Website accessibility for small businesses: what WCAG 2.2 means in practice

Most small business owners think of website accessibility as something for councils and large corporations. In fact, the law that matters to you is the Equality Act 2010, and the practical standard everyone points to is a free set of guidelines called WCAG. This post explains what that means for a small UK business in plain terms, what the current version asks for, and a sensible plan for this week.

Does the law apply to a private business website?

Yes, in principle. Law firm Pinsent Masons, in its guide to disabled access to websites under UK law, explains that private businesses must make "reasonable adjustments" so disabled people can use their services, and it quotes the statutory Code of Practice: "Websites provide access to services and goods, and may in themselves constitute a service." If you sell, book or take enquiries online, your website is part of how you provide your service.

The same guide makes two points worth knowing. First, courts consider the resources of the provider, what has already been spent on accessibility, and how disruptive the changes would be, so a small firm may be able to justify not doing something it genuinely cannot afford. Second, that guide reports very few reported legal actions on the subject. Be aware that it is an older piece, so treat it as an explanation of the principle rather than a current count of claims.

The honest takeaway is not "panic". It is "do the sensible, inexpensive things, and be able to show you tried". An accessible site also works better for everyone: GOV.UK's service manual points out that users struggle not only because of permanent impairments but also because of noisy surroundings, bright sunlight, poor connectivity, temporary injuries or older devices.

Why it is worth the effort

The GOV.UK Service Manual states that in the UK, "1 in 5 people have a long-term impairment affecting their ability to do everyday activities". That is a large share of your potential customers. If a booking form cannot be completed with a keyboard, or a button is too small to tap, some of them will simply leave.

Public sector rules versus your rules

You will see the phrase "WCAG 2.2 AA" in official guidance. On GOV.UK, it is the legal requirement for public sector websites and apps, which have had accessibility duties since 23 September 2018 and must publish an accessibility statement. Those regulations cover central and local government and bodies that are substantially publicly funded or provide essential services. Non-government organisations are generally outside them unless publicly financed.

That does not make your business exempt from the Equality Act. GOV.UK is explicit that even exempt organisations must still make reasonable adjustments, for example by providing information in an alternative accessible format when someone asks. For a private business, WCAG 2.2 AA is therefore best treated as a sensible benchmark, not a certificate you are legally required to hold.

What WCAG 2.2 actually asks for

WCAG 2.2 was published by the W3C on 5 October 2023. It added nine new success criteria and removed one obsolete one (4.1.1 Parsing). The 2.0 and 2.1 criteria are otherwise essentially unchanged. Four of the new ones sit at Level AA, which is the level most guidance aims for:

• Focus Not Obscured (Minimum): when someone tabs through your page, the item with keyboard focus should be at least partially visible, not buried behind things like sticky headers or cookie banners.
• Dragging Movements: anything that needs dragging should also be possible another way.
• Target Size (Minimum): clickable targets should be at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels, with exceptions such as links inside a sentence, or enough spacing around smaller targets.
• Accessible Authentication (Minimum): logging in should not depend on a cognitive test, such as remembering or transcribing something, with no alternative.

Two further new Level A criteria are simple to picture. Consistent Help means help links should appear in the same place across pages, and Redundant Entry means you should not make people retype information they have already given in the same process.

The target size rule is a good example of how practical this is. The W3C explains that the 24 by 24 pixel minimum is a floor, and that bigger is better. On a mobile site with tightly packed menu links or tiny close buttons on pop-ups, it is one of the quickest wins.

A practical checklist for this week

• Try your own site with a keyboard. Put the mouse aside and use the Tab key. Can you reach the menu, fill in the contact form and submit it? Can you always see where you are?
• Check your forms. Every field needs a visible label, not just placeholder text, and error messages should say what went wrong.
• Look at your buttons and links on a phone. Are they comfortably tappable and not crammed together?
• Add alternative text to meaningful images. Describe what the image shows, such as a product or a menu, and leave decorative images empty.
• Check text contrast and headings. Pale grey text on white is a common problem, and headings should follow a logical order.
• Review pop-ups and sticky banners. Make sure they can be closed with a keyboard and do not cover the item someone is focused on.
• Offer another route. Put a phone number and email address on the contact page so anyone who struggles online can reach you, and be ready to supply information in another format on request.

Be careful with quick fixes

Automatic scanners can flag obvious issues such as missing labels, and they are a useful first look. They cannot tell you whether a real person can complete a purchase using a screen reader. GOV.UK's guidance for services says they should work with assistive technologies such as screen readers, magnifiers and speech recognition, and should include disabled participants in user research. For a small business, the equivalent is asking a few customers or friends with different needs to try your booking or checkout and tell you where they got stuck.

Be wary of any promise that a single plugin makes a site fully compliant. Accessibility is built into design, content and code, and it needs checking again whenever you add a new page, form or feature.

If you are redesigning or building something new

It is far cheaper to build accessibly from the start than to retrofit. When you commission a new site, ask your developer which WCAG level they build to, how they test it, and whether keyboard use, contrast and target sizes are part of the brief. If you are planning a new site or an online shop, our web design work treats these basics as standard rather than an optional extra.

The short version

You do not need to become an expert. Treat WCAG 2.2 AA as your benchmark, fix the highest-impact problems first, and keep a note of what you checked and changed. That record, together with a genuine route for anyone who needs help, is the best evidence that you are meeting your duty to make reasonable adjustments. This article is general information, not legal advice.