Web accessibility matters — and the first steps are easier than you think
Earnsy Liu | May 21, 2026
Digital.Govt.NZ defines web accessibility as being ‘about inclusion — making sure everyone, including disabled people and those using assistive technologies, can access online information and services.’ That means making sure everyone can find, read, and use information on the web.
Accessibility is a human right
Everyone has the right to know what’s happening around them and to them. Everyone has the right to buy a present for their loved one, book a holiday, contact their local council… you name it. Should people with disabilities have the same rights as everyone else? I think so.
These days we do just about everything online, so web accessibility really matters. Without it, we’re denying some people some of those rights.
Accessibility benefits us all
When something is accessible, we all benefit, just as we benefit from curb cuts and closed captions.
- Curb cuts are those little ramps on footpaths. Originally designed for wheelchairs, others use them too, like parents with strollers, cyclists, and delivery workers.
- Closed captions were designed for the deaf and those with hearing difficulties. But you might use them too, like when it’s noisy or when you have to be quiet (say, in a library).
A lack of accessibility can be a constant struggle
When things aren’t accessible, it takes a toll on those who constantly can’t do what they need to. Holly, who’s registered blind, writes:
Disabled burnout is, at its core, about existing in a world that wasn’t designed for you, and having to bridge that gap every single day.
It’s the exhaustion and frustration that comes from advocating for your needs and navigating barriers, over and over again. That advocacy starts to weigh heavy.
On disabled burnout and the cost of resilience — Life of a Blind Girl
A lack of accessibility hurts others too
When things aren’t accessible, the rest of society also pays a price. Here are three examples.
- If businesses don’t have accessible websites, they unintentionally put up a ‘not welcome here’ sign, and lose business they could be getting.
- If organisations don’t have accessible information, they limit who can work for them or support them, and hurt their own image.
- If schools and universities don’t offer accessible learning, they stop people from learning and later contributing to society.
Three steps you can take now
If you work with web content or have any influence over it, do your bit for web accessibility — even a few steps will make a difference.
Write helpful headings, and format them correctly
Write headings that sum up what your section says. Clear headings help readers grasp your messages more quickly and let them see more easily if they’re in the right place.
Use headings in the right order. Start with H1 for your page title, then use H2, and finally H3 if needed. Don’t jump from H1 to H3 because that will confuse screen readers (software that reads text to those who can’t read it themselves). Don’t manually format text to look like headings because screen readers won’t know those ‘headings’ exist.
Be clear from the start
Accessibility includes making things easy for people who aren’t confident in the language you’re communicating in. That might be people whose first language is sign language, tourists, or people from other backgrounds. Get to the point quickly and say it plainly.
Offer useful text alternatives
If you have a photo or graph on your page, ask yourself: ‘What do people need to know about it?’ If your answer is, ‘Nothing, it’s just a pretty picture,’ mark it as decorative. If your answer is, ‘I want them to know X,’ write a text alternative (alt text) that tells them that.
If you have a video, remember to offer captions. Check the colour contrast of those captions, and make sure the captions on each page are a consistent length.
Go further when you’re ready
If you’re working on a webpage or other content, we can help with simple steps like those above, and more.
To find out more about web accessibility, visit the Internal Affairs site for good clear guidance.