Glossary

Accessibility

Designing content and websites so they can be used by people of all abilities.

Definition

Accessibility (in the context of web content and digital writing) refers to the practice of designing, writing, and formatting content so that it can be understood and used by people of all abilities — including those with visual, auditory, cognitive, or motor disabilities. Web accessibility standards are codified in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

Why It Matters

Approximately 15% of the world's population lives with some form of disability. Inaccessible web content excludes these users and exposes organizations to legal liability. Accessibility best practices — plain language, proper heading structure, alt text for images, sufficient color contrast — also improve content quality and SEO.

Examples

Alt textAdding descriptive alt text to all informational images so screen readers can convey meaning

Heading hierarchyUsing H1 to H2 to H3 correctly so screen readers can navigate content structure

Plain languageWriting at a reading level appropriate for the broadest possible audience

Common Mistakes

Treating accessibility as optional.

Using color alone to convey meaning.

Writing in dense jargon without definitions.

Ignoring keyboard navigation.

Related Tools

Readability Score Checker

Calculate the Flesch Reading Ease score of your text.

Word Counter

Count words in your text instantly with reading level analysis.

Sentence Counter

Count the number of sentences in your text.

Related Terms

Alt Text

A text description added to an image for accessibility and SEO purposes.

Formatting

The visual structure and layout of written content, including headings, lists, and spacing.

Readability Score

A numeric measure of how easy or difficult a text is to read.

← Back to Glossary