Accessibility gets treated like a compliance chore, but the things that make a site usable with a screen reader are the same things that make it clearer for everyone.

The baseline that covers most cases

  • Real text, not text-in-images, so it can be read and zoomed.
  • Visible focus states on every interactive element.
  • Labels on inputs and alt text on images.
  • Color contrast of at least 4.5:1 for body text.

Keyboard-first

Try navigating your own site with only the Tab key. If you can't reach the menu, the form, or the primary button, neither can a meaningful slice of your audience.

It helps your SEO too

Semantic headings, descriptive links, and image alt text are exactly what search engines parse. Accessible markup and discoverable markup are mostly the same markup.

Designing for the edges makes the middle better.