How digital accessibility helps your brand and revenue grow

When we talk about digital accessibility, or website accessibility, we’re referring to digital information that’s available online for everyone. It’s a way to contribute to a more inclusive society. Discover why digital accessibility matters, how it’s a smart move for your business, and how to make your website accessible for all users.

What is digital accessibility?

Making digital information accessible to everyone, that’s what website or digital accessibility is all about.

You’ll often hear this term in the context of government initiatives. Digital accessibility is a key focus for public institutions. More and more government bodies are legally required to make their digital platforms accessible. Together, they aim to create a digital government that’s inclusive for all.

It means designing and developing a website so that all users can easily access the content, including people with disabilities.

Your website should be accessible to users with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive impairments, as well as those facing temporary challenges like a broken arm or a sun-glared screen.

A digitally accessible website takes into account the diversity of its users by offering clear navigation, good contrast, alternative text for images, and compatibility with screen readers.

Don’t exclude visitors

Why is an accessible website important? First and foremost, because excluding certain visitors - also known as digital exclusion - would be a missed opportunity. Your website should be inclusive too.

Not only is that socially responsible, but from a business perspective, it’s also a smart move. You’ll expand your reach, improve the user experience for everyone, and boost your SEO performance. Search engines like Google favor clear, structured content. By addressing this proactively, you’re preparing your business for the future.

Everyone benefits from an accessible website

We often associate website accessibility with users who have (visual) impairments, as they are typically the most directly affected.

However, many more internet users benefit from accessible websites, think of elderly users with reduced vision, people browsing on mobile devices in bright sunlight, or users with slow internet connections.

Even temporary difficulties, like a broken arm or being in a noisy environment where you can’t hear a video, highlight how far-reaching digital accessibility is.

A pillar of digital inclusion

Making websites accessible to everyone is a key pillar of digital inclusion, also known as e-inclusion.

Digital inclusion encompasses the actions and solutions needed to prevent digital exclusion. It’s about enabling everyone to fully participate in the digital society. E-inclusion focuses on removing ICT-related barriers, such as digital skills, and access to devices and the internet.

At the same time, people must be supported and given the opportunity to find their digital way, for example by developing user-friendly websites and apps.

The Digital Inclusion Barometer highlights the current state of access to digital technologies and digital skills in Belgium. Read more about it on the Mediawijs website (in Dutch).

Better results, more customers

Did you know that over 20% of Flemish people live with a disability? (Dutch source) Globally, that number reaches around 16% of the population. According to the World Economic Forum, this group represents a purchasing power of €11.5 trillion.

By making your website accessible, you’re not only including everyone, you’re tapping into a vast, often overlooked market. Accessibility isn’t just socially responsible, it’s also commercially savvy.

Optimized for search engines

Accessible websites aren’t just more user-friendly, they’re also better optimized for search engines like Google.

A clear structure with logical headings, descriptive alt-texts for images, and simple navigation makes your site easier to understand for screen readers and search bots. The result? Better SEO, more organic traffic, and higher search rankings.

More engagement and conversions

Research shows that accessible websites have more engaged visitors and higher conversion rates. When users can navigate easily and without frustration, they’re more likely to make a purchase, sign up, or get in touch. Usability pays off, for all visitors.

12% more traffic

Combell works with AccessiWay, part of team.blue and a true expert in digital accessibility. In an analysis of over 800 websites, 100% saw at least a 12% increase in traffic after implementing accessibility improvements. That’s significant, right?

Why is digital accessibility important?

Accessibility for people with disabilities

• Makes your website usable for people who are blind, visually impaired, deaf, hard of hearing, or those with motor or cognitive disabilities.
• Contributes to digital inclusion and equal access to information and services.

Legal obligations around website accessibility

• In Belgium and the EU, government bodies are required to make their websites and apps accessible (in accordance with WCAG guidelines).
• Similar rules are expected for private sector organisations under the European Accessibility Act (from 2025).

Improved user experience for all your visitors

• An accessible website is clear, well-structured, and easy to navigate, something all users benefit from.
• Think readable text, logical layout, and straightforward interaction.

SEO benefits and higher conversion rates

• Search engines love well-structured, accessible content, which improves your visibility.
• User-friendly websites retain visitors longer and increase conversion chances. Accessible websites help make this happen.

What are your legal obligations?

Accessibility isn’t just good service or a nice-to-have, it’s a legal matter too. Here’s what current laws and guidelines say about digital accessibility.

If your website doesn’t meet accessibility standards, the consequences can be significant! For governments, this may result in official warnings or sanctions. Citizens can file formal complaints.

Businesses may face reputational damage, legal liability, and, soon financial penalties. In short, investing in accessibility is not just ethical and customer-friendly, it’s also essential to avoid legal risk.

Accessibility for government websites

Government websites, including those of cities and municipalities, must follow strict digital accessibility guidelines.

Many public bodies are required to make their websites and apps accessible for all users, including people with disabilities.

This means the site must be usable without visual or motor control, content must be understandable, and screen readers must be able to interpret all information correctly.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

The technical foundation is laid out in the international WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), developed by W3C.

These guidelines are based on four core principles: a website must be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. Within this structure, there are three levels of accessibility: A (basic), AA (recommended standard), and AAA (highest level).

