Before you launch: test with a few people, then make it simpler
Small usability tests and simpler forms are two of the cheapest ways to improve a new website, app or digital product before launch. Here is how to do both.
Accessibility is good business, not a box to tick
If your website, app or brochure is hard to use, some of the people you most want to reach will simply give up. Accessibility is about dignity first, and it is also good business.
Who we are designing for
Accessibility is sometimes treated as a niche concern. The numbers say otherwise. The government's Family Resources Survey found that in 2024 to 2025 one in four people in the UK were disabled: 16.7 million people, or 25%. [S30] The same survey found that eight in every 100 people were providing informal care to someone else. [S30]
In health and care the share of disabled and older users is often higher still, and many of the people using your website or app are doing so at a stressful moment, on a phone, perhaps on behalf of someone else.
Why it is good business
The case for accessibility starts with dignity. Everyone should be able to find information, ask for help and use a service without struggling. But it also makes commercial sense.
- More people can buy from you. If a family member cannot complete your enquiry form, you have lost that enquiry.
- Everyone benefits. Clear language, good contrast, captions and simple layouts help people who are tired, busy, outside in bright sun or reading in a second language.
- Buyers expect it. NHS and public sector organisations have legal duties for their own websites and apps, and accessibility is increasingly part of how they assess suppliers.
- It costs less when you start early. Building accessibility in from the first sketch is far cheaper than fixing it after launch.
The UK government's design principles put it well: "Accessible design is good design." [S33]
What WCAG 2.2 AA means
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, or WCAG, are the international standard for accessible websites and apps, published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). The current version is WCAG 2.2, and the latest W3C Recommendation is dated 12 December 2024. [S31] Level AA is the level most organisations aim for.
For UK public sector bodies, GOV.UK says a website or mobile app will meet the legal requirements if they "meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA accessibility standard" and publish an accessibility statement. [S32] Private businesses are not covered by those regulations, but the same standard is the best practical benchmark for everyone.
In plain terms, meeting WCAG 2.2 AA means things like:
- text with enough contrast to read easily
- pages that work with a keyboard alone, and with screen readers
- content that still works when people zoom in
- captions and transcripts for video and audio
- forms with clear labels and helpful error messages
- buttons and links that are big enough to tap
How we build it in
At Caresque we aim to meet WCAG 2.2 AA in everything we design and build, and we test with keyboards and screen readers. For Dignity Access, we designed and built a new website to WCAG 2.2 AA, with strong contrast, a highly legible typeface and generous spacing carried through print as well as screen.
A few habits make the biggest difference:
- Write in plain English. Short sentences, everyday words, one idea at a time.
- Design for small screens first. Many people will only ever see your site on a phone.
- Choose colours and type for reading, not just for looks.
- Test with real people, including disabled users, and with the assistive technology they use.
- Publish an accessibility statement that is honest about what works and what you are still fixing.
Start with one page
You do not need to fix everything at once. Start with the pages and forms that matter most, such as your home page, your contact form and your key service page, and work outwards.
If you would like help making your website, app or materials more accessible, take a look at our New product design and Bespoke web apps and iOS apps services, or book a discovery call.
Sources
- Department for Work and Pensions, Family Resources Survey: financial year 2024 to 2025, published 26 March 2026. [S30]
- W3C, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2, W3C Recommendation 12 December 2024. [S31]
- GOV.UK, Understanding accessibility requirements for public sector bodies, last updated 30 September 2024. [S32]
- Government Digital Service and Central Digital and Data Office, Government design principles, last updated 2 April 2025. [S33]
- Caresque, Dignity Access brand and digital programme case study and home page sector block.
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