Web Accessibility Is Not Optional — It Is a Responsibility
Approximately 15 percent of the global population lives with some form of disability, and the Caribbean is no exception. In Jamaica, the Disabilities Act of 2014 established a framework for ensuring that persons with disabilities have equal access to services, including digital services. Building accessible websites is not just about legal compliance — it is about ensuring that every potential customer, regardless of ability, can use your website effectively.
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, published by the World Wide Web Consortium, provide the internationally recognized standard for web accessibility. The guidelines are organized around four principles: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. Meeting WCAG 2.1 Level AA should be the minimum target for any Caribbean business website.
Practical Accessibility Improvements
Start with semantic HTML. Use heading elements in proper hierarchical order, label form inputs clearly, and use landmark elements like nav, main, and footer to help screen reader users navigate your site. Ensure all images have descriptive alt text — not just "image" or "photo" but meaningful descriptions like "Students working on laptops at the University of the West Indies Mona campus." Provide text alternatives for video and audio content.
Color Contrast and Visual Design
Caribbean design aesthetics often feature vibrant colors, which is wonderful but requires care regarding contrast ratios. Text must have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 against its background for normal text and 3:1 for large text. Do not rely on color alone to convey information — for example, if error messages are shown in red, also include an icon or text label. Test your designs with tools like the Colour Contrast Analyser or the accessibility audit in Chrome DevTools.
Keyboard Navigation and Focus Management
Every interactive element on your website must be operable with a keyboard alone. This means buttons, links, forms, dropdown menus, and modal dialogs must all be accessible without a mouse. Ensure that focus indicators are visible — the default browser outline is functional, but you can style custom focus indicators that match your brand while remaining clearly visible. Test your site by unplugging your mouse and navigating with Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter, and Escape.
Building Accessibility Into Your Process
The most cost-effective approach to accessibility is to incorporate it from the beginning of every project. Include accessibility requirements in your design briefs, test with screen readers like NVDA or VoiceOver during development, and run automated accessibility audits with tools like axe or Lighthouse before every deployment. Retrofitting accessibility onto an existing site is significantly more expensive and time-consuming than building it in from the start.
