You do not need to be a developer to make most of your content accessible. A handful of habits, applied consistently, close the gap for the majority of visitors. This is a practical checklist you can start using on your very next post or web page, no code required.
1. Write alt text that actually describes the image
Alt text is the short written description a screen reader speaks aloud, and it is missing on 53.1% of the home pages in the 2026 WebAIM Million report. Fixing it is quick.
Describe what matters in the image, not the fact that it is an image. Skip "photo of" and just say what is happening.
Keep it concise, roughly 125 characters or fewer. If there is text baked into the graphic, include that text in your description.
Mark purely decorative images as decorative (empty alt) so screen readers skip them instead of reading noise.
Bonus: descriptive alt text also gives search engines real words to index, so it quietly helps your visibility too.
2. Choose readable fonts and sizes
Use clean, familiar typefaces for body text. Save decorative or script fonts for the occasional headline.
Keep body text around 16px and up so people are not pinching to zoom.
Avoid setting whole sentences in ALL CAPS; screen readers can misread them and they are harder to scan.
Give text room to breathe with generous line spacing and left-aligned paragraphs.
3. Caption your videos, every time
Captions are essential for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers, and studies consistently show they boost comprehension and engagement for everyone. Most people scroll social feeds with the sound off, and in a Verizon Media and Publicis study, 80% of consumers said they are more likely to watch a video to the end when captions are available. Add real captions rather than relying on a viewer's autoplay luck, and read them through once to fix the auto-generated typos.
4. Never rely on color alone
This is one of the most overlooked rules in the guidelines. If color is the only thing carrying meaning, you lose the roughly 1 in 12 men who are color blind.
Do not say "click the green button" or "items in red are sold out." Add a label, an icon, or a shape.
On charts and maps, pair each color with a pattern, a direct label, or a text callout.
On forms, mark errors with an icon and a message, not just a red outline.
5. Write in plain language
Plain language helps people with cognitive disabilities, non-native speakers, and every visitor skimming on a phone. Short sentences, everyday words, one idea per paragraph, and clear headings do more for accessibility than most people expect. If a sentence needs to be read twice, rewrite it once.
6. Use real headings and descriptive links
Screen reader users navigate by jumping between headings, so structure your pages with true heading levels rather than just big bold text. And make link text describe its destination: "read the accessibility checklist" tells a screen reader user far more than a bare "click here." These structural habits are baked into every Egmer website design build for exactly this reason.
7. Check your color contrast
Faint text is the most common accessibility failure online. Aim for a 4.5:1 contrast ratio on body text, and test your colors in a free checker before you publish. If you want a fast read on your whole site, the free accessibility checker will scan a URL and flag exactly what is falling short.
The takeaway
Accessible content is mostly a set of small, repeatable habits: describe your images, caption your video, keep text readable and high-contrast, back up color with labels, and write plainly. None of it requires a redesign. Start with the next thing you publish, and let it become the way you always work.
Ready when you are
Want a partner who bakes all of this in from day one instead of leaving it on your to-do list? That is what Egmer Marketing does. See the approach on the services page, or book a call to make your content work for everyone.