Keeping your site accessible over time
Why website accessibility isn't a one-time fix and how we help you maintain it as your site grows and changes.
Accessibility means making your website usable by as many people as possible — including people who use screen readers, people with low vision, people who navigate by keyboard, and many others. Making a site accessible at launch is a good start. Keeping it accessible over time requires ongoing attention. This guide explains why — and what we do about it.
Quick summary
Every time you add new content, change your design, or install a new plugin, you can accidentally introduce accessibility problems. We include accessibility checks in our care plan process to catch those regressions. You can help by following a few simple habits when you add your own content.
Why accessibility maintenance matters
It's the right thing to do
Around one in five people in the UK has a disability. Many of those disabilities — visual impairments, motor difficulties, cognitive differences, hearing loss — affect how people use the web. An accessible site serves everyone.
It's good for business
Accessible sites are also more usable for everyone. Clear headings, readable text, and well-structured content help all visitors, not just those with disabilities. Accessibility improvements often also improve search rankings.
Legal obligations exist
In many countries and sectors, making your website accessible is not optional — it's a legal requirement. The specifics depend on your business type and location, but the trend is clear: accessibility requirements are expanding.
How accessibility degrades over time
Here's the key insight: accessibility isn't a permanent property. It's something you maintain.
Common ways sites become less accessible after launch:
| What happened | The accessibility problem it caused |
|---|---|
| Added a new image without alt text | Screen reader users hear "image" — no information |
| Changed color scheme | New colors may not have sufficient contrast |
| Installed a new plugin | Plugin-generated content may not be keyboard-accessible |
| Embedded a video without captions | Deaf and hard-of-hearing users can't follow the content |
| Added a PDF without tagging it | Screen readers can't interpret untagged PDFs |
| Changed font or reduced font size | Content becomes harder to read for low-vision users |
| Added a modal popup | Keyboard focus may not move correctly into the popup |
Most of these aren't deliberate choices — they're small oversights that accumulate over time.
What we check
As part of your care plan, we include accessibility awareness in our routine checks. We look for:
- Images added without meaningful alt text
- Color contrast issues introduced by design changes
- Keyboard navigation problems from new plugins or widgets
- Broken heading structure (skipped heading levels)
- Forms without proper labels
- Links with non-descriptive text (like "click here" or "read more")
We use a combination of automated tools and manual checks. Automated tools catch many common issues; manual checks catch the problems that require judgment.
What you can do when adding content
If you add your own content to the site, a few habits go a long way:
Always write alt text for images. Alt text (alternative text) is a short description of what the image shows, used by screen readers. A descriptive alt text might be: "A barista pouring latte art into a ceramic cup." Not: "image001.jpg." See Alt text explained.
Don't use color alone to convey meaning. For example, don't create a table where green cells mean "yes" and red cells mean "no" with no other distinction. Use words too.
Use proper headings in order. Your page should have one main heading (H1), then subheadings (H2), then sub-subheadings (H3) — in order, without skipping levels.
Write links that describe the destination. "Read our accessibility policy" is better than "click here."
Add captions to videos. Most video platforms (YouTube, Vimeo) let you add captions. Always add them — or ask us to help.
Accessibility tools have limits
Automated accessibility scanning tools catch about 30–40% of real accessibility issues. The rest require human judgment. We use both. If you want a thorough accessibility review of your site, ask us about a dedicated accessibility audit.
Common questions
Related guides
- Why websites need maintenance
- Alt text explained
- Web accessibility basics
- Accessible content checklist
- Your website health checklist
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