A small business website is accessible when people with disabilities can use it: read the text, navigate with a keyboard or screen reader, understand the forms and watch the videos. The practical checklist is short: enough colour contrast, real text rather than text in images, alt text on meaningful images, labelled form fields, visible keyboard focus, captions on video, headings in order and no content that only works with a mouse. The widely used standard is WCAG 2.2, published by the W3C.
This is general information, not legal advice. Accessibility laws differ by country and by type of business, so check what applies to you.
Why does accessibility matter for a small business?
Customers who use screen readers, magnifiers, keyboard navigation or captions are customers like any others, and an inaccessible booking form loses their business. Many accessibility fixes also make a site easier for everyone on a phone, and clear structure helps search engines and AI assistants read the page.
Is website accessibility a legal requirement?
It depends where you trade and what you sell.
- EU. The European Accessibility Act has applied since 28 June 2025 to certain products and services, including e-commerce. According to the EU's Your Europe guidance, microenterprises providing services (fewer than 10 employees and annual turnover or balance sheet of no more than €2 million) are exempt from the service requirements. Larger businesses and products are treated differently, so read the guidance.
- US. The Department of Justice has published guidance on web accessibility under the ADA for businesses open to the public.
- UK. The Equality Act 2010 requires service providers to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, which can include websites.
Even where no specific rule applies, accessibility is good practice and good business.
What is the accessibility checklist?
| Check | What to do | How to test |
|---|
| Colour contrast | Make text stand out from its background | Use a contrast checker on text and buttons |
| Text, not images | Keep headings, menus and prices as real text | Try selecting the text |
| Alt text | Describe meaningful images; leave decorative ones empty | Check each image's alt text setting |
| Headings | Use one main heading, then subheadings in order | Use a heading outline tool |
| Links and buttons | Use clear labels such as "Book a table", not "Click here" | Read the links out of context |
| Forms | Give every field a visible label and clear error messages | Fill the form with a keyboard only |
| Keyboard | Reach every link, button and field with Tab | Unplug the mouse and try |
| Focus | Show where the keyboard focus is | Tab through and watch |
| Video and audio | Add captions; do not autoplay with sound | Play with sound off |
| Motion | Avoid flashing; respect reduced-motion settings | Turn on reduced motion in your device settings |
| Zoom | Content still works at 200% zoom | Zoom the browser |
| Language | Set the site language | Check the lang attribute |
How do you test accessibility?
- Run an automated checker, such as WAVE or Lighthouse in Chrome's developer tools.
- Fix contrast, missing alt text and missing labels it reports.
- Navigate the main tasks with a keyboard only: find a service, read a price, fill the contact form.
- Try a screen reader, such as VoiceOver on Mac or iPhone or NVDA on Windows, on the home page and form.
- Check the site at 200% zoom and on a phone.
- Ask a disabled user to try it, if you can.
Automated tools find only some problems. Keyboard and screen reader checks find many of the rest.
What accessibility settings does Framer have?
In Framer you can set alt text on images, set the site language in Site Settings (Framer's language attribute article explains that this updates the lang attribute) and choose the HTML tag for text layers so headings are marked up correctly. Template effects such as scroll animations, film grain or physics sections should be checked with reduced motion turned on.
Do templates make a site accessible?
A template gives you a starting design, but accessibility depends on what you put in it: your colours, images, alt text, form labels and videos. Do not assume any template, including ours, meets WCAG without testing. Run the checks above on your finished site.
What are the most common problems on small business sites?
- Light grey text on white
- Text baked into images, especially menus and price lists
- Forms with placeholder text but no labels
- Icons used as buttons with no text label
- Videos without captions
- PDFs for menus or price lists. See why restaurant menus should not be PDFs.
Should you add an accessibility statement?
It is good practice to publish a short page saying what you have tested, any known issues and how people can contact you if they have trouble. Some laws require one for some organisations.
Where does this fit in your launch?
Add these checks to your launch review. See the Framer template launch checklist, how to choose a website template and one-page small business websites. Browse all getsites templates.
Frequently asked questions
What is WCAG?
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, published by the W3C. Version 2.2 is the current version and is the standard most laws and guidance refer to.
Do small businesses need an accessible website?
It depends on the country and type of business. In the EU, microenterprises providing services are exempt from the European Accessibility Act's service requirements. Accessibility is still good practice everywhere.
How do I check if my website is accessible?
Run an automated checker, then test the main tasks with a keyboard only and with a screen reader, and check the site at 200% zoom.
Are accessibility overlay widgets enough?
Overlays do not fix the underlying page and many accessibility experts advise against relying on them. Fix the site itself.
Does accessibility help SEO?
Some fixes, such as real text, alt text and clear headings, also help search engines read the page. Accessibility is mainly about people, though.