You Asked, We Answer
Answers to the most commonly asked questions about website design, Squarespace, and website accessibility
FAQS
Digital Accessibility Services & Partnerships
What are your core digital accessibility services and who do you partner with?
We offer a full suite of services to ensure true digital inclusion. Our core offerings include Full Functional & Manual Website Audits, Code-Level Remediation to fix issues, and Digital Document Services (e.g., accessible PDFs and e-books). We also provide Partnerships and Educational Resources specifically for web designers and solopreneurs who want to build accessibility into their own process. We are your long-term partner for building an inclusive brand.
Can you make my existing website accessible?
Yes. We offer accessibility reviews and integration services for existing websites, in a veriety of platforms. We'll audit your current site, identify barriers, and implement fixes that improve usability for everyone. Whether you need a full redesign or targeted improvements, we'll create a plan that fits your needs and budget.
Do accessibility widgets or overlays make a website truly accessible or compliant?
No, they do not. Accessibility widgets often interfere with the user's own assistive technology (like their screen reader) and can create more problems than they solve. True accessibility must be built into the code and design from the start, not bolted on as a third-party plugin. We advocate for a dedicated, code-level remediation process, which is the only way to achieve a truly inclusive experience and a competitive advantage.
Do you work with other web designers?
Absolutely. We partner with web designers who want to offer accessibility services to their clients but need expert support. Whether you need a one-time accessibility audit, ongoing partnership, or want to learn how to implement accessibility yourself, we're here to help you serve your clients better.
My main concern is the legal risk. How does proactive accessibility help my small business mitigate ADA lawsuits?
We prefer to frame this as securing a competitive advantage rather than just mitigating legal risk. However, in terms of legal exposure, non-compliance with standards like WCAG 2.2 Level AA exposes service-based businesses to significant risk under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Most digital accessibility lawsuits result in early settlements because the cost of litigation typically outweighs the cost of remediation. By being proactive, working with a qualified accessibility consultant, and posting an Accessibility Statement, you establish an affirmative defense that proves your ongoing commitment to accessibility, making you a less desirable target for predatory litigation.
Isn't accessibility just about adding alt text to images?
That's a common misconception. While alt text is important, real accessibility involves proper heading structure, keyboard navigation, color contrast, form labels, focus indicators, and much more. Many designers and influencers spread misleading advice that oversimplifies accessibility. We cut through the misinformation and implement comprehensive solutions that actually work.
How do I test or audit my website for accessibility?
Testing website accessibility involves both automated tools and manual evaluation. Automated checkers (like WAVE, Axe, or Lighthouse) catch obvious issues like missing alt text or color contrast problems, but they only identify about 30-40% of accessibility barriers. The rest requires human testing—navigating your site with a keyboard, using a screen reader, and checking whether the experience actually makes sense for real users.
Does accessibility help SEO and improve rankings?
Yes—and the connection is stronger than most people realize. Search engines and people with disabilities have something important in common: they both rely on well-structured, clearly labeled, properly coded content. When you make your website accessible, you're also making it easier for search engines to understand and rank your content.
What is digital accessibility, and why does my business need it?
Digital accessibility means designing your website so everyone can use it—including people with disabilities who rely on screen readers, keyboard navigation, or other assistive technologies. It's not just about compliance; it's about reaching more customers. When your website is accessible, you expand your audience, improve user experience for everyone, and build stronger brand trust.
What is a full website accessibility audit, and why is manual testing essential?
A comprehensive audit combines a full automated scan with multi-page manual testing by accessibility experts. Automated tools are a great starting point, but they only catch about 30% of issues. Only manual testing can confirm functionality for real users, verify form accessibility, check alt text quality, and ensure WCAG conformance. We test for compatibility with various assistive technologies and provide a detailed report of actionable fixes.
What is WCAG, and what level should my business aim for?
WCAG stands for the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, which are the global standards for digital accessibility. WCAG is built on four core principles—Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust. Most international legal and policy requirements, including those referenced by the ADA in the US, point to WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 Level AA as the benchmark for conformance. We always target Level AA compliance as it provides the greatest level of access for your customers.
Beyond the website, what other services do you offer to maintain digital accessibility compliance?
Digital accessibility extends beyond your website's code to include all customer-facing electronic information, such as marketing materials and documents. We offer PDF and Document Remediation Services to ensure that your downloadable assets—including PDF forms, Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, and reports—are fully accessible. This involves adding proper tags, adjusting reading order, and providing alt-text for graphics, which is often a required step for achieving overall Section 508 compliance.
Why partner with an accessibility expert instead of using internal developers or a general agency?
Accessibility is our core competency and Unique Value Proposition (UVP), not an add-on service. WCAG 2.2 contains numerous nuanced criteria that require specialized knowledge in keyboard-only navigation, screen reader testing, and cognitive accessibility. Our certified expertise ensures that your website is not just "compliant" in the eyes of a checker, but truly usable by people with disabilities. We partner with agencies and in-house teams to provide the manual auditing, remediation, and training needed to confidently meet the high standards of WCAG 2.2 Level AA.
