Your website is your business’s front door. Is it accessible to all who might want to enter?
Building professionals usually understand accessibility from a physical standpoint. However, digital accessibility plays a significant role in growing your business. Yes, it’s about ensuring that individuals with low vision can easily navigate your website. But it’s also about the overall user experience.
Your site should be beautiful and functional for all kinds of visitors who may want to give you their money.
This is a primer on digital accessibility for builder websites: why it matters, how it works, and the simple solution for achieving an accessible website.
Why accessibility matters (it really, really does)
You design accessible spaces, and your website should be accessible too.
First, some data: 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. lives with some kind of disability.
Accessibility is good for your online reach. If 25% of potential clients, subcontractors, and partners could be disabled, you’re missing out on that business with an inaccessible site. To connect with 100% of skilled and diverse people, you need a website that is fully accessible for that 25% who require additional features to engage with your site. If a homeowner with vision loss or limited motor skills can’t navigate your website, they won’t contact you.
Accessibility protects you legally. Keep in mind that ADA lawsuits for inaccessible websites are on the rise, even for small firms. A website that was built with accessibility in mind from the ground up (and not as an afterthought) can protect you from a lawsuit.
Accessibility is the right thing to do. Client trust starts online. Accessibility is a good look! Inclusion and integrity are good for your brand, even if the person currently browsing your site does not require those features.
Assistive technologies and your site
Where houses have ramps and grab bars, websites have alternative navigation tools.
Here are examples of assistive technologies:
- Screen readers (read text out loud for blind/low-vision users)
- Keyboard-only navigation (used by people with limited mobility)
- Voice commands and dictation software
- Zoom/magnification tools
These tools are common among disabled users browsing the web.
But not every website plays well with assistive technology. For instance, complex navigation, text embedded in images, and hover effects may prevent some users from enjoying your site.
At Projio, we intentionally design websites that integrate with assistive technologies. This is especially important if you’re in a visual profession (like interior or landscape design), where photo galleries, mood boards, and portfolios need to be tagged correctly and be readable.
What bad UX feels like with assistive tech
Is this beginning to feel like a lot of extra work? Imagine how it feels for them.
They want to book you, but they can’t…
- Navigate a portfolio slideshow with NO keyboard controls
- Click a “Contact Us” button that doesn’t have a label
- Understand an image gallery where every photo is just named “Image1.jpg”
- Use a form with missing instructions or error messages that vanish
You must put on your accessibility hat and review every part of your website.
An accessible site supports all users. Think of aging clients, busy parents with one hand free, or anyone on a mobile phone.
If someone cannot find your services, view your work, or fill out your form, then your website isn’t working for them or for you.
Common accessibility mistakes on builder & designer sites
Here are the worst accessibility mistakes we see on builder and designer sites.
- Image-heavy layouts with no text backup (bad for screen readers)
- Hover-based menus that disappear before users can click
- Tiny clickable targets on mobile, which are hard to use with assistive tools
- No focus outline for keyboard users (they can’t see where they are on the page)
- Flashing or moving carousels that cause motion sensitivity issues
- Unlabeled images or buttons (e.g., portfolio photos with no alt text)
- Low-contrast text (e.g., white text over light backgrounds)
- Mouse-only navigation
- Videos without captions (especially on homepage reels)
- PDFs that aren’t readable by screen readers (like downloadable spec sheets or brochures)
You don’t have to personally resolve these issues. But you do need to hire someone who can. Because these aren’t just coding issues — they’re user experience issues.
Please DO NOT use accessibility overlays.
Overlays are quick fixes that appear to solve accessibility, but they often break assistive tech. They give a false sense of compliance and increase legal risk. Users with disabilities routinely report that overlays make websites worse.
Build it accessible from the start
You’ve heard all the problems, so here’s the simple solution:
Design for accessibility right now.
Retrofits are always trickier and more costly than building it right the first time. As a bonus, accessible websites run faster, work better on mobile devices, and are way better for SEO.
A built-from-scratch accessible website will follow WCAG standards, including:
✓ Proper HTML headings and landmarks (to make screen readers work properly)
✓ Alt text for all images, especially project photos and mood boards
✓ Readable fonts, good color contrast, and generous spacing
✓ All actions should be keyboard accessible and well labeled (like “Download PDF”)
✓ Clear hierarchy, text alternatives for visual elements, and clean design
It is possible to remediate a DIY site, but it’ll cost you time and money. It involves rewriting site code, reuploading and tagging all your images, and rebuilding navigation and forms. After all that, you still may not fully meet WCAG guidelines.
Review and next steps
Accessible experiences start with a decision: I value accessibility and I’m committed to delivering it.
If you’re ready to deliver an accessible online experience for your client, with a beautiful, functional website tailored to your unique business, then reach out for a free consultation.
Our web architects and design experts love to build websites that drive growth. We’re a full-service digital marketing agency, and we’re fanatical about delivering world-class support. Projio is the marketing partner you’ve been looking for.