Accessibility isn’t always visible. But for the millions of people living with disabilities—or simply navigating the web in different ways—it makes the difference between inclusion and exclusion.
In the healthcare sector especially, accessibility matters. Your website may be home to vital information, professional tools, educational content, or support networks. If even one person is unable to use it properly, your organisation is falling short.
The good news is that web accessibility doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive. With thoughtful planning and a commitment to ongoing improvement, you can make your digital presence more inclusive—and improve usability for everyone in the process.
What does accessibility mean?
In digital terms, accessibility means that your website can be used by people with a wide range of abilities and preferences, including:
- Visual impairments (e.g. colour blindness, low vision, screen reader users)
- Hearing impairments
- Motor or dexterity challenges (e.g. navigating with a keyboard)
- Cognitive conditions (e.g. dyslexia, attention disorders)
- Temporary disabilities (e.g. injury, illness, or poor lighting)
It’s about ensuring equal access to information and functionality, regardless of someone’s circumstances.
Why it matters for healthcare organisations
In healthcare and allied fields, accessibility is more than a technical checkbox. It’s about:
- Serving your whole community, not just the majority
- Upholding ethical and legal standards (especially with incoming updates to the European Accessibility Act)
- Supporting patients, professionals, and the public with different needs
- Demonstrating credibility and compassion through inclusive design
It’s also worth noting that accessible websites often perform better overall:
- They load faster
- They work better on mobile devices
- They rank higher in search engine results
- They provide a clearer, cleaner user experience
Key accessibility principles
Accessibility best practices fall under the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), which focus on four principles:
- Perceivable: Information must be available to users in ways they can perceive (e.g. images have alt text, videos have captions)
- Operable: Users can navigate and interact with your site (e.g. keyboard navigation, skip links)
- Understandable: Information and instructions are clear and consistent
- Robust: Your content can be reliably interpreted by a wide range of browsers and assistive technologies
If your site fails in any of these areas, some users may be excluded.
Common barriers—and how to fix them
Let’s look at a few common accessibility pitfalls and the practical improvements we often help clients make:
1. Low colour contrast If text doesn’t contrast clearly with its background, users with visual impairments (or even just poor screens) may struggle to read it.
Fix: Use a contrast checker to ensure at least 4.5:1 for body text.
2. Missing alternative text Images without alt text can’t be understood by screen readers, leaving blind users without context.
Fix: Add concise, meaningful alt tags to all non-decorative images.
3. Inaccessible forms If labels are missing or field order is confusing, users may be unable to complete key actions.
Fix: Ensure all form fields are clearly labelled and test them using keyboard-only navigation.
4. Lack of keyboard support Users should be able to access menus, buttons, and modals without a mouse.
Fix: Use semantic HTML and avoid click-only JavaScript interactions.
5. Confusing structure Long pages without headings or inconsistent navigation can disorient users.
Fix: Use clear heading hierarchies, logical page structures, and consistent layouts.
Accessibility is a journey, not a one-off fix
You don’t need to be perfect from day one. But you do need to start—and commit to progress.
We recommend:
- An accessibility audit: to find out where you stand
- Creating an accessibility statement: publicly acknowledge your commitment
- Prioritising fixes that remove major barriers
- Including accessibility checks in every design, content, and development update
Our Care and Supercharge Plans both include accessibility reviews and recommendations as standard.
Real-world impact
One client—a national medical network—came to us unsure whether accessibility was relevant to their members. We ran a basic audit and found multiple barriers: poor contrast, no alt text, missing labels, and inaccessible event registration forms.
After just two months of improvements:
- Support queries dropped (members could now register independently)
- Their SEO rankings improved
- They received praise from a partner organisation for being “thoughtfully inclusive”
Accessibility didn’t just help their users—it strengthened their reputation.
Final thought
Accessibility isn’t just about compliance. It’s about showing that your organisation sees—and values—every person who comes to your website.
It’s quiet, yes. But it’s powerful.
Make it a part of how you work, and you’ll never look back.
