Beyond legal obligation, making your website accessible allows everyone to browse, understand content, and complete actions comfortably. Website owners often wonder whether they can save money and handle accessibility themselves with a bit of online knowledge, without hiring accessibility experts.
The answer is more complex than a simple "yes" or "no."
What does website accessibility actually involve?
Accessibility isn't a single action—it's a combination of many small and large adjustments working together.
This includes adjusting color contrast ratios, adding descriptions to images, creating a proper heading hierarchy, and improving site navigation experience.
There are also more technical aspects, such as screen reader compatibility, form optimization, and ensuring every action on your site can be completed using a keyboard alone. In other words, it requires both strategic and technical understanding.
What can you do on your own?
There are plenty of basic tasks any website owner can tackle independently, even without prior experience. For example, you can add alt text to images, improve button labels for clarity, and ensure your content is readable and easy to understand.
You can also use plugins and tools that help identify basic issues. These can highlight common mistakes and guide improvements, so even non-experts can start making meaningful changes.
Where does it get complicated?
Once you dig deeper, things get significantly harder. True accessibility requires knowledge of standards like WCAG, coding expertise, and sometimes the ability to restructure parts of your site.
Beyond that, a website can look perfectly fine to the naked eye but be completely inaccessible to users with disabilities. This is where professional testing with specialized tools and deep understanding of accessible user experience becomes essential.
Common mistakes when trying to do it yourself
Many website owners believe an accessibility plugin or overlay solves the problem, but in reality, they're only a small piece of the puzzle. Plugins don't replace genuine code and content accessibility.
Another common mistake is focusing only on design while neglecting functionality. A website can look beautiful and be easy on the eyes, but still be inaccessible to screen reader users or those who struggle with mouse control.
How to blend independent and professional work?
You can absolutely start on your own, make basic improvements, and enhance your site initially. This is even recommended, as it raises awareness and helps you understand user needs.
Start with simple testing
Use free tools to audit your site, identify issues, and fix them. This gives you a solid foundation to build on.
Improve content and structure
Focusing on proper headings, clear language, and organized hierarchy already makes a significant difference in accessibility.
Bring in a professional later
After the initial phase, it's recommended to bring in an expert for in-depth testing and to ensure your site meets legal requirements.
So should you really make your website accessible yourself?
The answer is yes and no. Yes, because you can start on your own and improve many aspects. No, because full accessibility requires professional expertise that not all website owners possess.
Ultimately, combining independent efforts with professional guidance is the best path to a truly accessible website—one that meets legal standards and delivers a great user experience for everyone.
Ready to make your website accessible?
Have questions or want to assess where your site stands today? The team at User Accessibility is here to help, with expert guidance, in-depth audits, and solutions tailored specifically to your site.