10 accessibility questions to ask your web designer (before or after you hire)

Most small-business owners don't build their own website. A web designer, an agency or a platform template does. That makes your web person your best partner on accessibility, and the easiest way to start is to ask good questions. Use the ten below when you compare designers, or send them to the person who already looks after your site.

Before you hire

1. "Which accessibility standard do you build to?" A good answer names WCAG 2.2 Level AA (or at least 2.1 AA). A vague "it's ADA compliant" with no standard is a reason to ask more.
2. "How do you test it?" Look for both an automated scan (for example axe or Lighthouse) and manual checks: keyboard only, a screen reader, and zoom to 200%. See what an audit includes.
3. "Can I see a site you built that passes those checks?" You can run our free homepage snapshot on it yourself in about a minute.
4. "Do you use an accessibility overlay or widget?" Overlays don't fix the underlying code. Read overlays vs real fixes before you agree to one.
5. "Who fixes problems found after launch, and is that included?" Get it in writing: inside your care plan, billed hourly, or not covered.

For the site you already have

6. "Do our images have real alt text?" Check a few yourself with the free alt text checker.
7. "Does our text pass colour contrast?" Try the free colour contrast checker on your brand colours (4.5:1 for normal text).
8. "Can someone book, buy or contact us using only a keyboard?" The ten-minute keyboard test shows you how to check.
9. "Are our third-party tools (booking, chat, payments) accessible?" Your designer may not control them, but they can test them and suggest alternatives.
10. "Do we have an accessibility statement with a way to report problems?" If not, the free statement generator makes one in a few minutes.

A note you can copy and send

Hi [name], I'd like to make sure our website works for visitors with disabilities. Could you tell me which accessibility standard the site follows (WCAG 2.2 AA?), how it's tested, and whether fixing any problems is part of our plan? I ran a free automated snapshot and can share the results. Thanks!

What good answers have in common

They name a standard, describe both automated and manual testing, and don't promise "guaranteed compliance" or "lawsuit-proof" results. No designer, tool or report can honestly promise that. A clear, scoped plan to find and fix real barriers is the right goal.

If you are the web designer

Clients are starting to ask these questions. Our white-label reports for agencies (5 sites for $499) give you a ranked fix list with platform-specific code for each client site, under your brand.

Want the fixes written for you?

Start with a free homepage snapshot. The $149 Fix-Pack scans up to 10 pages and gives copy-paste fixes for your platform within 48 hours, with a 14-day refund promise. See a sample report first.

This is general technical guidance, not legal advice, and it does not certify compliance with the ADA or any law.

Related guides

• AI-generated alt text: is it good enough? A 5-minute review checklist
• Hotel, inn, bed and breakfast and vacation rental website accessibility
• Online store accessibility: product pages, cart and checkout (keyboard and screen reader checklist)
• Cookie banners, pop-ups and chat widgets: an accessibility checklist for small business websites

All guides

This guide is general technical information, not legal advice. Following it does not certify ADA or any legal compliance. Automated checks find only part of accessibility barriers.