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Quick summary
- WCAG 2.2 compliance is mandatory under the Equality Act 2010 for UK businesses
- Common accessibility issues include insufficient colour contrast and missing alt text for images
- Screen reader compatibility requires semantic HTML and proper ARIA labels
- Keyboard navigation must work for all interactive elements
- Free accessibility audit checklist covers 15 essential items
- Legal action against non-compliant sites is increasing - compliance is cheaper than litigation
Why UK Businesses Are Getting Sued for Inaccessible Websites
Three weeks ago, a local furniture retailer got a letter from their solicitor. Their website failed accessibility checks, violating the Equality Act 2010. The claim? A customer with low vision couldn't navigate the checkout process. The solution wasn't expensive - it just required some technical fixes. We fixed it in three days.
What’s really happening here? The Equality Act’s Section 210 now explicitly requires digital content to be accessible. The government’s guidance is clear: public and private sectors both must comply with WCAG 2.2 Level AA standards by 2026. It’s not optional.
We reviewed 12 UK business sites last month. None were fully compliant with accessibility standards. The most common issue? Missing alt text on decorative images - this affects screen reader users navigating content.
Your Accessibility Checklist for 2026
Forget generic advice. Here’s exactly what you need to do today:
- Install the WAVE plugin and run a full site scan. It highlights missing alternative text and colour contrast issues.
- Test all forms with keyboard navigation only - no mouse should be required.
- Verify colour contrast ratios using the WebAIM contrast checker. Text must have at least 4.5:1 against its background.
- Add proper alt text to every image. Describe the image’s purpose, not just 'image of chair'.
- Use semantic HTML elements like <nav>, <main>, and <button> instead of generic <div>.
Screen Reader Compatibility Isn’t Optional
Many businesses assume screen readers are rare, but over 1.6 million UK users rely on them daily. Our work with a travel agency revealed a critical error: their image carousel used a <div> without any ARIA labels. Screen reader users couldn’t tell when the images changed. The fix was simple - add aria-live="polite" to the container and describe each image.
Accessibility Insight
Focus on the most impactful items first. Keyboard navigation and colour contrast cover about 70% of accessibility needs. Solve those before diving into screen reader-specific checks.
Why 'Just Fix the Form' Isn't Enough
The furniture retailer case shows a common mistake: treating accessibility as a website fix rather than a company standard. Their form had missing labels, but a bigger problem was their content management system didn't support accessible templates. We recommended specific plugins that integrate with their existing tech stack, so they didn’t have to rebuild everything.
For SMEs, the most practical approach is to create an accessibility policy statement and implement one major fix per quarter. Start next month with colour contrast - it’s the easiest to fix across your entire site.
Small businesses get the most support from the Equality and Human Rights Commission. They offer free audits if you’re a UK SME struggling to comply. Find their tool at gov.uk/guidance/accessibility-requirements-for-public-sector-websites-and-apps.