Accessibility isn’t just for developers.
You don’t need to know HTML, ARIA roles, or keyboard focus management to start making your website better for more people. In fact, some of the most common accessibility barriers can be fixed with nothing more than good content choices and a few smart edits.
Whether you’re a freelance UX designer, a small business owner, or someone just trying to do better, here are five fixes you can make today, without writing a single line of code.
Fix Your Link Text
The problem: Too many websites still rely on vague, generic links like “Click here” or “Read more.” These are confusing for screen reader users and bad for SEO.
Why it matters: Screen readers can pull up a list of links on a page—if they all say “Click here,” it’s impossible to know what each one actually does.
What to do instead: Make link text descriptive and specific. Imagine the user can only see the link out of context.
Bad: Click here
Better: Learn more about our photography packages
Best: Explore our family and newborn photography packages
Add or Improve Alt Text on Images
The problem: Images without alt text—or with bad alt text—leave screen reader users in the dark. Decorative images don’t need alt text, but meaningful ones do.
Why it matters: Alt text communicates content that sighted users get visually. Without it, users with vision impairments miss crucial information.
What to do instead: Write alt text like you’re describing the image to a friend over the phone. Be specific, brief, and clear about why the image is there.
Bad: Image of a person
Better: Woman smiling while holding a box of organic produce
Best: Customer holding their first CSA box, part of our weekly local produce delivery program
Use Clear, Hierarchical Headings
The problem: Some websites skip heading levels, use headings for visual styling only, or forget them entirely.
Why it matters: Headings are how many users—including screen reader users and keyboard navigators—scan your content. They give structure and flow to your page.
What to do instead: Use headings like a table of contents:
- H1 for the page title
- H2 for major sections
- H3 for sub-sections within those
Avoid skipping levels (like jumping from H1 to H4), and never use bold text instead of a real heading.
Check Your Color Contrast
The problem: Text that looks fine to you might be unreadable to users with low vision, color blindness, or mobile glare.
Why it matters: Low contrast is one of the most common accessibility issues on the web—and one of the easiest to fix.
What to do instead: Make sure text has enough contrast against its background. This applies to buttons, links, menus, and body copy.
Best practice: Aim for a contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
Give Every Page a Descriptive Title
The problem: Many sites forget to set proper page titles—or leave them as defaults like “Home” or “Untitled Page.”
Why it matters: Page titles show up in browser tabs, search engine results, and screen reader navigation. A vague or missing title makes your site harder to use and less trustworthy.
What to do instead: Give each page a unique, clear title that reflects the page content and brand.
Bad: Home
Better: Our Services
Best: Web Design and Accessibility Consulting | Bloom Studio
TL;DR: You Don’t Need to Code to Make an Impact
You can make your website more accessible today by:
- Writing better link text
- Adding meaningful alt text
- Using proper headings
- Checking your color contrast
- Setting page titles
These changes don’t require a developer. They don’t require a redesign.
They just require intention—and a willingness to care about your users.
Because the truth is: accessibility is for everyone, and the easiest fixes are often the most powerful.