Inclusive design isn’t just a nice-to-have in 2025 – it’s essential. Accessibility boosts your product’s reach and user experience for everyone. Inaccessible digital products leave out at least 15% of the global population, and they risk legal trouble as laws tighten. For example, the EU’s European Accessibility Act requires many digital products to meet accessibility standards by June 2025. In the U.S., over 4,500 web accessibility lawsuits were filed in 2024 alone. No startup or SME wants to face a lawsuit or alienate a huge chunk of potential users. The good news? Investing in accessibility early is easier and cheaper than fixing it later – it costs far less to build things accessibly from the start than to retrofit fixes after launch. Startups actually have an advantage here: with no legacy baggage, you can build an inclusive product from day one.

Below is a checklist of 12 quick wins for accessibility. These are practical, high-impact actions that developers, designers, and product teams at startups or SMEs can implement without huge effort or budget. They apply to both web and mobile apps, ensuring your new product is welcoming to the widest audience possible. Let’s dive in!

12 Quick Accessibility Wins for New Products

1. Sufficient Color Contrast for Text

A high-contrast (top) vs. low-contrast (bottom) text example. Ensuring your text is easily readable against its background is one of the simplest and most impactful accessibility improvements. Low-contrast text is the number one accessibility failure on the web, appearing on over 83% of pages analyzed. To avoid this, follow the recommended minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text (and 3:1 for large text) as per WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines. There are many free contrast checker tools (e.g. the WebAIM Contrast Checker) that you can use to test your color pairs. If any text is hard to read (think light gray on white, or yellow on light gray), bump up the contrast by changing the text or background color. High contrast helps not only users with low vision or color blindness, but also anyone trying to read your app in bright sunlight. It’s a quick win that literally everyone will appreciate.

2. Add Descriptive Alt Text to Images

Every image that conveys information in your product should have alternative text (alt text) or an accessible label describing its content or function. This ensures that blind or visually impaired users using screen readers can understand what the image is showing. Missing alt text is a very common oversight – it’s found on about 58% of web pages – but it’s extremely easy to fix. When adding an image on the web, include a concise alt="..." description. For icons or buttons, the alt text (or an aria-label) should say what action they perform (e.g. alt="Search" on a magnifying-glass icon button). In native mobile apps, use the platform’s accessibility label property to label image elements. A good alt description is succinct and focuses on the image’s essential content (“Company logo of XYZ” or “Screenshot of analytics dashboard showing growth chart”). Remember that purely decorative images can have empty alt attributes or be hidden from assistive tech – the key is to ensure no meaningful image is left unexplained. Not only does this help screen reader users, it can also improve your SEO (since search engines index alt text).

3. Use Semantic Structure (Headings and Landmarks)

Structure your app’s content in a logical, semantic way so that both users and assistive technologies can navigate it easily. On the web, this means using proper HTML5 elements and heading levels instead of random <div>s for everything. For example, use <header>, <nav>, <main>, <section>, <article>, <footer> and so on where appropriate. Use headings (<h1> through <h6>) in a hierarchical order to outline the page content (the page title as an H1, major sections as H2, subsections as H3, etc.). This way, someone using a screen reader or browsing quickly can understand the page structure or jump to the section they need. Avoid skipping heading levels or using styling (big bold text) in place of actual heading tags – assistive tech can’t infer structure from style. In mobile apps, similarly organize content into logical sections and use native UI components which often come with semantic roles by default (for example, iOS’s standard UI elements have traits that identify them as headings or buttons). A well-structured product not only aids accessibility but also makes content more scannable for all users. It’s like providing a map of your interface – nobody enjoys getting lost in a wall of unstructured content!

4. Label All Form Inputs Clearly

Forms are critical in most products (sign-ups, checkouts, etc.), so make sure every form element has a text label or instructions that screen readers can detect. Each text field, dropdown, checkbox, and button should either use an explicit <label> (for web) or have an accessible name in your app code. Missing form labels are a frequent problem – nearly 46% of pages have form inputs with no associated label. The fix is straightforward: in HTML, use a <label for="inputID">Name</label> tied to the form field’s id, or wrap the input with a label. If a visible label isn’t possible (e.g. a search icon acting as a button), use aria-label or a descriptive title so assistive tech can identify it. In mobile development, set content descriptions or accessibility labels for form fields so that, for instance, a screen reader will speak “Email, text field” when focus moves to an email input. Never rely on placeholder text alone as a label – once the user starts typing, the placeholder disappears, and it might not be announced by a screen reader as a label. Providing clear labels (and instructions if needed) will help everyone, not just users with disabilities. It reduces confusion and errors, making for a smoother sign-up or checkout process.

