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Accessibility, explained simply
No jargon and no judgement. Here’s what accessibility means, who it helps, and how to get started.
A 5-minute read
The basics
What is accessibility?
It means people can use your service whatever their body, mind, device or situation. If someone can’t see the screen, can’t use a mouse, or finds long forms hard, they can still get the job done.
One small fix, and what a screen reader hears before and after.
Without a label
Confusing
A screen reader says:
“Button.”
Someone using a screen reader has to guess.
With a label
Clear
A screen reader says:
“Search, button.”
Everyone knows what it does.
In plain words
An accessible service is one nobody gets stuck in.
Who it helps
It’s for all of us, at some point
1 in 5 Australians has disability (ABS, 2022). And everyone has days when things are harder.
Permanent
People who are blind, Deaf, or have limited movement.
Temporary
A broken arm. An eye infection. Recovering from surgery.
Situational
Holding a baby. Bright sun on a phone. A noisy train.
Everyday
Older people, people new to English, and anyone on a slow connection.
Common barriers
What gets in people’s way
Most barriers are small things with big effects. Here are seven we see often.
Vision
Someone using a screen reader
What stops them: A button with no name. It just says “button”.
The fix: Give every button a clear label.
Movement
Someone with a tremor
What stops them: Tiny links packed close together.
The fix: Make targets at least 24 pixels.
Movement
Someone using a keyboard
What stops them: The focus outline hides behind a sticky header.
The fix: Keep the focused item in view.
Reading
Someone with low literacy
What stops them: Long forms full of jargon that time out.
The fix: Plain words, and more time.
Hearing
Someone who is Deaf
What stops them: Videos without captions.
The fix: Add captions.
Vision
Someone with low vision
What stops them: Pale grey text on white.
The fix: Use stronger contrast.
Memory
Someone with memory loss
What stops them: Logins that need puzzles or codes from memory.
The fix: Allow paste and password managers.
Myths and facts
Myths we hear a lot
Select a myth to see the fact.
Jargon buster
Words you’ll hear, in plain English
WCAG
The international guidelines for accessible websites. Version 2.2 is the latest.
Level AA
The level most rules ask for. A is the basics. AAA is the highest.
Screen reader
Software that reads the screen aloud, for people who are blind or have low vision.
Assistive technology
Tools that help people use devices, like screen readers, magnifiers and switches.
Audit
A careful check of your service against WCAG, with a list of issues and fixes.
Accessibility statement
A public page saying how accessible your service is and how to get help.
Keyboard access
Being able to do everything without a mouse.
Colour contrast
How clearly text stands out from its background.
Did you know?
Every colour pairing on this site was checked for contrast. All text is at least 4.5 to 1, the level WCAG AA asks for.
The rules
What the law says
In Australia, anyone providing a service must not discriminate against people with disability. That includes websites and apps.
Disability Discrimination Act 1992
Covers websites and online services, as a 2000 case confirmed.
Australian Human Rights Commission, 2025
Recommends WCAG 2.2 Level AA as the minimum.
Public bodies
Federal, state and local services have their own standards on top, mostly WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 at Level AA.
This is a summary, not legal advice.
Ready to see how your service is going?
We’ll check it and explain everything along the way.