A visitor shouldn’t need perfect eyesight, a mouse, or fast reactions to use your website. The website accessibility checklist below helps Irish SMEs find common barriers across content, design, forms, mobile pages and online shops.

Accessibility also supports better customer service. Clear information, readable pages and usable forms reduce frustration for everyone, including people using phones, keyboard controls, screen readers or browser zoom. Start with the practical checks, then confirm which Irish and EU rules apply to your business.

Check your legal position first

Accessibility requirements depend on what your organisation does. A standard marketing website for a small local business isn’t automatically subject to every accessibility rule. However, a consumer-facing online service may have specific obligations.

Understand the European Accessibility Act

The European Accessibility Act, or EAA, applies in Ireland from 28 June 2025. Irish implementation comes through the European Union (Accessibility Requirements of Products and Services) Regulations 2023.

The rules cover certain products and services, including areas such as:

  • Consumer e-commerce services
  • Banking and payment services
  • Passenger transport services and ticketing
  • Electronic communications
  • E-books and related software
  • Some self-service terminals

The EAA isn’t a general statement that every website must meet one identical standard. First, identify whether your website provides a covered service. The Irish government information on the European Accessibility Act gives the wider context.

Microenterprises may receive an exemption for certain service obligations. The CCPC describes a microenterprise as having fewer than 10 employees and annual turnover or a balance-sheet total of no more than EUR2 million. That exemption applies to services, not automatically to products placed on the market. Check your position before relying on it.

Keep public-sector rules separate

Public bodies follow a different Irish framework under S.I. No. 358/2020. Their websites and mobile applications are expected to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA, with an accessibility statement and a way for users to report problems or request accessible information.

A private SME doesn’t automatically become a public body because it supplies a council or government department. However, a public-sector contract may include accessibility requirements in its tender or service agreement.

WCAG 2.2 is the newer W3C guidance. It is useful for planning improvements, but the legal standard that applies to your organisation depends on the relevant law, service and contract. This article gives general information, not legal advice.

A website accessibility checklist for Irish SMEs

Accessibility starts with the pages customers use most. Review your home page, main service pages, contact page, booking journey, checkout and important PDFs before checking less-used content.

Make content easy to read and understand

Use a clear page title and a logical heading structure. Keep one main H1, then use H2 and H3 headings in order. Don’t choose headings only because the font looks attractive.

Write short paragraphs and explain technical terms. Descriptive link text is more useful than “click here”. For example, “view our Shopify migration service” tells a screen-reader user where the link goes.

Check that:

  • Text has strong colour contrast against its background.
  • Information doesn’t rely on colour alone, such as red text for an error.
  • Text remains usable when visitors zoom the page to 200%.
  • Pages don’t contain flashing content that could trigger discomfort.
  • Important information isn’t shown only inside an image.
  • Buttons describe their action, such as “Send enquiry” or “Add to basket”.

The W3C WCAG 2.2 quick reference provides a detailed reference for developers and website managers. You don’t need to read every success criterion before making useful improvements.

Give images, video and documents the right treatment

Add alternative text that explains an image’s purpose. A photo of a completed kitchen renovation needs useful context, while a decorative shape normally needs empty alternative text. Don’t stuff keywords into image descriptions.

Videos should have accurate captions. Provide a transcript when the video contains important spoken information, and don’t rely on music or sound effects to communicate meaning. If an image contains essential text, repeat that information in the page content.

Review PDFs as well. A scanned brochure may be impossible for a screen reader to interpret, even when the website itself is well structured. Where possible, publish key information as an accessible HTML page and offer a properly tagged PDF as a secondary format.

Make forms, menus and checkouts usable

A page can look accessible and still fail at the point where a customer needs to act. Test the full journey, not only the home page.

Fix keyboard and focus problems

Put your hands away from the mouse and use the site with the keyboard. Press Tab to move through links, buttons and fields, Shift+Tab to move backwards, Enter or Space to activate controls, and Escape to close menus or dialogue boxes.

You should always be able to see where the keyboard focus sits. Check that:

  • The focus indicator has enough contrast.
  • Menus open and close without trapping the user.
  • Pop-ups can be closed with the keyboard.
  • The tab order follows the page’s visual and reading order.
  • The checkout, booking system and cookie controls work without a mouse.
  • Keyboard users can reach every interactive element.

A missing focus style is more than a visual nuisance. It leaves keyboard users guessing where they are on the page.

Label fields and explain errors

Every form field needs a visible label. Placeholder text isn’t a reliable replacement because it disappears when someone starts typing. Group related fields clearly, such as billing details or appointment preferences.

Error messages should say what went wrong and how to fix it. “Please enter a valid email address” is more useful than “Invalid input”. Keep information already entered where possible, especially on long enquiry or checkout forms.

Third-party booking tools, payment gateways, chat widgets and cookie platforms need testing too. A compliant main website can still leave customers blocked if an embedded service has unlabeled controls or an unusable dialogue.

