitive to moving design. If you give them power, they can stop the animation before it becomes an issue.

Woohoo. Done. That’s the main stuff. As a designer, the last recommendation is to use the WCAG as a resource for whenever you create something new. The more you practice designing for web accessibility, the easier it will become. 

Can you make breadcrumbs look cool? Let’s go.

Additionally, check out this infographic from WebAim specifically for designers and accessibility.

**To view visual design filtered WCAG guidelines, visit this filterable WCAG guideline and check the “visual design” tag on the filter sidebar.

Front and back end developers

computer screen with lines of code

With that said (and said and said) you’re pretty lucky. In order to write accessible code, usually you just need to do is follow the rules of HTML.

Now, let’s talk specifics.

1. Use the correct HTML element for your content

HTML communicates to the browser what kind of content it contains and how it should be translated. Screen readers run on these assumptions. Using correct elements is a simple way to make something accessible.

2. Support keyboard navigation through HTML reordering

Browsers support tabbing through link, form, and button elements. Relying solely on CSS to move elements instead of reordering the HTML and hiding elements form tab flor (faking buttons with Javascript) or disabling tab via tabindex= “-1,” hinder the ability for keyboard navigation to work.

3. Write good alt text for your images

Screen readers help users with low vision “read” the website. When the browser lands on an image, make sure that the alt text is descriptive and concise to communicate clearly what the image is to the user. To learn more about specific alt text guidelines, read this alt text guide.

4. Use ARIA attributes when applicable

Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) is an optional spec to define ways to markup HTML typically controlled by Javascript. Leveraging ARIA tags to associate elements of the code make things accessible that, with HTML alone, naturally aren’t.

Do you only write back end code? You still need to consider people with disabilities when you are creating platforms for CMS. People with disabilities should be able to update the content without huge barriers. Specifically, for form builds, make sure all fields have accessible labels and the links have useful and specific text instructions.

And, remember: you do not need permission to write accessible code. Not from the designer, not from the head of development, and not from the lead of the company. Just do it.

**To view development filtered WCAG guidelines, visit this filterable WCAG guideline and check the “developing” tag on the filter sidebar.

Project managers

two people sitting with computers and collaborating

Because you are the direct link from your team to the client, you’ve got to do the web-accessibility-should-be-a-priority hustle. You’re in charge of communicating with the client to understand what they need and relaying it to your team (and holding your team accountable for their delivery).

If you’re working with a client where people with disabilities are a key part of their user group (government, nonprofit, education, etc.), you should be aware that web accessibility is not only a priority, but a HUGE initiative that MUST happen. You could also act as a mini resource for your client in terms of recommendations and advice (of course, after you tell them to speak with their legal team).


two people sitting with a contract

Make web accessibility a priority for your project. Ask agencies what accessibility initiatives they practice. It should be a requirement to winning your business. Why?

After looking at your resources, consumers, and environment, consult with your legal team (you thought I was done saying that didn’t you?). Seriously though, lawsuits can happen to anyone.

How to check for accessibility

You read the WCAG, followed the rules, and built something that you think is pretty dang accessible. How can you check to make sure you rocked it? Ideally, the best way to make sure that what you created is accessible is to ask people with disabilities. However, in addition, you can run an accessibility audit.

As with everything, the way to get better at running accessibility audits is to practice, practice, practice. Pick a local, small-scale website and walk through the WCAG. Do they break any guidelines? Is it an easy fix, or something necessary for their type of business? Take notes. Patterns will emerge and soon, you’ll be faster and more efficient at checking for accessibility on the things you build.

There are tools that help check accessibility at a high level. Pretty cool, right? For developers, there are tools and extensions (axe core and chrome’s lighthouse are two big ones) that you can add directly to your system that will run and automatically check code as you go. However, they aren’t perfect; sometimes these tools miss HTML references.

Use the tools in conjunction with your own audit, not as a replacement. 

Be an accessibility advocate

So — you’ve read this guide and are ready to spark change in your team (I’m not crying, you’re crying). Inspiring others to get on board is no easy task, but here’s some tips to get you started.

pair of boxing gloves

Know your audience

What keeps them motivated? Is it their values? Money? A looming lawsuit? Whatever the reason, know it and frame your argument as to why they should care.

Find a friend

Is there someone on your team who would be supportive? Is there a professional group in your area already dedicated to web accessibility (there is one in Chicago)? Like dominos, once one team member joins you, more are likely to follow. If your team already has an inclusivity committee, that’s a great place to start.

Start small

Are there quick fixes to teach your team? Is there something in the building process you own and can take an accessibility lead on? Taking little steps forward is better than standing still.

Keep it coming

Is there a weekly/monthly meeting for you to showcase important accessibility issues? Can you make a checklist for people by role? Keep web accessibility at the forefront of people’s minds.

Be a resource

Can you answer questions for your team? Can you offer to conduct accessibility audits? Be open and be patient. To a newbie, web accessibility can seem like a lot of information and a lot of work. If you offer to answer questions, people will be more likely to dive in.

Additionally, WebAim, a source of web accessibility information, has a model of reform guide to help you implement web accessibility initiatives with your team.

The next time you build something, whether you’re a project manager, content strategist, designer, developer, or leader, make it accessible.


1 in 5 Americans currently have a disability, and it’s ethically responsible to serve them. As a sweet bonus, it saves you money, protects you from lawsuits, and leads to creative, beautiful ideas that improve the overall experience for everyone (like a simple curb cut).


Talk and listen to people with disabilities throughout the duration of a project. Also – using the WCAG as a resource is a great start.


Everyone has a role when it comes to building web accessible stuff.

Simply put, . Let’s hear it again for the people in the back:

We are responsible for what we create.

So make it good, make it inclusive, and make it web accessible.

Some more accessibility resources

Because, we’re not afraid to admit that we still have a lot to learn. Here’s our favorite web accessibility resources.



Alt Text

Code Extensions





Lastly, HUGE thanks to our own team here at Clique specifically, Shara Miller, Carly Ho, and Fen Slattery, developers whose passion and hard work inspired this guide.

Fen travels the country to lead workshops and discussions around web accessibility. For their work, visit their personal website.

Need help making your website accessible?

  • Brendan Hufford

  • Design
  • 13 min read

  • Brendan Hufford

  • Design
  • 13 min read