Most legal requirements, including those from the EU and national governments, set AA as the minimum standard.

From June 28, 2025: European Accessibility Act 2025

June 28, 2025 marks the start of the European Accessibility Act (EAA). From that date, many websites and webshops must be digitally accessible to people with disabilities.

Digital accessibility is gaining more importance across the EU. The EAA, effective in 2025, will require private companies in sectors like e-commerce, transport, telecom, and financial services to make their digital platforms accessible.

That means accessibility will no longer be an optional extra for commercial websites and shops, it becomes a legal obligation.

How do you test your website’s accessibility?

A good starting point is a simple keyboard test. Put your mouse aside and try navigating your entire site using only your keyboard.

Use the Tab key to move through elements, Enter to select, and Escape to close modals or menus. Can you reach everything? Is the focus always visible? If not, there are likely accessibility issues.

You can also use free testing tools like WAVE. These analyze common accessibility issues like missing alt-texts, poor contrast, or illogical heading structures, and often provide guidance on fixing them.

For a truly reliable result, testing with real users, especially those with disabilities or who use assistive technologies, is essential. They can reveal pain points you or automated tools might miss.

Combine technical scans with user testing for a solid accessibility audit. More info is available on testing your site’s accessibility here.

How do you make your website accessible?

Creating a digitally accessible website starts with intentional design and thoughtful technical setup.

The basic principles are simple: make your website perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust - the four pillars of the WCAG guidelines. This means your content should be visible and usable by as many people as possible, regardless of their limitations or device.

Key elements of an accessible website:

Accessibility is often in the details. Here are the key areas to focus on:

Text and readability

• Ensure sufficient contrast between text and background for readability in low vision or bright light.
• Use clear fonts and a base size of at least 16px.
• Avoid all caps or fully centered text, which are harder to read.

Navigation and structure

• Offer a clear, consistent menu and use logical headings (H1, H2, H3…) to structure your content.
• Ensure keyboard navigation is possible, and make focus elements clearly visible.
• Consider adding a "skip to content" link for screen reader users.

Accessible forms and input fields

• Label all input fields properly and display error messages clearly.
• Make forms operable without a mouse, and ensure help texts (e.g. for required fields) are accessible to screen readers.

Images and alternative text (alt-texts)

• Add descriptive alt-texts to informative images so screen reader users understand what’s shown.
• Leave alt-text blank for decorative images so they’re skipped.

Videos and subtitles

• Provide subtitles for videos so deaf and hard-of-hearing users can follow along.
• Subtitles also help users in noisy environments or on public transport.
• Add audio descriptions for visually important content not included in the dialogue when possible.

Technical adjustments for website accessibility

A clear layout is the foundation of good website accessibility. Organize content logically: start with a title, use meaningful headings, and avoid cluttered or unpredictable structure.

Behind the scenes (in the code), use the correct elements, for example, a real “section” tag or a “button” element for actions.

The importance of ARIA labels

Sometimes, regular structure isn’t enough for screen reader users. In such cases, ARIA labels can provide extra descriptions about the function or context of an element.

Don’t forget keyboard and screen reader users

Not everyone uses a mouse. Some people only use the keyboard to navigate a website – for example, with the Tab and Enter keys. Your website must therefore also be easy to use in this way. Everything that can be clicked on must be accessible with the keyboard.

Screen readers read pages aloud and help blind or visually impaired users to navigate. Test it yourself with a free screen reader such as NVDA (Windows) or VoiceOver (Mac) to hear how your website “sounds”.

Making buttons and forms accessible

An accessible website ensures that all interactive elements – such as buttons, links and forms – are easy to use and understand. Use real buttons for actions and provide each input field with a clear description.

Do you use pop-ups or drop-down menus? Make sure users can open and close them with keys such as Enter and Escape, and give the window a clear title.

Tip: make your website digitally accessible with AccessiWay

You can collaborate with an external partner to make your digital products more accessible. For a smooth and cost-efficient implementation, consider AccessiWay!

This accessibility solution makes your website accessible to all your visitors. AccessiWay is part of team.blue, the large hosting family that includes Combell.

AccessiWay’s WayWidget adds a tool to your site that offers:

The tool performs daily scans to ensure your site or shop content remains optimized. Want to build a digitally accessible website and see how AccessiWay can support you?

How to keep your website accessible?

Accessibility isn’t a one-time checklist, it’s an ongoing process. Websites evolve: new pages are added, content is updated, and features are introduced.

That’s why it’s important to test accessibility regularly. You can use automated tools, but also run tests with real users and various devices.

Keep your team up to date: developers and content creators should stay informed about digital accessibility so new content is created with the right guidelines in mind.

Good to know

Combell customers benefit from stable hosting that works seamlessly with accessible platforms and CMS systems. Combell also supports setting up secure, fast-loading websites which improves overall usability.

For in-depth accessibility audits and guidance, you can work with the experts at AccessiWay, part of team.blue, offering tools and expertise to make your website fully WCAG-compliant and keep it that way.

By actively monitoring and continuously updating your website, you ensure an accessible experience for all users, anytime. Now that’s a noble goal!

Frequently asked questions about website accessibility