Jamie
Accessibility and SEO are often treated as separate workstreams. In practice, they share the same foundation: semantic HTML, readable content structure, and fast performance. Fix accessibility and you usually improve SEO too.
1) Semantic HTML Is a Shared Foundation
Use correct heading levels (one H1, logical H2/H3 nesting), meaningful lists, landmark regions (header, nav, main, footer), and link text that describes the destination—not “click here.”
2) Image Optimization Helps Everyone
Compress images, serve correct dimensions, and write alt text that describes the image content and context. This improves Core Web Vitals and gives search engines signal about page topics.
ADA web accessibility lawsuits filed
Volume keeps climbing—proactive fixes cost less than litigation
UsableNet ADA lawsuit tracker
Most common WCAG failures
Low contrast and missing alt text are fixable in a single sprint
WebAIM Million report, 2025
Accessibility impact on engagement
Accessible sites see higher time-on-page across all users
Engagement index vs. baseline (100 = non-compliant avg)
3) Make Content Scannable
Short paragraphs, clear summaries at the top of sections, and consistent formatting help users skim and help search engines identify topic structure.
4) Build With Keyboard Navigation in Mind
Ensure focus states are visible, tab order follows visual layout, and forms validate with clear error messages tied to the relevant field.