Accessibility & User-friendliness

A good website is more than a nice design. Visitors must quickly find what they are looking for, navigate easily and complete an action without problems. Also when they have a disability or use assistive technology. With an accessible and user-friendly website you improve the user experience (UX), you reach more people and you make your website more effective.

At db8 Website Support we combine digital accessibility, ease of use and technical optimisation. We help you make your website clearer, easier to understand and more usable, for visitors and for administrators.

What is the difference between accessibility and usability?

• Digital accessibility means that everyone can perceive, operate and understand a website, also people with a visual, hearing, motor or cognitive disability. The international WCAG guidelines are the most important technical basis for this.
• User-friendliness (usability) is about how easily and efficiently visitors can use your website. Think of logical navigation, clear texts, recognisable buttons and simple forms.

Both subjects are closely connected. A website can be technically accessible, but still work in an unnecessarily complicated way. The other way around, a website can look user-friendly, while someone with a screen reader or keyboard gets stuck.

The best user experience comes when accessibility and ease of use are handled together from the start.

Why are accessibility and ease of use important?

An accessible and user-friendly website has advantages for visitors, organisations and search engines.

A better user experience (UX)

Visitors want to find information, get in touch or place an order without frustration. A clear structure, predictable navigation and understandable content make that easier.

A larger reach and digital inclusion

Not everyone uses a website in the same way. Some visitors use a screen reader, keyboard or voice control. Others have trouble with small letters, complicated forms or unclear instructions. When you take different users into account, you make your website accessible to a wider audience.

More conversions and happy visitors

When visitors can easily find what they are looking for, the chance is bigger that they get in touch, send a request or complete a purchase. Because of this, a user-friendly website can help to get more conversions, fewer visitors who leave, and a more professional image.

Better findability in Google and AI search engines

Accessibility and ease of use also support search engine optimisation (SEO). A logical page structure, descriptive links, semantic HTML and clear texts help search engines understand the content of your website.

AI search engines and AI assistants can also benefit from well-structured information, clear definitions and concrete answers to frequently asked questions. Accessibility is no guarantee for higher positions, but it is a valuable basis for a website that is strong in technique and content.

Read also how db8 helps with SEO & AI searchability.

How do you make a website accessible and user-friendly?

A good website starts with the needs of your visitors. The following improvements often make a big difference.

1. Make the navigation clear

Use a well-organised menu with recognisable names and a logical layout. Limit unnecessary choices and make sure visitors always know where they are. A breadcrumb trail and a search function that works well can help with this.

2. Use understandable texts and a clear structure

Write short, clear sentences and divide information into well-organised paragraphs. Use descriptive headings, lists and enough white space. Make it clear right away what visitors can find on a page and which action they can take.

3. Make the website fully usable with a keyboard

Not everyone uses a mouse. Make sure visitors can navigate through the website with Tab, Enter, the space bar and, where needed, Escape. Links, buttons, forms and menus must be reachable and have a clearly visible keyboard focus.

4. Use enough colour contrast and readable text

Texts must stay easy to read, also for people with low vision. According to WCAG, normal text usually needs a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1, and large text 3:1. Also make sure text can be enlarged without losing information or functionality.

5. Use semantic HTML and accessible images

A correct HTML structure helps browsers, screen readers and search engines to interpret the content. Use headings in a logical order, real buttons for actions and clear labels for forms.

Give informative images a meaningful alternative text with the alt attribute. Decorative images can get an empty alternative text, so screen readers skip them.

6. Make forms simple and understandable

Only ask for information that you really need. Use clear field names, recognisable instructions and understandable error messages. Make sure visitors can fix mistakes without having to start again.

7. Optimise speed and mobile use

A slow website or awkward mobile navigation causes frustration. Optimise images, limit unnecessary scripts and use a responsive design that adapts to different screen sizes.

Also see our solutions for a fast website and a mobile-friendly website.