5. Write Descriptive Link and Button Text (No “Click Here”)

All interactive elements like links and buttons should make sense out of context. Avoid vague labels such as “Click here”, “Learn more”, or “Submit” without additional context. A screen reader user or anyone scanning quickly should be able to understand what a link or button does just by its text. For example, instead of multiple links all saying “Read more”, change them to “Read more about Pricing” or “Read more about Our Team”. This way, when a user hears or sees the link, they know what they’ll get. Additionally, never leave a link or button with no text at all. “Empty” links or buttons (often an <a> or <button> tag containing only an icon or no content) are useless to screen readers – and unfortunately, empty links are found on about 50% of home pages (often as social media icons with no labels), and empty buttons on 27.5%. The remedy is easy: if you use an icon (like a search magnifying glass or menu hamburger), include an aria-label="Search" or similar on the element, or add hidden assistive text within the link. If a link was unintentionally empty, remove it or fix it. Descriptive, unique link text helps all users by providing clarity. It’s especially crucial for screen reader users who may navigate via a list of links – they’ll hear each link announced on its own, so “Profile settings” is much more helpful than a dozen “Click here” entries.

6. Enable Keyboard Navigation Everywhere

Ensure that every feature of your product can be used with only a keyboard (or keyboard-like input). This is vital for people who cannot use a mouse or touchpad, including those with motor disabilities or who use assistive switches, and it also tends to cover screen reader users (who operate via keyboard shortcuts). On the web, test your site by using the Tab key to move through links, buttons, and form fields – you should be able to reach all interactive elements in a logical order, and activate them with Enter or Space. Important controls like dropdowns, modals, or sliders must work via keyboard as well. For example, a dropdown should open with Enter/Space and let you arrow through options; a modal dialog should trap focus inside it until closed (so keyboard users don’t tab behind the modal by accident), and it should close with Esc key. If you have custom components (say, a custom carousel or map widget), be sure to give them keyboard controls or fallback alternatives. It’s also a good practice to provide a “Skip to main content” link at the top of pages – this allows keyboard users to jump past lengthy menus or headers directly to the main content. Mobile apps don’t have a physical keyboard, but users might navigate via assistive technologies like Switch Control or Voice Access which emulate keyboard navigation; if your focus order and accessibility labels are set correctly, they will be able to operate the app similarly. A quick test: try going through your UI without a mouse (or only using the TAB key on web) to catch any keyboard traps or dead-ends. If you find something you can’t reach or operate, fix it – often it’s as easy as adding a missing focus attribute or JavaScript event for key presses. In short, no part of your UI should require a mouse or touch – it should be fully operable from the keyboard.

7. Keep Focus Indicators Visible

As you implement keyboard navigation, make sure that when an element is focused (i.e. selected via keyboard), it’s clearly highlighted on screen. By default, browsers show a visible outline on focused buttons, links, etc. – do not remove these unless you replace them with an equal or better style! A surprising number of sites hide the focus outline for aesthetic reasons, leaving keyboard users “lost” as to what is currently selected. Always ensure a visible focus indicator with sufficient contrast. In fact, the latest WCAG 2.2 guidelines include stricter rules for focus visibility (Focus Appearance) – the focus outline should be at least a 2px solid or equivalent, and have a contrast ratio of at least 3:1 against the adjacent colors. In practice, this could mean styling the focus state of links and buttons to have a clearly contrasting border or background. For example, add a bright outline or underline on focus for your custom elements if you’ve disabled the default. On the flip side, avoid obnoxious focus styles that might be mistaken for an error; the goal is a clear, distinct highlight of whichever element is active. This is a quick CSS fix that makes a world of difference for keyboard and screen reader users (who often use the focus outline as their cursor). It also helps sighted users tabbing through a page. Bottom line: if you hit Tab and can’t easily see where you are, fix your focus styles. Don’t leave users guessing.

8. Don’t Rely on Color Alone to Convey Meaning

Whenever you use color to indicate something important, always include a secondary indicator. Many users have some form of color vision deficiency (color blindness), and even for those who don’t, relying on color alone can be problematic (think of trying to interpret a red/green indicator under poor lighting or on a monochrome printout). For example, if invalid form fields are highlighted in red, also show an icon or message that indicates an error. If your app has status badges (green for “active”, red for “offline”), include a label or distinct icon along with the color. WCAG guidelines explicitly advise never to convey information by color alone. This is usually an easy adjustment: add a symbol, pattern, text, or different shape. On graphs or charts, use different marker shapes or textures in addition to color coding the lines or segments. On a map, don’t just use colored pins – vary their shapes or add labels. Ensuring that color-coded info is also available through text or other means will make your content usable for people with color blindness or low vision. It can also help everyone in situations like low screen brightness or glare. So ask yourself: “If this were in grayscale, could I still understand it?” If not, add another cue. This way you won’t accidentally exclude users who can’t distinguish certain colors.

