In this guide · 8 sections
- 01What WCAG is and whether it applies to your website
- 02The WCAG 2.2 AA essentials for a small business site
- 03What changed in WCAG 2.2
- 04Quick accessibility tests you can run in 30 minutes
- 05Common accessibility problems on SME websites
- 06Building accessibility into a new website
- 07Do it yourself or get help?
- 08Frequently asked questions
Short answer
Aim for WCAG 2.2 level AA. In practice: text contrast of at least 4.5:1, alt text on meaningful images, everything usable with a keyboard, labelled form fields with clear errors, and tap targets of at least 24 by 24 pixels. Most of this is fixable in your theme and content without a rebuild.
What WCAG is and whether it applies to your website
WCAG is published by the W3C, the body that sets web standards. Its overview page explains the three levels: A (minimum), AA (the level most laws and policies around the world refer to) and AAA (the strictest, rarely required for a whole site).
We are not aware of a general Singapore law that requires private business websites to meet WCAG. Some tenders, government-funded projects and corporate clients do ask for it in their requirements, so check your contracts. Even where it is not required, accessible sites are easier for everyone to use, and the fixes overlap with good mobile design and SEO.
The WCAG 2.2 AA essentials for a small business site
| Area | What to do | WCAG reference |
|---|---|---|
| Text contrast | At least 4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text | 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) |
| Images | Alt text that says what a meaningful image shows; empty alt for decoration | 1.1.1 Non-text Content |
| Resize | Text can be zoomed to 200% without content being cut off | 1.4.4 Resize Text |
| Keyboard | Every link, button, menu and form works with Tab, Enter and Space | 2.1.1 Keyboard |
| Visible focus | You can see which element has keyboard focus, not hidden behind sticky bars | 2.4.7, 2.4.11 |
| Tap targets | Buttons and links at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels, or spaced apart | 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum) |
| Forms | Every field has a visible label; errors are described in text | 3.3.1, 3.3.2 |
| Login | No puzzle or memory test without an alternative; allow paste and autofill | 3.3.8 Accessible Authentication |
| Video | Captions for videos with speech | 1.2.2 Captions |
The WCAG 2.2 quick reference lets you filter the full list by level and topic.
What changed in WCAG 2.2
W3C's What's New in WCAG 2.2 lists nine new success criteria and one removed. The ones that most often affect SME sites:
- 2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum), AA: when an item gets keyboard focus, it must not be entirely hidden by your own content, such as a sticky header, chat widget or cookie banner.
- 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum), AA: pointer targets at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels, with exceptions for spacing, inline links in text and a few others.
- 3.3.8 Accessible Authentication (Minimum), AA: do not make people solve, recall or transcribe something to log in, unless there is an alternative. Blocking paste in password fields fails this.
- 3.2.6 Consistent Help, A: contact options such as phone, chat or a contact link appear in the same place on each page.
- 3.3.7 Redundant Entry, A: do not ask for the same information twice in one process; pre-fill it or let people select it.
- 4.1.1 Parsing has been removed as obsolete.
Quick accessibility tests you can run in 30 minutes
W3C's Easy Checks page describes simple first tests anyone can run. They do not prove a site is accessible, but they find the common problems fast.
Run an automated checker
Use the Lighthouse accessibility audit in Chrome's developer tools, or a free browser extension such as WAVE or axe. Fix missing alt text, labels and contrast errors first.
Unplug the mouse
Press Tab from the top of the page. Can you reach every link, button and form field, see where you are, open the menu and submit the form?
Zoom to 200%
Press Ctrl and + until the browser shows 200%. Text should reflow, not overlap or disappear.
Check contrast
Test your body text, buttons and grey placeholder text in a contrast checker. Light grey on white is the most common failure.
Use it on a phone with one thumb
Try the menu, close the pop-up, tap phone numbers and fill the contact form. Small close buttons and crowded links show up quickly.
Listen to one page
Turn on VoiceOver (iPhone) or TalkBack (Android) and listen to your home page. Images without alt text and buttons named only "click" stand out.
Automated tools only catch part of the issues, so the manual checks matter. Contrast and speed fixes often go together; our guide to Core Web Vitals fixes covers the performance side.
Common accessibility problems on SME websites
Easy wins
- Darken body text and placeholder text
- Add alt text to product, team and location photos
- Make the phone number a real tap-to-call link
- Enlarge the cookie banner and pop-up close buttons
- Add captions to promo videos
Common failures
- Text baked into images, such as price lists as JPGs
- Forms with placeholder text instead of labels
- Chat widgets covering the submit button on phones
- Menus that only open on mouse hover
- CAPTCHAs with no audio or alternative option
- PDF menus or brochures with no text version
If your price list or menu is an image, add the same information as text on the page. It helps screen reader users, search engines and anyone on a slow connection.
Building accessibility into a new website
It is much cheaper to get this right at design stage than to fix it later. When you brief a designer or agency:
Accessibility in your website brief
Our guide to choosing a web designer in Singapore lists other things to put in writing. For senior-focused services, our home care agency website guide shows these principles in practice.
Do it yourself or get help?
Owners can fix contrast, alt text, captions and link wording themselves in most site builders. Keyboard problems, focus handling and form errors usually need theme or code changes.
If you want help, our Speed & SEO Fix (S$390) covers speed, headings and on-page fixes from a PageSpeed audit; accessibility fixes found in the same audit can be quoted alongside. For a new site, our Business Website package (S$1,490) is mobile-first; put the checklist above in your brief. We do not issue formal accessibility certifications.
Frequently asked questions
We are not aware of a general law requiring private business websites in Singapore to meet WCAG. Some tenders, grants and corporate contracts require it, so check your agreements. Following WCAG 2.2 level AA is still good practice, because it makes your site easier to use for older customers and anyone on a phone.
WCAG 1.4.3 requires a contrast ratio of at least 4.5 to 1 between normal-size text and its background, and 3 to 1 for large text. Light grey text on a white background is the most common failure. Free contrast checkers let you test your colours in seconds.
WCAG 2.2 added nine success criteria and removed one. The most relevant for small businesses are minimum tap target size of 24 by 24 CSS pixels, keeping focused items visible behind sticky banners, accessible logins that allow paste and password managers, consistent placement of help options and not asking for the same information twice.
Not on its own. Overlay widgets that add toolbars do not fix missing labels, poor structure or keyboard traps in your actual pages, and can introduce new problems. Fix the underlying theme and content, then test with a keyboard, zoom and a screen reader.
For many small sites, the main fixes are content and theme changes: colours, alt text, labels, captions and button sizes. These can take a few hours to a few days. Sites with custom menus, complex forms or booking widgets take longer. Building to WCAG AA from the start costs least.