8. Make videos and interactive parts accessible

Give videos suitable subtitles and, where needed, offer audio description or a text alternative. Make sure pop-ups, drop-down menus and other interactive parts also work with assistive technology. Preferably use standard HTML elements, and add ARIA attributes when that is needed.

WCAG and the legal requirements for digital accessibility

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are international guidelines to make websites and digital applications accessible. They are based on four principles:

• Perceivable: information must be available in different ways, for example via text alternatives and subtitles.
• Operable: all important functions must be accessible, also without a mouse.
• Understandable: content, navigation and controls must be clear and predictable.
• Robust: the website must work reliably with different browsers and assistive technologies.

WCAG 2.2 is a current version of the international guidelines. Which version and which conformance level is legally required depends on the regulations that apply.

European Accessibility Act (EAA)

Since 28 June 2025, extra accessibility requirements from the European Accessibility Act apply in the Netherlands. These rules are relevant for, among others, certain webshops, online services and digital products.

The obligations do not automatically apply to every business website. For example, there are exceptions for micro-enterprises that offer services. Government websites also have their own specific legal rules.

Apart from legal obligations, digital accessibility is a smart investment. An accessible website is more pleasant to use and excludes fewer visitors.

You can find more information at the W3C about WCAG and the Netherlands Authority for Consumers & Markets about accessibility.

Accessibility and ease of use in Joomla

Joomla offers a good technical basis to build accessible and user-friendly websites. But an accessible CMS does not automatically mean that every Joomla website meets the WCAG guidelines.

The template, extensions, forms, content and custom features in use also decide how accessible the final website is.

That is why at db8 we pay attention to both the frontend and the backend of Joomla.

Ease of use for visitors

• Well-organised menus and a logical page hierarchy.
• Accessible templates and interactive parts.
• Easy to read and well-structured content.
• Responsive pages and clear action buttons.
• Forms that work in a simple and accessible way.

Ease of use for administrators

• A well-organised Joomla administrator environment.
• Logical categories and clear file names.
• An efficient setup of the JCE editor.
• Well-organised images and documents.
• A manageable structure for menus, modules and extensions.

This way, not only does the experience for visitors get better, but the daily management of your website also gets easier. Read more about our options for Joomla development.

How do you check the accessibility of a website?

An accessibility test starts with finding technical and practical problems. For this you can use tools such as WAVE, axe DevTools and Google Lighthouse. These tools can find, among other things, missing form labels, contrast problems and certain HTML errors. But automatic tests do not find all accessibility problems.

That is why it is important to also test by hand:

• Can you use the whole website without a mouse?
• Is the keyboard focus visible everywhere?
• Are images and buttons understandable for screen readers?
• Does the website stay usable when text is enlarged?
• Can visitors easily fill in forms and fix mistakes?
• Do real users understand the navigation and the most important actions?

A combination of automatic checks, manual tests and user tests gives a more reliable picture of the accessibility and usability.

How does db8 help improve your website?

At db8 Website Support we look further than only the look of a website. We combine technical knowledge of Joomla with practical improvements for accessibility, usability and website performance.

Website analysis and Quick Scan

We look at where visitors might get stuck and which technical or content problems limit the user experience. Among other things, we look at navigation, accessibility, speed and mobile use.

Technical and functional optimisation

We improve the structure, controls and working of your website. Think of accessible forms, better navigation, semantic HTML, clear buttons and improvements in Joomla templates and extensions.

Advice, training and support

Keeping a website accessible also needs attention during daily management. That is why we help website administrators and editors with practical guidelines, training and support to publish accessible content.

With our Quick Scan you get insight into possible improvements, and you can work on website optimisation in a targeted way.

Make your website more accessible and user-friendly

Do you want visitors to find their way on your website more easily? Or do you want to know how accessible your Joomla website really is?

db8 helps you with a practical approach for better accessibility, more ease of use and a professional user experience. From a first analysis to technical optimisation and support with the daily management.

Contact db8 and find out how we can improve your website.