Accessibility is part of making a website usable. A visitor may use a keyboard, a screen reader, enlarged text or reduced motion. Begin with the core journeys rather than treating accessibility as a badge added after the design is complete.
An accessible website developer should be able to demonstrate a complete keyboard journey and explain the result in plain language. Ask your freelance web designer to check focus visibility, labels and the reading order before polishing decorative effects. A useful review records the specific page and action, rather than relying on a general claim that the whole site is accessible.
Give controls understandable names
Inputs need labels, and buttons need names that explain their action. An arrow can look elegant, but a person using assistive technology still needs to know where it leads. Decorative imagery should not compete with meaningful information. Image alternatives should describe the useful content rather than repeat a keyword.
Walk through the site with a keyboard
Try the navigation, forms and expandable sections without a mouse. Keep the focus visible. Check that the order follows the page logically and that a control does not trap the visitor. Small custom interactions deserve particular attention because they can look correct while lacking expected keyboard behaviour.
Make information readable
Check contrast, text size and spacing in context. Avoid communicating an error by colour alone. Explain the problem and how to correct it. Test zoom and the small-screen layout so the visitor does not lose essential text or controls when changing their display settings.
Review motion and testing limits
Respect reduced-motion preferences and keep essential content available without effects. Automated checks can find some defects, but W3C notes that tools alone cannot determine full accessibility. Include human review of the important tasks. Do not turn a single automated score into an unsupported compliance claim.
A useful accessibility review produces specific fixes and clear boundaries. It should make the experience easier for people, not simply make the report look cleaner.
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Further reading: Responsive website design: test the task, not just the screen width.
Sources & further reading
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