9. Provide Captions and Transcripts for Media

If your product includes multimedia content – like promo videos, feature tutorials, audio clips, or even background music – be sure to include text alternatives for the audio portions. Captions (subtitles) should be provided for videos so that deaf or hard-of-hearing users (and anyone watching without sound) can read what’s being spoken or described. Don’t rely on auto-generated captions alone, as they may have errors; if possible, review or provide high-quality captions, especially for important content. For audio-only content like podcasts, offer a text transcript. Transcripts make your content accessible to those who can’t hear it, and they have the side benefit of boosting SEO (search engines can’t listen to audio, but they can index text). In fact, adding transcripts has been shown to increase engagement – for example, when CNET added transcripts to videos, their Google search traffic jumped by 30%. Also consider audio descriptions for videos that have important visual details (a narrator describing scene changes, actions, or text on screen), though for a quick win, focus on captions and transcripts first. Many hosting platforms (YouTube, etc.) allow you to upload caption files easily, and there are services to get transcripts made. On mobile, if your app plays videos, use closed caption files or API support to show subtitles. Another tip: ensure media controls are accessible (keyboard operable and labeled) so users can pause or stop audio – auto-playing audio without user control is a no-go for accessibility. Overall, providing text alternatives for multimedia ensures that no user misses out on your content, regardless of hearing ability or environment.

10. Specify the Page or Content Language

This is a quick but important one: declare the primary language of your content so that assistive technologies can present text correctly. On a website, that means adding the lang attribute to your HTML tag (e.g., <html lang="en"> for English, <html lang="fr"> for French, etc.). It’s a one-line fix that many developers forget – in fact, 18.6% of home pages were found missing a language attribute. When lang is missing or wrong, screen readers might default to an incorrect language profile, leading to mispronounced or unintelligible speech output (imagine a French article being read with English pronunciation rules – it would be very confusing!). For multilingual content, you can also mark up portions in other languages (e.g. lang="es" for a Spanish phrase in an English page). In mobile apps, ensure any accessibility APIs know the language of UI elements (usually this is handled if your app’s locale is set, but double-check if your app dynamically loads content in different languages). By setting the language, you make it much easier for text-to-speech tools to deliver the content understandably. It’s an instant win for global accessibility. And if your product supports multiple languages, this is even more vital – switch the lang or locale appropriately when users select a different language, so that assistive tech can smoothly switch voice profiles. In short, tell the world what language you’re speaking in your app – it helps everyone get the message clearly.

11. Support Zoom and Large Text on Small Screens

Many users, including those with low vision, rely on browser zoom or increased font sizes to read content comfortably. Your design should not only allow this, but embrace it. First, never disable user zoom on mobile web (don’t use the user-scalable=no or maximum scale tricks in viewport meta tags). On the contrary, test that your layout remains usable at 200% zoom, which is the level WCAG expects text to still be readable without loss of content or functionality. Avoid fixed-width layouts or elements that break when zoomed – use flexible, responsive design techniques so content reflows as needed. On native mobile apps, support the platform’s accessibility settings for text size. For instance, on iOS enable Dynamic Type so that if a user has set Larger Text in their accessibility settings, your app’s text scales up accordingly. Similarly, ensure that controls don’t overlap or become impossible to scroll when text is larger. Another part of being mobile-friendly is making touch targets big enough. Tiny buttons that require pixel-perfect taps are frustrating for everyone, and especially for users with limited dexterity. Follow recommended minimum target sizes (WCAG 2.2 suggests at least 24×24 CSS pixels of clickable area for interactive controls, and many mobile guidelines recommend around 44 points which is roughly 7–8mm on screen). This doesn’t mean every icon must be huge, but include padding around tappable icons and links so that there’s a decent touch area. Also ensure sufficient spacing between tappable elements so that a user doesn’t accidentally hit the wrong one. These adjustments are usually minor in CSS or layout, but they greatly improve usability on small screens and for users with shaky hands. Remember, what’s accessible on mobile tends to be good practice in general – even users with perfect vision appreciate the ability to zoom in on content or easily click a button without fumbling. Design with flexibility and scalability in mind from the start, and you won’t have to retrofit it later.

12. Test with Accessibility Tools and Real Users

Finally, one of the quickest wins is simply to run an accessibility check on your product and fix what it flags. There are excellent free tools to help with this. For web apps, you can use automated checkers like the built-in Lighthouse audit in Chrome or Firefox, or the WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool. These will catch a lot of common issues (missing alt text, low contrast, missing form labels, etc.) and give you reports. Another great tool is axe DevTools (a browser extension) for developers. Make it a habit to run these audits periodically during development – it’s much easier to address issues on the fly. Besides automation, do some manual testing as well: try navigating your site with a screen reader turned on (NVDA or JAWS on Windows, VoiceOver on Mac/iPhone, TalkBack on Android). It might feel unfamiliar at first, but you’ll quickly notice if something is impossible to use without visuals. Also test by only using the keyboard (as mentioned earlier) and by zooming in or increasing system font size. These quick tests will highlight a lot of usability problems that might not be obvious otherwise. In 2025, accessibility testing is becoming a normal part of QA – there are even AI-powered scanners to help – but nothing beats experiencing your product the way a user with a disability would. If possible, engage actual users with disabilities for feedback (even within your team or network there may be someone who can share insights). Catching and fixing issues early not only prevents barriers for users, it also saves you from potential legal risks. By making testing and accessibility reviews part of your launch checklist, you’ll ensure your new product is inclusive from the get-go. Plus, you’ll likely discover improvements that benefit all users. As many in the industry say, accessibility is not one-and-done but an ongoing process – however, starting with these quick wins will put you miles ahead of most.