Is your website losing visitors without you even realizing it? Many businesses don’t know that accessibility barriers are driving away potential customers — including people with disabilities, seniors, and users on mobile devices.
When your site isn’t accessible, you not only risk losing business, but you could also face legal challenges. Let’s break down the 10 most common accessibility issues that might be costing you customers, and what you can do about them.
Missing or Poor Alt Text on Images
Images without proper alt text can’t be understood by screen readers. This means people who are blind or have low vision miss out on important information.
Solution: Add meaningful alt text to all images. Describe what’s in the image and its purpose.
Low Color Contrast
Text that blends into the background is hard to read for many people — not just those with low vision.
Solution: Use tools like WebAIM’s Contrast Checker to ensure at least 4.5:1 contrast for normal text.
No Keyboard Navigation
If users can’t navigate your site with a keyboard alone, it’s unusable for people with mobility impairments.
Solution: Test your site by tabbing through links, buttons, and forms without a mouse.
Missing Form Labels
Forms without proper labels confuse screen readers and frustrate users trying to fill them out.
Solution: Make sure all form fields (like name, email, message) have clear, programmatically linked labels.
Videos Without Captions
If your videos don’t have captions, they’re inaccessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing users — and frustrating to users in noisy or quiet environments.
Solution: Provide accurate captions for all video content.
Inaccessible PDFs and Documents
PDFs that aren’t tagged for accessibility can’t be read by assistive technology.
Solution: Create accessible documents with proper headings, tags, and alt text for images.
Improper Use of Headings
Headings help organize your content. When they’re used incorrectly (or skipped), it confuses screen readers and makes your site harder to navigate.
Solution: Use proper heading levels (H1, H2, H3) in order, without skipping levels.
Links That Don’t Make Sense Out of Context
Links like “Click here” or “Read more” don’t tell users — especially those using screen readers — where the link will go.
Solution: Write descriptive link text like “Read more about our accessibility services” or “Download our accessibility checklist.”
Auto-Playing Media Without Controls
Audio or video that plays automatically can disorient users, especially those using screen readers or those sensitive to sudden sounds.
Solution: Avoid auto-play, or provide easy-to-find pause/stop controls.
Timed Content Without Adjustable Settings
Some forms, quizzes, or carousels may have time limits that can’t be adjusted or paused. This can be stressful or impossible for people with cognitive disabilities, motor impairments, or anxiety.
Solution: Allow users to extend time limits, pause carousels, or turn off auto-advancing content.