Why Accessible Websites Matter

6 min read

Quick answer: an accessible website is one that everyone can use, including people who are blind, deaf, have low vision, dyslexia, a tremor or a temporary injury. It matters because one in five people in Ireland has a disability, the European Accessibility Act now applies to many online businesses, and the same fixes make your site faster, clearer and easier to find on Google.

Most business owners never think about accessibility until someone complains. By then, they have already lost customers they never knew about. A visitor who can’t read your grey text, can’t use your menu with a keyboard, or can’t tell what a button does won’t email you about it. They just leave and buy from someone else.

This guide explains why accessible websites matter for Irish businesses, what the law now says, and the quick wins you can make this week.

What is an accessible website?

An accessible website works for people with a wide range of abilities. That includes people who:

The standard most sites are measured against is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, known as WCAG. Level AA of WCAG 2.1 is the usual target in Europe, and it sits behind the European standard EN 301 549. WCAG 2.2 adds a few extra checks and is a good goal for any new build.

Why accessibility matters for your business

1. It’s a big group of customers

In Census 2022, 1,109,557 people in Ireland, or 22% of the population, reported a long-lasting condition or difficulty (CSO). Add older customers whose eyesight or motor skills are changing, and people with a broken wrist or a screen in bright sunlight. That’s a large share of your market. If your site shuts them out, your competitors get their business.

2. Most websites still fail

The 2025 WebAIM Million study tested the home pages of one million popular websites. It found detectable WCAG failures on 94.8% of them, with an average of 51 errors per page (WebAIM). The most common problems were:

That’s bad news for users, but good news for you. Fixing these basics puts your site ahead of almost everyone else.

3. The law has changed

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) has applied since 28 June 2025. In Ireland, it became law through the European Union (Accessibility Requirements of Products and Services) Regulations 2023 (S.I. No. 636/2023).

It covers services sold to consumers, including e-commerce, online banking, e-books, telecoms and passenger transport. If you sell to the public online, it probably applies to you. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) enforces it for e-commerce services. Penalties can reach €60,000 or 18 months in prison on indictment, and company directors can be held liable (DLA Piper).

There is an exemption for microenterprises providing services: businesses with fewer than 10 staff and a turnover or balance sheet of €2 million or less. Don’t treat that as a free pass, though. The CCPC has published guidelines for microenterprises and encourages them to comply anyway. Businesses also grow, and the exemption ends when you do. Your customers still need a site they can use, whatever the law says.

4. It helps your SEO

Search engines and AI assistants read your website much like a screen reader does. They rely on clear headings, descriptive links, alt text and real text instead of text baked into images. So accessibility work does double duty. The same fixes that help a blind visitor also help Google, ChatGPT and other AI tools understand and recommend your business.

5. It makes your site better for everyone

Captions help people watching on a train. Big, clear buttons help anyone on a phone. Plain language helps busy people scan a page. Good contrast helps everyone outdoors. Accessible design is simply good design.

10 quick accessibility wins

You’ll see versions of this checklist all over Pinterest. That’s because these fixes are simple and make a real difference:

  1. Check your colour contrast. Body text needs a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 against its background. Light grey on white usually fails.
  2. Add alt text to images. Describe what the image shows and why it’s there. Decorative images should have empty alt text so screen readers skip them.
  3. Use proper headings. One H1 per page, then H2s and H3s in order. Don’t pick a heading just because it looks the right size.
  4. Write descriptive links. “Read our pricing guide” beats “click here”. Screen reader users often jump from link to link.
  5. Label every form field. Placeholder text inside a box isn’t a label. It disappears as soon as someone starts typing.
  6. Test with your keyboard. Press Tab through your site. Can you reach every link and button? Can you see where you are?
  7. Keep the focus outline. Many sites hide it to look tidy. Without it, keyboard users are lost.
  8. Caption your videos. Add captions to every video, and a transcript for audio.
  9. Avoid autoplay and flashing. Anything that moves for more than five seconds needs a pause button.
  10. Let text resize. Zoom to 200%. Nothing should overlap, cut off or need sideways scrolling.

What about accessibility overlays?

You may have seen plugins that promise to make your site compliant with one line of code. Be careful. Overlays can add useful settings, like bigger text or a dyslexia-friendly font, but they can’t fix problems built into your code, content and design. Real accessibility comes from how the site is built, not a widget on top of it.

How to check your website

Start with free tools like WAVE or Lighthouse in Chrome. They catch many common errors in minutes. But automated tools only find part of the problem. WebAIM notes its figures only count errors software can detect, so the real picture is usually worse. A proper review also includes keyboard testing, screen reader testing and a look at your content.

How Neon Digital can help

At Neon Digital, accessibility isn’t an add-on. Our founder, David, is UX Design Institute Certified in Designing for Accessibility (verify the certificate). From 2026, every website we build targets WCAG 2.1 AA from day one, and our own site is built to the same standard. We can:

If you’re not sure whether the European Accessibility Act applies to you, or where your site stands, get in touch. We’ll take a look and tell you honestly what needs doing, and what doesn’t. See our websites and apps service for more.

Frequently asked questions

Does the European Accessibility Act apply to my small business?

It applies to many businesses selling services to consumers online, including e-commerce. Service providers with fewer than 10 staff and a turnover or balance sheet of €2 million or less are exempt, but must be able to show they qualify. If you’re unsure, check the CCPC guidance or ask us.

What WCAG level should my website meet?

Aim for WCAG 2.1 Level AA. It’s the level behind the European standard EN 301 549, and the one most laws point to. WCAG 2.2 AA is a good target for new websites.

Will making my website accessible improve SEO?

Yes, in many ways. Clear headings, alt text, descriptive links and fast, well-structured pages help search engines and AI tools understand your content. That can help you rank and get recommended.

How much does it cost to make a website accessible?

It depends on the size of the site and how it was built. Small fixes like contrast and alt text are quick. Older sites built on heavy themes can take longer. Building accessibility in from the start is always cheaper than fixing it later.