Website Accessibility for Small Businesses in Australia
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An accessible website is one that people with disability can use, including people who are blind or have low vision, are deaf or hard of hearing, or can't use a mouse. In Australia, the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 makes disability discrimination unlawful in areas including the provision of goods and services, and the Australian Human Rights Commission's guidelines on digital access say organisations should aim to meet the latest published version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). For a small business, the practical goal is simple: make sure every customer can read your site, use your forms and contact you.
This article is general information, not legal advice.
What the Australian Human Rights Commission says
In April 2025, the Commission published its Guidelines on equal access to digital goods and services. The Commission says:
WCAG is "the applicable international standard for web accessibility", and organisations should meet the latest published version
The guidelines are not legally binding and should be read alongside the Disability Discrimination Act
They are "the minimum organisations should aim for"
Their audience includes suppliers and companies that build or sell digital goods and services
The current version of WCAG is WCAG 2.2, published by the W3C.
Why it matters for a small business
More customers can use your site. If someone can't read your text or submit your form, they'll go elsewhere.
It overlaps with good design. Clear text, good contrast and simple forms help everyone, especially on a phone in bright sunlight.
It reduces risk. Building accessibility in from the start is easier and cheaper than fixing it later.
Practical checks you can do yourself
Check | How to test |
Text contrast | Can you read every piece of text easily, including text on photos and buttons? |
Text size and zoom | Zoom your browser to 200%. Does the page still work? |
Keyboard use | Press Tab to move through the page. Can you reach and use every link, menu and form field, and can you see where you are? |
Image descriptions | Do meaningful images have alt text that describes them? Decorative images don't need it |
Form labels | Does every form field have a visible label, not just placeholder text that disappears? |
Error messages | If a form has an error, does it say clearly what's wrong and how to fix it? |
Link text | Do links say where they go ("View our pricing") rather than "Click here"? |
Video | Do videos with speech have captions? |
Tap targets | Are buttons big enough to tap easily? WCAG 2.2 sets a minimum target size of 24 by 24 CSS pixels at level AA (W3C) |
Common problems on small business sites
Light grey text on white backgrounds
Text baked into images, such as banners with prices or opening hours
Phone numbers shown as images instead of text
Pop-ups that can't be closed with the keyboard
Forms with no labels or confusing errors
PDF menus or price lists that screen readers can't read
Be careful with "one-click" accessibility tools
Some plug-ins promise instant accessibility by adding a toolbar or overlay. They don't fix underlying problems like missing labels or poor structure, so treat them with caution and fix the site itself.
Where to start
Run through the checks above on your home page, main service page and contact form.
Fix contrast, form labels and alt text first: they're usually quick.
Ask your web designer to build to WCAG 2.2 level AA for any new site or redesign, and to show you how they test it.
Add a short accessibility statement with a way for people to tell you about problems.
Next step
If you're planning a new site or redesign and want accessibility built in from the start, book a free 15-minute call with Morphic, or see how Morphic approaches small business website design.
Related services: website maintenance in Albanvale and website design and development in St Albans.
Related reading: Website Speed for Small Business: What Is Fast Enough? and Mobile-First Tradie Websites: Click-to-Call, Quote Forms and Speed.
Key Takeaways
An accessible website can be used by people with disability, including those using screen readers or keyboards.
The Human Rights Commission's 2025 guidelines point to the latest version of WCAG.
WCAG 2.2 level AA is the common target for new small business websites.
Check contrast, form labels, alt text and keyboard access first.
Automated checkers help, but manual testing is also needed.
Emon Datta
Founder, Morphic Agency
Morphic Agency is a Melbourne-based UX design agency. We've shipped 50+ products across 15+ countries.
