At Phoenixing, accessibility is at the core of every project we take on. We believe that the web should be usable by everyone, regardless of ability. But what does that actually look like in practice?

Why Accessibility Matters

Over one billion people worldwide live with some form of disability. When we build inaccessible websites, we're excluding a significant portion of potential users and customers.

Beyond the ethical imperative, accessible websites also:

• Perform better in search rankings. Search engines reward semantic, well-structured HTML.
• Reach more users. Accessibility improvements benefit everyone, not just users with disabilities.
• Reduce legal risk. ADA compliance lawsuits have increased significantly in recent years.

Start With Semantic HTML

The simplest and most impactful thing you can do is use HTML elements for their intended purpose:

<!-- Do this -->
<button onclick="submitForm()">Submit</button>

<!-- Not this -->
<div class="button" onclick="submitForm()">Submit</div>

A <button> element is automatically focusable, responds to keyboard events, and is announced properly by screen readers. A <div> styled to look like a button does none of these things by default.

Color Contrast

Ensure your text has sufficient contrast against its background. WCAG 2.1 requires:

• 4.5:1 ratio for normal text
• 3:1 ratio for large text (18px+ bold or 24px+ regular)

Tools like the WebAIM contrast checker make this easy to verify during the design phase.

Keyboard Navigation

Every interactive element on your site should be reachable and operable via keyboard alone. This means:

1. All links, buttons, and form fields must be focusable
2. Focus order should follow a logical reading sequence
3. Focus indicators must be visible. Never remove outline styles without providing an alternative.

"The power of the Web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect." - Tim Berners-Lee

Testing Your Work

We recommend a three-layer testing approach:

• Automated tools like axe DevTools or Lighthouse catch about 30-40% of issues
• Manual testing by tabbing through every page and testing with screen readers
• User testing because nothing replaces feedback from people who use assistive technology daily

Moving Forward

Accessibility is a journey, not a destination. Start where you are, audit what you have, and improve incrementally. The important thing is to make it part of your process from day one.

If you need help making your digital presence more accessible, reach out to us. We'd love to help.