# A website everyone can use, including the customers most sites forget

> Built towards WCAG 2.2 AA: readable contrast, keyboard access, proper headings and labelled forms, so more of your customers can use your site. Included on every plan.

- Source: https://nerdsharks.com/features/accessibility
- Publisher: Nerdsharks (Exeter, Devon, UK)
- Updated: 2026-09-27

An accessible website is one that people with disabilities can use: someone with poor eyesight, someone who uses a screen reader, someone who cannot use a mouse, or an older customer who just needs bigger, clearer text. We build every Nerdsharks site towards WCAG 2.2 level AA, the international guidelines most organisations aim for. That means readable colour contrast, text that can be enlarged, everything reachable by keyboard, proper headings, image descriptions and forms with clear labels and error messages. WCAG 2.2 AA is the standard we build to and check against. We do not claim certification, and we fix anything that gets reported to us.

## How it works

1. **Contrast and readable text** - Colours are checked so text stands out clearly from its background, and pages still work when someone makes the text bigger.
2. **Works without a mouse** - Every link, button and form can be reached and used with a keyboard, with a clear outline showing where you are on the page.
3. **Built for screen readers** - Pages use proper headings and landmarks, images have text descriptions, and form fields are labelled so screen readers can announce them.
4. **Checked before launch** - We test pages with automated tools and by hand before your site goes live, because tools alone miss plenty.

## Why it matters

- **More people can contact you** - Plenty of people live with a disability, and plenty more struggle with small text or fiddly buttons. A site they cannot use is work you never hear about.
- **Better for everyone** - Clear contrast, big buttons and simple forms help anyone reading on a phone in bright sunshine, not just people with a disability.
- **On the right side of fairness** - Businesses providing services to the public have duties under the Equality Act 2010 not to put disabled people at a disadvantage. An accessible site is part of taking that seriously.

## Questions

### Is my website WCAG compliant?

Your site is built and checked towards WCAG 2.2 level AA. We describe that as a target rather than a certificate, because accessibility depends on content added over time too. If anyone reports a problem, we fix it.

### Does a small business website legally need to be accessible?

Businesses that provide services to the public in the UK have duties under the Equality Act 2010, which can apply to websites. We are not lawyers and cannot give legal advice, but building accessibly from the start is the sensible way to take those duties seriously.

### Will accessibility make my website look plain?

No, accessible design does not mean a plain design. It mostly means good contrast, sensible structure and clear buttons, which are signs of good design anyway.

### What happens to accessibility when I add my own content?

The design is locked, so the layout, headings and colours stay accessible whatever you add in the editor. Give photos a short description when you upload them, or send the content to us and we add it properly.