Quick answer: what standard should UK charities aim for?
Most organisations aim for WCAG 2.1 or WCAG 2.2 Level AA. That is the level commonly used across the UK and is a sensible target for charities.
If you are a public sector body, you may have additional legal duties and reporting requirements. If you are not sure, it is worth getting advice.
Accessibility is one of those topics that can feel technical, expensive, and a bit intimidating. But for charities and community groups, it is also one of the most practical ways to improve your website.
An accessible site helps more people:
- Understand your services
- Donate successfully
- Volunteer, refer, or get in touch
It also reduces support emails like “the form won’t work” or “I can’t read this on my phone”.
This guide is a plain-English checklist you can work through in a week, even if you are not “the website person”.
The 15 point checklist (practical fixes)
Work through these in order. You will get the biggest wins quickly.
1. Check your colour contrast
If your text is pale grey on white, many people will struggle.
What to do:
- Make body text dark enough to read comfortably
- Avoid putting text over busy images
2. Increase your base font size
Tiny text is one of the most common problems on charity sites.
What to do:
- Aim for readable body text
- Make sure line spacing is comfortable
3. Use proper headings (H1, H2, H3)
Headings are not just for styling. They help screen readers and they help everyone scan.
What to do:
- One clear H1 per page
- Use H2s for sections, H3s for sub-sections
- Do not skip levels (H2 straight to H4)
4. Write link text that makes sense on its own
“Click here” is unhelpful when read out of context.
Better examples:
- “Donate online”
- “Volunteer with us”
- “Read our privacy policy”
5. Add alt text to meaningful images
Alt text is a short description for people who cannot see the image.
What to do:
- Describe what matters: “Volunteer serving tea at our community lunch”
- If an image is purely decorative, mark it as decorative (so it is skipped)
6. Make your forms easy to use
Forms are where many donations and enquiries fail.
What to do:
- Every field needs a label (not just placeholder text)
- Error messages should explain what to fix
- Keep forms short
7. Make buttons look like buttons
If your “Donate” button looks like plain text, people will miss it.
What to do:
- Use clear button styling
- Keep button text specific: “Donate £10”, “Send message”, “Join the mailing list”
8. Ensure the site works with keyboard only
Some people cannot use a mouse.
What to do:
- You should be able to tab through links and buttons
- The focus state should be visible (you can see where you are)
9. Avoid auto-playing video or audio
Auto-play can be distressing and difficult to stop.
What to do:
- Do not auto-play
- Provide clear controls
10. Add captions to videos
Captions help people who are deaf or hard of hearing, and they help everyone in noisy environments.
What to do:
- Add captions for spoken content
- If the video contains key visual information, consider a short transcript
11. Keep page layouts simple
Complex layouts can be hard to follow, especially on mobile.
What to do:
- Use consistent spacing
- Avoid long walls of text
- Use short paragraphs and bullets
12. Make PDFs a last resort
PDFs are often inaccessible and hard to use on phones.
What to do:
- Put important information on a web page
- If you must use a PDF, make sure it is tagged and readable
13. Check your navigation labels
Menu items should be obvious.
What to do:
- Use plain labels: “About”, “Get help”, “Donate”, “Contact”
- Avoid internal jargon
14. Create a clear “Get help” or “Contact” path
People in a hurry should not have to hunt.
What to do:
- Put contact details in the header or footer
- Make your main call to action consistent
15. Run a quick accessibility scan, then do a human test
Automated tools catch some issues, but not everything.
What to do:
- Run a scan (it will flag missing alt text, contrast issues, and structure problems)
- Then test like a real user: can you find key info in under 30 seconds?
A simple weekly routine to keep accessibility from slipping
Accessibility is not a one-off project. It is a habit.
- When you add a page: check headings, links, and images
- When you add an image: add alt text
- When you post a video: add captions
- Once a quarter: run a scan and fix the top issues
FAQ (AEO)
Is accessibility only for people with disabilities?
No. Accessibility improvements help older users, people on mobile, people with slow internet, and anyone who is stressed or in a hurry.
Do accessibility improvements help SEO?
Often yes. Clear headings, descriptive links, and readable layouts make content easier for people to use and easier for search engines to understand.
What is the fastest accessibility win?
Usually: improve contrast, increase font size, fix headings, and make forms easier.
Next steps
If you want to improve your site this week:
- Pick five items from the checklist above
- Fix them on your top two pages (usually Home and Donate)
- Ask one person who has not seen the site before to try donating or sending a message