MeThree are the team that worked with AIM to build its new website. In this industry-insights piece they share their top tips on online accessibility.
It’s becoming ever more important to make sure that websites in the sector are as accessible and welcoming as your buildings and spaces. Your first thoughts might jump to checklists, compliance, and legislation, but it’s really about people and improving their online experience.
According to Euan’s Guide Access Survey, 86% of the 1 in 5 disabled people in the UK check a venue’s website before visiting a new place. And if they can’t get the information they need they may well abandon their plans to visit.
People who are neurodivergent (around 15% of the population) or who struggle with digital tasks (2.4 million people in the UK) will also benefit from an accessible website. In fact, accessible websites usually work better for everyone. They are often faster, easier to use and appear higher in search engine rankings.
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (known as WCAG) are an internationally recognised set of recommendations for improving web accessibility. We wanted to make the new AIM website as inclusive as possible, and it complies with WCAG 2.2 AA (the legal requirement for public sector websites). However, most of the site meets the highest standard of WCAG 2.2 AAA. We have made specific design and coding choices to achieve this, but there are many accessibility improvements you can make that don’t require any knowledge of coding or technical expertise to implement. We’ve listed some key best practices below. To see how accessible your site is at the moment you can use the WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tools at wave.webaim.org.
Content
Use headings and sub-headings
Headings provide structure to your page, breaking up the text into sections visually, which helps everyone quickly scan the content to look for particular words or phrases. To make your content more accessible, you need to use the heading options (H1, H2, H3, etc.) in your Content Management System (CMS), rather than simply increasing the text size or bolding the text.
Headings should be nested in a logical hierarchy:
- H1 should be the main title of the page (one per page),
- H2 subheadings should organise major sections,
- H3 and lower levels (H4, H5, H6) should be used for further subsections as needed.
Using structured headings not only helps screen reader users navigate efficiently without listening to the entire page, but it also improves your site’s discoverability via search engines, which is an extra bonus!
Provide descriptive links
Rather than using vague link text like ‘click here’ or ‘read more’, use descriptive links that clearly indicate where they lead. A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself: Would the link still make sense if read out of context? This simple change helps all users navigate your site more easily, but it’s especially important for people using screen readers. Screen readers often generate a list of hyperlinks from a page and read them aloud, allowing users to select the one they need. If most of the links say “click here” or “more information”, the screen reader will read out:
“Link, click here. Link, more information.”
That’s confusing because the user has no idea which link goes where. Instead, use meaningful text like “Download the event guide” or “More details on membership benefits”, making navigation faster and more accessible for everyone.
Open links in the same tab
It’s best practice for links to open in the same tab or browser window. This keeps navigation predictable and prevents confusion, especially for users who may not realise a new tab has opened. If a new tab opens unexpectedly, the user can’t navigate back using the back button.
Write using simple words and short sentences
WCAG guidelines recommend writing for an audience with a reading age of around 12-13 years. Using clear and concise language makes your content better for everyone, including the 7 million people in the UK with dyslexia.
Top tips for readable contet
- Use short sentences and everyday words – Avoid jargon or overly complex explanations.
- Break up text with headings, bullet points, and spacing – large blocks of text can be overwhelming.
- Avoid writing in all caps – they are harder to read, and some screen readers spell out each letter instead of reading the word.
- Use left-aligned text – justified text can create uneven spacing, making it difficult for dyslexic readers to track lines.
- Choose a readable font – ensure text is clear and legible for all users.
- Use sufficient line spacing – set line height to at least 1.5 times the font size.
- Provide enough paragraph spacing – ensure paragraph spacing is at least 2 times the font size to prevent text from feeling cramped.
- Limit the width of text blocks – avoid full-width text. Keep line length to around 80 characters (including spaces) for
better readability.
Avoid putting important information in PDFs
PDFs can often be inaccessible, as many are not properly formatted for screen readers. If a PDF is not structured correctly, people using assistive technology may be unable to navigate, search, or understand the content.
Top tips for PDFs
Where possible, provide information as a web page instead – HTML pages are more accessible, mobile-friendly, and easier
to update.
- Ensure PDFs are accessible – use tagged PDFs, proper heading structures, and text that can be selected (not just scanned images).
- Check PDF accessibility before publishing – use tools like Adobe Acrobat’s Accessibility Checker or Microsoft’s built-in accessibility tools.
- If a PDF is not fully accessible, state this in your accessibility statement – let users know how they can request an
alternative format.
Use tables sparingly
Tables can be difficult for screen readers to make sense of. The software reads from left to right and top to bottom – so it’s best to use only simple tables with clear headings.
Add an accessibility statement to your site
An accessibility statement lets disabled users know what they can expect from your website and outlines any accessibility
limitations.
For a useful template, you can refer to the UK Government’s sample accessibility statement for public sector bodies. Click here for the sample accessibility statement.
Even if your site isn’t a public sector website, this template is a great starting point for creating a clear, user-friendly accessibility statement.
Images and multimedia
Add alt text for images
When adding a non-decorative image to your website, use the ‘alt text’ option to provide a brief, meaningful description so screen readers can convey the content to people who can’t see the image. Try to describe the information rather than the picture.
If an image is purely decorative, leave the alt text field empty (“”) so screen readers ignore it.
Make sure that you provide enough information to convey what the image contains between the alt text, caption and any other text on the webpage.
Provide subtitles and transcripts for video
Videos should include transcripts or subtitles to make them accessible to people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or prefer reading over listening. Even a text summary of the key points is better than nothing. It’s also best to avoid having video or audio content that plays automatically as well as flashing or blinking content to prevent discomfort or seizures.
Provide transcripts for audio
Just as images aren’t accessible to people who can’t see, audio files aren’t accessible to those who can’t hear. Providing a text transcript makes the audio information available to people who struggle to hear.
Colour contrasts
Text should have high contrast against the background to make it easy to read. Insufficient contrast not only affects people with low vision, but it also even affects those with good vision using devices in bright sunlight.
Use a contrast checker to meet accessibility standards. Click here for a contrast checker.
Support keyboard navigation
You will need some technical help with this last recommendation. It’s an important one though because many people can’t use a mouse and rely on keyboard navigation. This includes people with limited movement, such as those who have had a stroke, arthritis, or even a broken arm.
Users navigate using the Tab key to move between elements, Enter to activate buttons, and Arrow keys for menus. Try it on your own site: press Tab to move forward or Shift + Tab to go backwards.
For keyboard navigation, you will need to implement ‘focus indicators’ – these are the outlines that show up around a button, link or form field. Anything you’d interact with using a mouse should have visible focus. Finally, adding a ‘Skip to Content’ link allows users to bypass navigation and reach the main content quickly.
Conclusion
Improving your website’s accessibility won’t just help everyone who uses it. It’s also important for future-proofing your site to stay compliant with evolving legal regulations. In the UK, public sector websites are legally required to comply with WCAG 2.2 AA. It’s also good to be aware of The European Accessibility Act (EAA), which comes into force on 28 June 2025.
Although it’s currently mainly focused on private sector firms trading in the EU, it may affect other sectors in future. However, as we said at the beginning, the main benefit is that your website will be as friendly and welcoming to everyone as your physical spaces.