As a web accessibility specialist, I often hear the same objection from founders and small teams:
“It’s easy for large companies to invest in accessibility — they have bigger budgets and dedicated teams. But we just don’t have the resources.”
In reality, many accessibility improvements cost nothing more than time, awareness, and the right tools. Based on my experience working with small businesses, this guide shows what are common controversial believes and how you can start, improve, and maintain accessibility on your website, even with limited resources. You’ll discover where to begin, how to fix the most common issues, and why these changes don’t just help people with disabilities, but also improve SEO, user experience, and reach a wider audience.
1. “Accessibility audits can only be done by specialists and cost a lot”
Of course, an expert audit adds depth, but you can run a first internal check completely free:
- Accessibility Insights for Web
- axe DevTools browser extension
- WAVE
- Use your keyboard to tab through your site
- Try built‑in screen readers: VoiceOver (Mac/iOS), NVDA (Windows, free)
These quick checks often reveal the biggest barriers: missing alt text, wrong heading structure, missing form labels, broken keyboard navigation.
Why it matters (beyond disability):
- Better HTML structure & semantics help search engines understand your site
- Faster, clearer pages reduce bounce rates and keep visitors longer
- You reach not only people with disabilities, but also users on mobile, in a hurry, older users, people in bright sunlight, etc.
Insider tip: even a 15‑minute keyboard test + automated scan can catch most obvious blockers — and usually improves your SEO at the same time.
2. “After the audit, we still need to implement the fixes – only an expert can do it”
Partially true: some fixes are technical, but many are very doable in‑house:
- Add missing alt text and labels
- Use correct headings (
<h1>,<h2>) - Improve colour contrast — a huge source of inaccessibility (test with WebAIM Contrast Checker)
Fixing colour contrast alone often helps everyone: users with tired eyes, low‑end screens, or mobile in bright light.
To help your team:
- Free courses:
- Build accessibility into your coding standards and design system
3. “We can’t afford to hire an accessibility consultant to fix everything”
You really don’t have to fix everything on day one.
Start with:
- Homepage and key user flows (checkout, contact form, booking, etc.)
- Critical issues that block users (e.g., broken keyboard nav, missing labels, unreadable text)
Most of these fixes also:
- Improve SEO by clarifying structure and content
- Help users on slow connections or older devices
- Attract a wider audience, because everyone benefits from simpler, clearer interfaces
Insider tip: fix your top tasks and most‑visited pages first, it often covers 80% of user needs. Most teams discover that the same issue repeats. Fix it once in a shared component or template, and you fix it everywhere. Check out the most common accessibility mistakes so you know what to watch for.
4. “Accessibility kills imagination and good design — we can’t choose accessibility over uniqueness”
In reality, accessible design is usually better design:
- Clear visual hierarchy and readable contrast
- Logical navigation that’s easier for everyone
- Descriptive buttons and alt text that help all users understand faster
Unique branding comes from images, storytelling, motion, copywriting – not from ignoring accessibility.
Insider tip: great design and accessibility are not opposites. Many award‑winning sites score very high on accessibility.
5. “Legal requirements and standards are too complex — we need someone to explain them”
They feel complicated at first, but they’re clearer than most people think.
Start here:
- WCAG 2.1 / 2.2 guidelines
- WCAG AA level is the main international standard
- Local laws (e.g., EN 301 549, EU Web Accessibility Directive) mostly reference WCAG
Insider tip: use WCAG’s Quick Reference, it’s filterable and gives concrete, practical tips by element.
Accessibility isn’t only about complying with legal requirements or ticking boxes and it certainly isn’t reserved for large corporations with dedicated budgets. Even the smallest business or early‑stage startup can start making meaningful improvements right now by using free tools, building internal knowledge, and focusing on the most impactful fixes first. These efforts don’t just make your website usable for people with disabilities; they also enhance SEO, broaden your audience, and show your commitment to inclusive, human‑centered design. Start small, keep learning, and accessibility will naturally become part of how you build and grow.
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