Accessible Web Design UK (WCAG 2.2 AA)

Why accessibility matters for every website

Accessible design means people can use your site whatever their ability or setup: someone who is blind and uses a screen reader, someone with a tremor who navigates by keyboard, someone with dyslexia, or someone reading on a cracked phone in bright sun. It overlaps heavily with good UX and good SEO, because clear structure helps everyone.

For private businesses, the Equality Act 2010 requires service providers to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, and that's widely understood to include websites. UK businesses selling to customers in the EU should also be aware of the European Accessibility Act, which has applied to many ecommerce and consumer services since 28 June 2025. We're web designers, not lawyers, so take legal advice on your specific position, but building to WCAG 2.2 AA is the sensible benchmark either way.

The UK public sector regulations

If you're a public sector body, including councils, state schools, NHS bodies and many publicly funded organisations, your website falls under the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018. They came into force for websites on 23 September 2018 and for mobile apps on 23 June 2021. You must meet the accessibility requirements and publish an accessibility statement explaining how accessible the site is, what doesn't comply and how people can request an alternative.

The Government Digital Service (GDS) monitors compliance on behalf of the Cabinet Office. GDS guidance names WCAG 2.2 Level AA as the standard, and its monitoring has tested against WCAG 2.2 since October 2024. In its report on monitoring from 2022 to 2024, GDS found that 97% of the bodies it monitored had published a statement after the process, but only 65% included all the information the model statement requires. We build school and charity websites with this in mind.

What WCAG 2.2 AA asks for in practice

WCAG is organised around four principles: perceivable, operable, understandable, and compatible with assistive technology. On a typical business site, the criteria that come up most are:

• 1.1.1 Non-text content: meaningful images have alt text; decorative ones are hidden from screen readers.
• 1.4.3 Contrast (minimum): 4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text.
• 1.4.10 Reflow: content works at 320 CSS pixels wide without scrolling sideways, which covers zooming to 400%.
• 2.1.1 Keyboard: everything works without a mouse.
• 2.4.7 Focus visible and the new 2.4.11 Focus not obscured: you can see where you are, and sticky headers or cookie banners don't hide the focused item.
• 2.5.8 Target size (minimum): new in 2.2, pointer targets at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels or adequately spaced.
• 3.3.7 Redundant entry and 3.3.8 Accessible authentication: don't make people retype information or solve memory puzzles to log in.
• 3.2.6 Consistent help: contact details and help appear in the same place on each page.

How we test

Automated tools such as axe and WAVE catch a useful share of issues, such as missing labels and low contrast, but plenty of problems need a human. So every build gets manual checks: tabbing through every page, using menus, accordions and forms with the keyboard alone, zooming to 400%, and listening to key pages with NVDA on Windows and VoiceOver on iPhone and Mac. We fix what we find before launch and give you a short guide to keeping new content accessible.

Audits and price

Accessibility is built into every package at no extra cost: Starter from £250 + VAT, Business from £500 + VAT and Ecommerce from £750 + VAT. If you have an existing site, we can audit it against WCAG 2.2 AA at £45 an hour + VAT, giving you a list of failures with the criterion, the page, why it matters and how to fix it. Many issues on older sites come from the theme, in which case a redesign may cost less than patching. Get in touch to talk it through.

What you get

• Design checked for contrast, target size and focus visibility
• Semantic HTML with landmarks, headings and labelled controls
• Full keyboard testing of menus, forms, modals and accordions
• Screen reader testing with NVDA and VoiceOver
• Automated scan with axe or WAVE on every template
• Accessibility statement drafted for public sector clients
• Content guidance for alt text, link text and headings

Prices and how it works

Websites from £250 + VAT, business websites from £500 + VAT and ecommerce from £750 + VAT. Small changes are £45 an hour + VAT. You get a fixed quote before we start.

1. Free chat

   Tell us about your business, who your customers are and what the website needs to do. No charge, no obligation.

2. Fixed quote

   You get a fixed price and a clear list of what is included, in writing, before anything starts.

3. Design

   We plan the pages and design the site around your customers, then share it for your comments.

4. Build and test

   We build it mobile-first, write or polish the copy, set up SEO foundations and test it on real phones.

5. Launch and hand over

   We launch, connect analytics and Search Console, and show you how to update it. You own it all.

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