The web is becoming more inclusive. Accessibility-first design has moved from being a “nice to have” to a must-have for any professional website. It’s not just about meeting legal standards anymore; it’s about designing for everyone from the very start.
At Swindon Web Creations, we’ve noticed a real shift in how businesses think about accessibility. It’s now part of conversations around SEO, usability, and brand reputation. In this post, we’ll look at what accessibility-first design really means, why it matters, and how to start applying it to your own website.
What accessibility-first design means
Accessibility-first web design means planning and building your website so that everyone can use it easily, regardless of ability, device, or situation. It goes beyond adding alt tags or colour contrast checks, it’s about making inclusivity a design principle, not an afterthought.
A few examples include:
- Making sure text is easy to read against background colours
- Ensuring keyboard navigation works for all links and forms
- Adding proper heading structures for screen readers
- Providing captions or transcripts for video and audio content
- Avoiding flashing animations that could trigger discomfort
When accessibility is baked in from the start, your website becomes cleaner, more user-friendly, and better optimised for search engines too.
Why it matters for your business
Designing for accessibility isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s good for business. Around 1 in 5 people in the UK have some form of disability, and many rely on assistive technologies. By making your website accessible, you’re opening your doors to more customers.
It also improves your search rankings. Google prioritises sites that are easy to navigate and understand. Many accessibilities best practices, like clear headings, descriptive links, and alt text, align directly with SEO principles.
And there’s a trust factor. When users find a website easy to use, they’re more likely to stay longer and return. Accessibility-first design signals that you care about all your visitors, not just some of them.
How to start applying accessibility-first design
You don’t need to rebuild your entire site overnight. Start small by focusing on the basics and building from there.
1. Review your colour choices
Ensure enough contrast between text and background. Tools like WebAIM’s Colour Contrast Checker can help you test this quickly.
2. Check your headings and structure
Screen readers rely on logical heading levels (H1, H2, H3). Skipping levels or using headings for styling alone can make navigation harder.
3. Add alt text to images
Alt text helps visually impaired users understand what an image shows. It’s also great for SEO, as it gives Google more context about your content.
4. Make your forms user-friendly
Label every input clearly and make error messages specific. If someone makes a mistake, help them fix it without frustration.
5. Test your site without a mouse
Try navigating your pages using only a keyboard. You’ll quickly see where accessibility could be improved.
At Swindon Web Creations, we include accessibility testing as part of every new web build. It ensures the finished site works for everyone, and performs better in search results.
The link between accessibility and SEO
Accessibility-first design naturally improves on-page SEO. Here’s how:
- Descriptive link text helps both users and search engines understand page context
- Properly structured headings clarify page hierarchy
- Captions and transcripts give Google readable text to crawl
- Fast, lightweight code (another accessibility win) improves page load times,a direct ranking factor
If you’ve already invested in SEO, improving accessibility can amplify those results without extra advertising spend.
For more tips on SEO, check out our article Understanding Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
Looking ahead
The web design world is shifting towards empathy-led thinking. Accessibility-first design fits perfectly with that movement. It’s not a passing trend,it’s the foundation of how good websites are built in 2025 and beyond.
Making your site accessible isn’t about meeting a checklist,it’s about creating a better web for everyone.
If you’d like help reviewing or rebuilding your site with accessibility in mind, get in touch with us today through our contact page for a free consultation.
