6 Ways to Boost Website Accessibility
for Your Eye Care Practice
Some patients may be missing out on your care — and your website might be part of the reason.
For many eye care practices, accessibility isn't top of mind when working on your website. But if your site isn’t built to support visitors with disabilities — especially those with visual impairments — it’s not just an oversight, it’s a potential liability.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to websites, and practices that fall short can face lawsuits, fines, and reputational damage¹. At EyeCarePro, we help practices create compliant, inclusive digital experiences that match the high standard of care they offer in the exam lane. Accessibility is more than a best practice — it’s a reflection of your commitment to patient-centered care in every interaction, online and off.
The good news? You don’t need a full website overhaul to get started. With a few targeted updates, you can make your site more usable for everyone and avoid the risks of non-compliance.
Boost Your Website Accessibility
1. Screen Reader Optimization
Many patients rely on screen readers to navigate websites, especially those with low vision or blindness. But if your site’s content isn’t properly structured, screen readers can’t interpret it correctly².
What to do: Use semantic HTML, heading tags (<h1>, <h2>, etc.), and ARIA labels to make your content accessible to assistive technologies. Avoid images of text and make sure interactive elements are clearly labeled.
2. Keyboard Navigation
Not everyone uses a mouse. Some patients rely solely on keyboards or assistive switches to get around online.
What to do: Ensure that all forms, buttons, navigation menus, and interactive elements can be accessed and activated using just a keyboard. Test your site using only the "Tab" key — you might be surprised at what you find.
3. High-Contrast Color Schemes
4. Alt Text for Images
Images without alternative text are invisible to screen readers — and patients who rely on them.
What to do: Add descriptive alt text to every meaningful image on your site. This is especially important for key visuals like product photos, service illustrations, and staff images. Decorative images can have empty alt attributes⁵.
5. Descriptive Link Text
Generic links like “click here” don’t tell users where they’re going — and don’t make sense when read out of context.
What to do: Use link text that describes the action or destination, like “Schedule an Eye Exam” or “View Our Optical Collection”⁶.
6. Accessible Forms
Forms are a common point of frustration for users with disabilities — and a common source of lost conversions for practices.
What to do: Label form fields clearly, provide instructions and error messages, and make sure forms can be submitted via keyboard. Include visible focus indicators for each field and button⁷.
Compliance + Compassion
There are regulatory standards you need to meet to stay compliant — but accessibility is about more than just checking a box. It’s about showing every patient that they matter. A patient’s experience with your practice starts the moment they land on your homepage, and your commitment to their needs should be just as strong online as it is in the exam room.
Achieving true accessibility can be complex, and most practices can’t do it alone. From ongoing audits to fully ADA-compliant website builds, our team brings the expertise, tools, and patient-first mindset to help you get it right.
Many accessibility issues are easy to miss — but they can make a big difference for your patients. That’s where we come in. EyeCarePro will review your site, identify any barriers, and guide you through the right updates.
Ready to Make Your Website More Accessible?
Let’s build a better, more inclusive web experience for your patients — together. Book a FREE Website Review today.
References
- U.S. Department of Justice. (2022). Guidance on web accessibility and the ADA. https://www.ada.gov/resources/web-guidance/
- WebAIM. (2023). Screen reader user survey #9 results. https://webaim.org/projects/screenreadersurvey9/
- W3C. (2023). Understanding WCAG 2.1: Use of color. https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/use-of-color.html
- WebAIM. (2023). Contrast checker. https://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/
- W3C. (2023). Alt text decision tree. https://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/images/decision-tree/
- WebAIM. (2023). Link text and accessibility. https://webaim.org/techniques/hypertext/
- W3C. (2023). Forms tutorial. https://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/forms/
