WCAG stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines—international standards for making websites usable by everyone, including people with visual impairments, motor disabilities, or color blindness. There are three levels: A (minimum), AA (standard), and AAA (enhanced).
The Short Version
Why Should a Contractor Care About This?
"Accessibility" sounds like something for big corporations to worry about. But there are practical reasons every local business should pay attention.
Your Customers Include People With Disabilities
Roughly 1 in 6 adults in the US has some form of disability. That includes:
- •Visual impairments — Low vision, color blindness (~8% of men), blindness
- •Motor impairments — Difficulty using a mouse, tremors, arthritis
- •Cognitive impairments — Dyslexia, ADHD, memory issues
- •Age-related issues — Most people over 65 have some visual or motor limitation
If your phone number is in light gray text on a white background, or your buttons are too small to tap, some customers literally can't use your website. They'll go to a competitor.
Google Rewards Accessible Sites
Accessibility and SEO overlap significantly. Google favors sites that are:
- Fast loading (accessibility requires lean code)
- Properly structured (headers, labels, semantic HTML)
- Mobile-friendly (accessibility standards ensure this)
- Using alt text on images (which also helps image search)
Making your site accessible doesn't just help disabled users—it signals quality to search engines.
Legal Risk Is Increasing
ADA website lawsuits have increased dramatically in recent years. While most target large companies, small businesses aren't immune—and settlements can run $5,000–$25,000 or more.
We're not trying to scare you. The risk for a single local contractor is low. But it exists, and fixing accessibility issues costs far less than defending a lawsuit.
It's Just the Right Thing to Do
You serve your community. That includes people who struggle to see small text or can't distinguish red from green. Making your website work for everyone is the professional thing to do—just like you'd make sure your physical office is wheelchair accessible.
What Most Contractor Sites Get Wrong
We've audited dozens of contractor websites. These are the most common failures:
| Problem | Why It Fails | Who It Affects |
|---|---|---|
| Light gray text on white | ~2-3:1 contrast ratio (needs 4.5:1) | Anyone with low vision, older users, bright sunlight |
| White text on orange buttons | ~2.1:1 ratio (looks good, fails badly) | Low vision, color blind users |
| Tiny touch targets | Buttons under 44x44 pixels | Motor impairments, tremors, mobile users |
| No alt text on images | Screen readers can't describe them | Blind users, also hurts image SEO |
| Non-tappable phone numbers | Phone number as plain text, not a link | Motor impairments, everyone on mobile |
| Red/green for success/error | Relies on color alone | ~8% of men are red-green colorblind |
The Contrast Trap
See the Difference
Here's what accessible vs. inaccessible actually looks like:
Fails WCAG (Don't Do This)
White on orange-500: ~2.1:1 ratio (needs 4.5:1)
Contact us at (555) 555-5555
Gray-400 on white: ~2.6:1 ratio (needs 4.5:1)
Passes WCAG AAA (Do This)
Gray-900 on amber-400: ~11.2:1 ratio (excellent)
Contact us at (555) 555-5555
Gray-700 on white: ~4.6:1 ratio (passes AA)
The accessible versions don't look worse—they often look more professional. High contrast reads as confidence. Low contrast reads as wishy-washy.
What an Accessible Contractor Site Includes
- Contrast ratio of 4.5:1+ on all body text (7:1+ for enhanced AAA)
- Phone numbers that are tappable links (tel:)
- Buttons and touch targets at least 44x44 pixels
- Descriptive alt text on all images
- Proper heading hierarchy (H1 → H2 → H3)
- Form labels that clearly identify each field
- Keyboard navigation that works (Tab through the page)
- Color-plus-icon for success/error states (not color alone)
- Readable fonts at sufficient size (16px+ for body)
What This Means for Your Business
An accessible website:
Our Approach
Quick Test: Is Your Site Accessible?
You can check some basics yourself:
- 1Squint test: Squint at your homepage. Can you still read the important text? If it disappears, contrast is too low.
- 2Tap test: On your phone, try to tap every button. Is it easy or do you miss?
- 3Keyboard test: On desktop, press Tab repeatedly. Can you navigate the whole page without a mouse?
- 4Grayscale test: View your site in grayscale (your phone has this option). Can you still understand it?
- 5Formal test: Run your URL through WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluator (free)
The Bottom Line
Accessibility isn't a luxury feature or a box to check. It's about serving all your customers—including the 15% who have some form of disability. It's about showing up in search results. And increasingly, it's about avoiding legal headaches.
The frustrating thing is that most accessibility problems are easy to fix. They just require someone who knows what to look for.
When you hire us, accessibility isn't an add-on. It's built in from the start—because that's what "built right" means.