An accessible website helps more people understand your services, complete a form and contact your business. That includes people who navigate by keyboard, use screen readers, enlarge text or rely on captions.
For a Muslim-owned business, accessibility is not a decorative feature or a badge. It is practical work that can remove barriers for customers. This guide offers a starting checklist; it does not certify legal compliance and is not legal advice.
Understand the US context
The U.S. Department of Justice explains that the Americans with Disabilities Act applies to businesses open to the public and that inaccessible web content can prevent people with disabilities from accessing goods and services.
Read the Department’s Guidance on Web Accessibility and the ADA (opens in a new tab) and Title III information (opens in a new tab) for the official overview. How the law applies can depend on the organisation and circumstances, so seek qualified advice for a legal assessment.
1. Use meaningful headings
Headings should describe the sections that follow and use a logical order. Do not choose a heading level only because of its visual size. People using assistive technology may navigate by headings, so a clear outline makes the page easier to scan.
2. Make everything work with a keyboard
A visitor should be able to reach links, menus, forms and dialogs without a mouse. The current focus should be visible, and the order should follow the page logically.
Test by using the Tab key from the top of the page. If focus disappears, becomes trapped or skips an essential control, the interaction needs attention.
3. Give images useful alternatives
Informative images need text alternatives that communicate their purpose. Decorative images should not create noise for screen-reader users.
Alternative text should be specific to the page. “Image” or a long list of keywords does not help someone understand what the image contributes.
4. Label forms and explain errors
Every field should have a persistent, understandable label. Placeholder text alone can disappear as the visitor types. Required fields and errors should be communicated in text rather than through color alone.
After submitting, the visitor should receive a clear confirmation or know what needs correcting.
5. Check contrast and text resizing
Text and important controls need enough contrast against their background. Test the site when text is enlarged and on a narrow phone screen. Content should reflow without requiring horizontal scrolling for ordinary reading.
Avoid putting important text inside images because it cannot adapt as well and may not be available to assistive technology.
6. Add captions and transcripts where appropriate
Videos with spoken information need captions for people who cannot hear the audio. A transcript can also help visitors who prefer reading or cannot play sound.
Check automatic captions before publishing; names and specialist terms are often transcribed incorrectly.
7. Use clear link and button language
“View pricing” is more informative than several links called “click here.” Buttons should describe the action they perform. Icons without visible text need an accessible name.
8. Test real journeys
Do not test only the homepage. Check the paths that matter:
- finding a service;
- completing an enquiry;
- booking an appointment;
- purchasing a product;
- reading legal or delivery information;
- correcting a form error.
Automated tools can find some problems, but they do not replace keyboard testing, screen-reader checks or feedback from disabled users.
Questions for a website provider
- Which accessibility practices are included in the build?
- Are keyboard navigation and visible focus tested?
- How are form errors communicated?
- Who writes alternative text and captions?
- Are third-party booking or payment tools checked?
- How will new content be kept accessible?
Official sources
- Guidance on Web Accessibility and the ADA — ADA.gov (opens in a new tab)
- Title III of the ADA — ADA.gov (opens in a new tab)
- ADA Update: A Primer for Small Business — ADA.gov (opens in a new tab)
Accessibility is an ongoing practice. This checklist can guide a conversation with your designer, but it cannot determine legal compliance for a particular business.