Test on mobile and with assistive technology

Automated accessibility tools are helpful, but they can’t prove that a website works for disabled people. A scan may find missing alt text or poor contrast, yet it cannot decide whether the alternative text makes sense or whether a checkout journey is understandable.

Run four types of testing

Start with an automated scan across key templates. Use it to find repeated issues, then fix the source template rather than editing every page separately. The W3C list of accessibility evaluation tools can help you compare available options.

Next, complete the main journeys with a keyboard. Test the navigation, search, forms, menu, cookie controls, booking process and checkout.

Then use a screen reader. On Windows, NVDA is a common free option. On Apple devices, VoiceOver is built in. Listen to the page headings, landmarks, form labels, error messages and status updates. A page may pass an automated scan while still sounding confusing when read aloud.

Finally, test on a phone and tablet. Check portrait and landscape views, larger text, touch controls, sticky banners, mobile menus and payment screens. Try a slower connection if your customers often access the site while travelling or in rural areas.

Include real users where possible

People with different disabilities notice barriers that a developer or automated tool may miss. Ask users to complete real tasks, such as finding a price, submitting an enquiry, booking an appointment or buying a product.

Pay participants for their time when you can. Record the task that caused trouble, the technology used and the point where the person became blocked. User testing isn’t a one-off certificate. Repeat it after major redesigns, migrations, theme changes or new third-party integrations.

Fix accessibility issues by impact

A long audit report can leave a small team unsure where to begin. Use a simple priority system.

  1. Priority 1 issues block access. Fix keyboard traps, unusable forms, missing field labels, inaccessible checkout steps, unreadable text and controls that can’t be reached.
  2. Priority 2 issues create repeated friction. Address unclear link text, poor reading order, missing captions, weak error instructions, difficult zoom behaviour and confusing mobile menus.
  3. Priority 3 issues improve consistency. Tidy older documents, refine alternative text, improve focus styling and update content that is technically usable but hard to understand.

Give every issue an owner and a target date. Content teams can fix headings, links, images and documents. Developers can address templates, focus behaviour and third-party integrations. Managers should check that fixes are retested rather than marked complete after the code changes.

Run a quick review monthly on critical customer journeys, and repeat a full review after a redesign, platform migration or major plugin update. Keep screenshots or test notes so recurring issues are easier to spot.

Downloadable website accessibility checklist

Copy this summary into your project notes or maintenance plan:

  • Identify whether your website provides an EAA-covered product or service.
  • Check the relevant Irish requirements, contract terms and public-sector obligations.
  • Review the home page, service pages, contact page, checkout and important PDFs.
  • Use one clear H1 and a sensible heading order.
  • Write descriptive links and plain-language page content.
  • Add meaningful alternative text to informative images.
  • Mark decorative images correctly.
  • Provide captions and transcripts for important video content.
  • Check text and controls for sufficient colour contrast.
  • Confirm that information doesn’t rely on colour, sound or images alone.
  • Use every menu, form, pop-up and checkout step with a keyboard.
  • Confirm that focus remains visible and never becomes trapped.
  • Give every form field a visible label.
  • Write clear error messages and preserve entered information.
  • Test page zoom, mobile layouts, touch controls and orientation changes.
  • Run an automated scan, then review the findings manually.
  • Test with a keyboard and a screen reader.
  • Ask people with different access needs to complete real tasks.
  • Check third-party booking, payment, chat and cookie tools.
  • Record each issue, its priority, owner, fix date and retest result.
  • Provide a clear way for visitors to report an accessibility problem.

Conclusion

A good website accessibility checklist turns a broad concern into practical work. Start with the customer journeys that generate enquiries, bookings or sales, then combine automated checks with keyboard, screen-reader, mobile and user testing.

Irish and EU requirements depend on your organisation and service, so don’t assume that a small business is either fully exempt or automatically covered. Fix the barriers that block people first, keep the information clear, and review accessibility whenever the website changes. For ongoing website improvements, accessibility can also be considered as part of broader digital work with bbmm, alongside regular content and technical updates.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Does every Irish SME website need to comply with the EAA?
Not necessarily. The European Accessibility Act applies to specific products and services. Businesses should first determine whether their website provides a service covered by the EAA and whether any exemptions apply.

What accessibility standard should an Irish business website follow?
WCAG 2.2 provides current accessibility guidance, but the legal requirements depend on the organisation, service and applicable Irish or EU legislation. Public-sector websites have specific requirements under Irish regulations.

How can I check if my website is accessible?
Start with an automated accessibility scan, then manually test key pages and customer journeys using a keyboard, screen reader and mobile devices. Automated tools alone cannot identify every accessibility barrier.

What are the most common website accessibility issues?
Common issues include poor colour contrast, missing image alternative text, unclear form labels, inaccessible menus, invisible keyboard focus, unclear error messages, poor heading structure and checkout elements that cannot be used without a mouse.

How often should an SME review website accessibility?
Review critical customer journeys regularly, such as monthly where practical, and carry out a fuller review after redesigns, platform migrations, theme changes or major plugin and third-party service updates.