How to Make a Website Accessible for Therapy Practice Owners

How to make a website accessible: Introduction

As a therapy practice owner, your primary goal is to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for all your clients, and your website should reflect that same intention. But have you ever considered how accessible your website is for individuals with disabilities? In this digital age, having an accessible website isn’t just a nice-to-have feature—it’s essential. Accessibility opens the door to more clients, improves user experience, and even boosts your SEO rankings. Plus, it’s the right thing to do.

But how do you make your website accessible? Let’s walk through this process together, answering key questions along the way.

What is Website Accessibility?

Before diving into how to make your website accessible, it’s important to understand what accessibility means. In simple terms, website accessibility ensures that everyone, including people with disabilities, can easily navigate, read, and interact with your website. This includes individuals with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive impairments.

Imagine a potential client trying to access your therapy services, but they can’t read the text on your site because of poor color contrast or they can’t navigate the site without a mouse. An accessible website removes these barriers, ensuring that everyone can access the information and services you offer.

Why is Website Accessibility Important for Your Therapy Practice?

As a therapist, you work to provide inclusive, empathetic care. Having an accessible website aligns with these values, showing that your practice is committed to inclusivity. Beyond ethical considerations, accessibility can also help:

• Expand your client base: 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. has a disability. By making your website accessible, you ensure that you’re not turning away potential clients.
• Boost your SEO: Search engines favor websites that provide better user experiences, including accessibility. Google rewards sites with cleaner navigation, alt text for images, and proper heading structure.
• Prevent legal issues: In some countries, businesses are required to meet accessibility standards, and failure to do so can result in legal consequences.

How Do I Get Accessibility on My Website?

The first step in making your website accessible is to follow established accessibility guidelines. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) provide a comprehensive framework for making websites usable by people with disabilities. These guidelines cover everything from text readability to website navigation.

Here’s a breakdown of actionable steps you can take:

1. Use a Content Management System (CMS) that Supports Accessibility

If you’re building or updating your website, use a CMS that offers built-in accessibility features. WordPress, Squarespace, and Wix, for example, provide tools and plugins that make it easier to comply with accessibility standards.

2. Structure Your Content with Headings

Headings (like the ones you see in this article) aren’t just for aesthetics; they provide structure to your content, making it easier to navigate. Screen readers rely on headings to help users understand and move through your site.

Tip: Use one <h1> tag for the main title of each page, and ensure subsequent headings follow a logical order (<h2>, <h3>, etc.).

3. Provide Text Alternatives for Non-Text Content

Images, videos, and audio content need alternative text (alt text). Alt text describes what’s in the image, allowing screen readers to communicate the content to visually impaired users. For videos, include closed captions or transcripts so that hearing-impaired users can still access the information.

4. Make Your Links Descriptive

How do you make a website link accessible? One common mistake is using vague link text like “Click here.” Instead, use descriptive phrases like “Learn more about our therapy services” or “Book an appointment.” This helps screen reader users understand what the link is for without needing additional context.

5. Ensure Color Contrast is High

Low color contrast (like light gray text on a white background) can make it difficult for people with visual impairments to read your content. Use a color contrast checker to ensure that your text stands out against the background.

6. Make Your Website Keyboard-Friendly

Many users with disabilities rely on keyboards instead of a mouse to navigate websites. To make your site operable via keyboard, ensure that all interactive elements (buttons, links, forms) can be accessed through keyboard commands. Additionally, provide visible focus indicators to show which element is currently selected when navigating with a keyboard.

7. Design Forms for Accessibility

Forms are often used on therapy websites for contact or appointment requests. To make forms accessible:

• Include labels for each form field.
• Offer clear instructions and validation messages.
• Ensure the form can be navigated with a keyboard.

8. Limit Flashing or Moving Content

Flashing content can trigger seizures or cause distractions for some users. If your website uses animations or videos, make sure they can be paused or disabled.

How to Create a Website Accessible for All?

The journey to making your website accessible doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Start small, make incremental changes, and continuously improve. Here’s a simple plan to follow:

Step 1: Evaluate Your Current Website

Use free online tools like WAVE or WebAIM to get an overview of your website’s accessibility. These tools will highlight areas that need improvement, such as missing alt text or insufficient color contrast.

Step 2: Focus on the Basics First

Don’t try to fix everything at once. Start with the easiest tasks:

• Add alt text to images.
• Fix your heading structure.
• Check your site’s color contrast.

Step 3: Test Your Website

Test your site using screen readers (like NVDA or VoiceOver) to understand how accessible it is for visually impaired users. You can also use keyboard navigation to ensure all interactive elements are functional without a mouse.

Step 4: Keep Accessibility in Mind When Updating Your Site

Whenever you add new content, post a blog, or update your services, make accessibility part of the process. Adding alt text, using proper headings, and testing your updates with a screen reader should become standard practice.

What Makes a Good Accessible Website?

Now that you’ve taken steps to improve your website’s accessibility, let’s summarize what makes a good accessible website. An accessible site is:

• Perceivable: All content is available to all users, regardless of disability. This includes using alt text for images and ensuring text can be resized.
• Operable: Visitors can easily navigate the site using a keyboard, mouse, or assistive technology.
• Understandable: The content is clear, readable, and well-structured, and the site behaves in predictable ways.
• Robust: The site is compatible with various devices, browsers, and assistive technologies.

By adhering to these principles, you’ll not only improve accessibility but also enhance the overall user experience for everyone who visits your therapy website.

How Do I Make a Website Link Accessible?

Links are a fundamental part of website navigation, but they often pose accessibility challenges. Here’s how to ensure your links are accessible:

1. Use Descriptive Text: Avoid using “Click here” or “Read more” without context. Instead, write clear and descriptive link text that tells users exactly where the link will take them. For example, “Download our intake form” is more descriptive than “Click here to download.”
2. Ensure Links are Visually Distinguishable: Users should be able to easily recognize links. Use underlining or a different color for links. Ensure that the color contrast between the link and the surrounding text is strong enough for users with visual impairments.
3. Provide Keyboard Focus: When navigating with a keyboard, users need to see which link or button they’re selecting. This is often done with a visible focus outline. Make sure your site includes these visual cues.

Conclusion: Start Small, Stay Inclusive

Making your website accessible might seem daunting, but as a therapy practice owner, you already know the value of small, intentional steps toward a greater goal. Start with the basics—headings, alt text, and keyboard navigation—and build from there. Each improvement you make opens the door for more people to connect with your services, ensuring that your practice is truly inclusive and welcoming.

The digital world is constantly evolving, but by keeping accessibility in mind, you’re not only future-proofing your practice but also providing a better experience for all your clients, no matter their abilities. Isn’t that the kind of care and attention you’d want your website to reflect?

Sources: 

1. Brighter Vision – How To Make Your Therapist Website Accessible And Why It Matters
2. Wix – How To Make Your Website Accessible: The Complete Guide
3. Hold Space Creative – Designing Your Counseling Website for Accessibility
4. Accessible.org – How To Make Your Website ADA Compliant