Or: You Don’t Have to Know Everything to Make a Difference
Ever looked at WCAG and thought, “Nope”? You’re not alone. Accessibility can feel overwhelming, technical, and never-ending.
But the truth is, you don’t have to do everything. You just have to start.
This chapter is for the folks staring at a mountain and wondering where the first step is. It’s for the people who care, but feel like they’re too late to the party, not technical enough, or worried they’ll get it wrong.
You don’t need to be an expert. You just need to care enough to try.
The power of small fixes
You don’t have to rebuild your entire site to start improving accessibility. Some of the most impactful changes are small, simple, and immediate.
Start here:
- Add skip links to your pages
- Make sure buttons are real button elements, not styled divs
- Label your form inputs clearly – don’t rely on placeholders
- Check your color contrast – especially on call-to-actions
- Don’t make people guess where to click. Underline your links.
- Make sure interactive elements have visible focus states (you know – the Oreo cookie outline!)
- Give images useful alt text (and skip it if it’s decorative)
- Use headings to create structure, not just big bold text
Think of these as accessibility multipliers – small effort, big reach.
You don’t have to know everything
You are not expected to know every WCAG guideline or memorize every screen reader command. What matters is that you ask questions and stay curious.
- Designers can think about tap targets and focus order
- Developers can check tab flows and label elements semantically
- Content folks can write better alt text and clearer links
- Testers can use the Tab key and start including accessibility in checklists
Accessibility isn’t a solo sport. It’s a team habit.
Use what you already have
Chances are, you already have tools and processes that can support accessibility:
- Got a dev team? Ask them to run a keyboard-only walkthrough.
- Using a CMS? Check what templates control your headings and landmarks.
- Doing QA? Add a quick focus check and contrast test.
- Writing content? Use plain language. Add context to links. Write alt text.
You don’t need a new team. You need new habits.
Progress over perfection
Accessibility isn’t something you finish. It’s something you keep doing.
You’ll miss things. You’ll learn better ways. That’s normal.
What matters is that you’re moving forward.
So wherever you are, start there.
And keep going.