Accessibility (automatic preliminary check)

What we check

We load the home page in a real browser and test it with axe-core, a widely used open-source tool for automatic accessibility tests. It checks around a hundred rules derived from the international WCAG guidelines. Common findings are:

Problem	What it means
Not enough contrast	Text does not stand out enough from the background.
Images without a description	Screen readers do not know what is in the image.
Links without text	Pure icons, e.g. social media symbols, have no readable name.
Buttons without a label	e.g. a menu button with just three lines.
Form fields without a label	A screen reader says only "input field".
Embedded content without a title	Maps and videos are not named.

We report critical problems as a serious defect, serious ones as a warning, moderate and minor ones as a note. In the report you see the number of locations affected for each problem. We also show the rating from Google Lighthouse.

This is an automatic preliminary check, not a check for WCAG conformity.

Why it matters

Around one in six people worldwide lives with a significant disability, according to the WHO. In addition there are many older people who see less well, people with temporary limitations such as a broken arm and everyone who uses their smartphone outdoors in sunlight.

Barriers cost customers:

• Anyone who cannot read the grey text on a light grey background does not read on.
• Anyone who is blind and cannot fill in the contact form because the fields are not labelled makes their enquiry elsewhere.
• Anyone who cannot interpret an icon does not find the way.

Many accessibility measures improve findability at the same time: image descriptions, clear headings and a language setting also help Google and AI assistants.

How to fix it

Contrast

Text should have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 to the background, large text 3:1. Light grey text on white or white text on light photos are the most common problems. Tools such as the "WebAIM Contrast Checker" calculate the ratio.

Image descriptions (alternative text)

Briefly describe what can be seen in the image if it carries information: "Our team in front of the workshop in Thun". Purely decorative images get an empty alternative text (alt=""). In WordPress, Wix and all common builders there is an "Alternative text" field for the image.

Links, buttons and form fields

• Icons without text get an invisible label, e.g. aria-label="Instagram".
• Form fields need a visible label that is linked to the field. Placeholder text in the field alone is not enough.

Embedded content

Maps and videos in an <iframe> get a title attribute, e.g. title="Map: How to find us".

How to check it yourself

The free browser extension "axe DevTools" runs the same test and shows every location affected. The Lighthouse report in the Chrome developer tools (F12, "Lighthouse" tab) also contains an accessibility check.

Frequently asked questions

Is a website accessible if no problems are reported here?

Not necessarily. Experience shows that automatic tests find only part of the barriers, about a third. Whether texts are understandable, image descriptions meaningful and processes usable is only shown by a check by professionals and the people affected.

Is a website legally required to be accessible?

It depends on the market. Anyone who sells into the EU, for example through an online shop, may fall under the European Accessibility Act since June 2025, microenterprises being partly exempt. In the United States lawsuits under the ADA often concern websites. Public bodies are obliged almost everywhere. Regardless of that, accessible websites simply reach more customers.