The Most Common Accessibility Issues in Web Design: How to Fix Them and Improve User Experience in 2024
Did you know that the most common web accessibility issue in 2024 is low-contrast text? This seemingly simple problem was found on 81% of home pages. For people with low vision, color blindness, or cognitive difficulties, poor text contrast can make reading difficult, if not impossible, which leads to a frustrating and inaccessible web experience.
With technology moving at lightning speed, ensuring that websites are accessible to everyone—regardless of their abilities—should be a top priority. However, a staggering 95.9% of website home pages in 2024 still do not comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), the international standards designed to make digital content more accessible.
Why Accessibility Matters More Than Ever
In today’s fast-paced, tech-driven world, digital accessibility isn’t just about inclusivity—it’s about ensuring usability for everyone. Think of it as designing a ramp to make a building accessible to all. Just like physical spaces, the digital world should be easy for everyone to navigate.
Users with health impairments represent a growing demographic that businesses and organizations cannot afford to ignore. As the demand for online services grows, so does the expectation that these services will be accessible. Whether it’s a retail website, an educational platform, or an immersive experience, ensuring that users of all abilities can easily engage with your content will soon be table stakes in web design.
The Most Common Web Accessibility Errors
Accessibility is about more than text contrast. Many websites are riddled with issues that make them difficult for users with diverse health profiles to navigate. On average, websites tested in 2024 had 56.8 accessibility errors per page, with some of the most common issues including:
Here is an example of low-contrast text on a dark background that is hard to read.
Also, you can try generating Alt Text with ChatGPT's help. Just be sure that the suggested description matches and describes the image correctly.
<html lang="en">
The changes may be small, but they can have a big impact on your users—and on your business.
Why Achieving an Accessible Internet is Still a Slow Path
Despite growing awareness of web accessibility, many organizations still face significant challenges in achieving compliance:
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As of 2024, over 40% of websites rely on third-party content management systems (CMS) like WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal, which frequently update their core frameworks and plugins, potentially disrupting accessibility features. Writing code manually to implement accessibility standards, such as WCAG and ADA, is complex and requires a deep understanding of semantic HTML, ARIA attributes, and proper testing with assistive technologies. Moreover, when using website generator platforms like Squarespace and Wix, the process can become cumbersome due to limited customization options and the need to find suitable third-party apps, which often entails extensive research and additional costs.
Emerging technologies like augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and AI-powered web experiences add further complexity. As of 2024, the immersive technology market is growing at an annual rate of 27.8%, with applications in e-commerce, education, and healthcare. However, AR and VR environments face unique accessibility challenges. For instance, creating inclusive VR experiences for people with visual impairments or those with limited mobility requires both hardware and software innovations that are still developing. Currently, fewer than 5% of VR applications meet the basic accessibility standards outlined by the W3C Immersive Web Working Group.
Also, automated features like chatbots or dynamic content can sometimes bypass accessibility protocols, making it harder for screen readers or keyboard-only navigation to function properly. Studies show that 42% of AI-based web applications require additional accessibility customization to meet standards. If you are part of Salesforce Agentforce, there shouldn't be any issue as Salesforce prioritizes web accessible and sustainable design.
On the bright side, AI-powered accessibility solutions, like Evenness' real-time accessibility auditing tools, are emerging to help alleviate these challenges. This, along with growing government pressure and public demand, gives hope that the web will become more accessible in the near future.
Regulatory Push: Key Web Accessibility Standards Across Geographies
Web accessibility is regulated through various laws and standards around the world. Here are some of the key guidelines and regulations that businesses should be aware of:
* European Accessibility Act (EAA): Effective from June 2025, the EAA aims to improve the accessibility of products and services across the European Union. This legislation extends to websites and mobile applications, requiring public and private sector organizations to ensure their digital services are accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. By establishing common accessibility requirements, the EAA enhances the rights of individuals with disabilities to access digital content and fosters a more inclusive online environment across member states.
These laws and standards vary in their enforcement and application, but they all share a common goal: ensuring that digital experiences are accessible to everyone. Businesses that fail to comply risk legal action, financial penalties, and damage to their reputation.
The Business Case for Web Accessibility
Aside from legal obligations, web accessibility is essential to building a user-friendly digital experience for anyone, whether they are healthy, have life-long health impairments, or are recovering from injuries. By removing accessibility barriers, you can attract a broader audience, improve customer satisfaction, and enhance your site’s overall usability. Not only that, accessible websites often perform better in search engine (SEO) rankings, which can lead to more traffic and better conversion rates.
Beyond compliance, making your website accessible is a smart business move. Enhancing readability with proper contrast, adding meaningful alt text for images, and ensuring clear navigation benefits all users, not just those with health impairments. Addressing these issues can significantly improve how users engage with your content, driving both user experience and business growth.
So, what accessibility feature do you plan to start working on today?
Award-winning leader with extensive experience in driving ethical AI & Web3 adoption, user engagement, revenue growth, and accessible, sustainable global innovation | Public speaker | Founder & Consultant
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