Make Your Website Truly Accessible in 5 Steps

If you're just starting to explore the topic of accessibility, you’ve probably already realized that it doesn’t have a clear beginning or end—it’s an ongoing process. (If you want to start from the basics, read our article “What Is Accessibility?”).

There are many small improvements you can make every day to make a website more accessible. We explained some of them here in “Five Quick Fixes You Can Apply to Your Website”.
But sometimes you need a more structured approach. With the European Accessibility Act (EAA) coming into force, this need has become even more concrete.
Here are the five steps you should take to make your website truly accessible.

1. The Technical and Content Audit

The first step is the Audit: a deep analysis of what works and what could be improved—technically and content-wise.
It combines automated tools and human evaluation to provide the most accurate picture possible.

The technical compass is based on two key standards: EN 301 549 and WCAG 2.2, the very guidelines referenced by the European Accessibility Act.

An audit is essentially a check‑up that measures the “health status” of your website.
It’s an essential starting point for identifying existing digital barriers and preparing for the next phase: Remediation.

2. From Insights to Action: Report and Remediation

At this stage, the Accessibility Report comes into play. It translates audit results into clear, structured, and actionable guidance. The report outlines the site’s current state, highlights non‑conformities with WCAG, describes their impact on users, and provides operational recommendations for fixing them.

Remediation is then carried out based on priorities: you can’t fix everything at once, and it’s more effective to first address issues with the greatest impact on user experience and legal risk.
The report becomes a shared working tool across technical teams, designers, content editors, and stakeholders, making coordination and decision‑making easier.

Roles, timelines, resources, and interventions are clearly defined. Every change is tracked and documented because this documentation will later feed into the required Accessibility Statement.

This is a crucial moment in the improvement process: it bridges the gap between analysis and concrete action, guiding the platform from its current state toward a truly accessible digital experience.

3. The Right Approach: Accessibility by Design

But what truly makes the difference in building an accessible website?
The answer lies in Accessibility by Design—designing for accessibility from the very beginning.

To do this, you need to shift perspective and treat the “exception” as the rule.

An accessible website is built on simple, clear solutions that benefit everyone.
Have you heard of the Curb Cut Effect? These are solutions designed for a specific need that end up helping all users. If you want to learn more about this principle, read our article dedicated to the Curb Cut Effect.

4. Communicating Progress: The Accessibility Statement

Accessibility must also be communicated and made transparent. The tool for doing this is the Accessibility Statement (or Conformance Statement; read our article “What Is the Accessibility Statement?” to understand the difference).

This document is mandatory for public administrations and companies. It must be published on the website and updated regularly.

The Statement must clearly list:

• the barriers that are still present

• the actions taken to address them

• the contact information users can use to provide comments or feedback

It’s not just a bureaucratic requirement—it’s a trust‑building tool.
It reinforces the commitment between those working for an accessible web and the users who rely on it.

5. Training as the Foundation of an Accessibility Culture

Accessibility is not a project with a beginning and an end. It is built every day.
That’s why the fifth step in making a website truly accessible is investing in the training of the people involved in the project: developers, designers, copywriters, marketing teams—each contributes in a different but complementary way.

How do you do this?
By giving teams the tools and space to collaborate: workshops, guidelines, internal exchanges, and moments of shared learning.
These concrete actions not only help remove existing barriers but also prevent future ones.

Remember: designing with accessibility in mind is a mindset—not a checklist.