Is website accessibility required by law?
In the United States, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that businesses provide equal access to their goods and services—including websites. While the ADA doesn't specify exact technical standards, courts consistently reference the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) as the benchmark for what "accessible" means online. The EAA (European Accessibility Act) has similar but more regualted laws surroudning digital accessibility.
What are common web accessibility issues or barriers?
The most common accessibility barriers we see include:
Missing or poor alt text on images, poor color contrast, insufficient button and link labels, inaccessible forms, PDFs, and videos.
Which WCAG level should I aim for?
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) have three levels: A (basic), AA (mid-range), and AAA (highest). We recommend aiming for WCAG 2.1 Level AA as your standard. This is what most courts currently reference, what most accessibility experts consider the baseline for inclusive design, and what creates a genuinely usable experience for the widest range of people.
Squarespace Web Design for Small to Mid-Size Businesses
What's included in your web design services?
Every website we design includes built-in accessibility, mobile responsiveness, intuitive navigation, clear calls-to-action, initial seo setup, and easy-to-update content management. We also provide training so you can maintain your site confidently. There are no hidden fees for accessibility—it's standard in everything we create.
Is Squarespace truly good for SEO, especially for small businesses?
Yes, Squarespace is an excellent platform for SEO, for small to mid-size service businesses. It handles all the technical SEO basics automatically, like mobile optimization, SSL certificates, and automatic sitemaps. The platform is the foundation; the key is what your designer does with it. We specialize in Squarespace SEO, ensuring all title tags, meta descriptions, image alt text, and heading structures are optimized to rank highly and be clear to both search engines and AI entities.
What is the benefit of hiring a specialist designer for Squarespace instead of DIY?
While Squarespace is user-friendly, a specialist ensures your site is a powerful tool, not just an online brochure. We go beyond templates with custom code and layout modifications for a unique, professional look. We build every site with an accessibility-first approach, which you won't get with a DIY build. This saves you time, frustration, and ensures your site is accessible and optimized for conversion right from launch.
How does accessibility specifically improve my website's traditional search rankings?
Accessibility and SEO are tightly intertwined. Many WCAG guidelines are also foundational SEO best practices:
Image Alt Text: Providing descriptive alt text for images is a WCAG requirement, but it also helps search engines understand the image content, boosting image search visibility.
Clear Structure: Using proper heading tags (H1, H2, etc.) is vital for screen reader users and helps search engine crawlers understand the page hierarchy and importance of content.
Mobile-Friendly Design: WCAG 2.2 places a strong focus on mobile usability and minimum touch targets, which aligns directly with Google's mobile-first indexing and ranking requirements.
What if I need to update my website after it launches?
Your website will be built on Squarespace, which is intuitive and easy to update. We provide training so you can make simple changes yourself—no technical expertise required. For more complex updates or accessibility questions, we offer ongoing support packages or hire for a day services based on your needs.
How do you build accessibility into my new Squarespace website?
We follow a process where accessibility is the default, not an add-on. This means we focus on proper heading hierarchy (H1, H2, H3 structure), sufficient color contrast (ensuring a 4.5:1 ratio for text), descriptive image alt text, and keyboard-only navigation from the initial design phase. We avoid common pitfalls and ensure your new site provides a better user experience for everyone.
What information do you need from me to start a project?
We'll ask about your business, your goals, your target audience, and any specific features you need. If you have brand guidelines, existing content, or examples of sites you like, that's helpful—but not required. We'll guide you through everything step by step.
What post-launch support and training do you provide?
We empower you to manage your own site. Every project includes comprehensive, personalized training on the Squarespace platform and your specific site structure. We also provide clear guidance on how to maintain accessibility and continue your SEO efforts when you add new content, ensuring you don't break the system after launch.
How is the rise of AI changing SEO, and how do you implement it in a Squarespace build?
AI significantly impacts the speed and efficiency of SEO. We leverage AI to accelerate the technical groundwork on Squarespace sites, which is essential for traditional search engine rankings. Squarespace's built-in AI features allow us to rapidly generate drafts of SEO titles, meta descriptions, and image alt text directly within the Fluid Engine (v7.1) platform.
However, AI-generated content can often be generic. Our process is to use AI for speed, then apply human oversight and editing to inject your unique brand voice, specialized expertise, and core messages. This ensures your site ranks well while maintaining authenticity and resonates with your target audience.
How do you handle Content Strategy and Copywriting to ensure it is both Accessible and SEO-optimized?
We are not copywriters but can definitely help edit your content if needed. Our approach ensures every piece of content is understandable and readable, a key WCAG principle. We employ a "Less but Better" content strategy. This means we focus on:
Clarity and Simplicity: Using the right brand vocabulary and avoiding complex jargon where possible, which aids both cognitive accessibility and easy comprehension by users and search engines.
Strategic Keywords: Integrating high-value, low-competition keywords identified through competitive analysis into easy-to-read headers and body text.
Comprehensive Topic Coverage: Leveraging AI tools to ensure your content fully addresses a topic, while we edit to inject your personal expertise—a critical factor for ranking above generic, AI-only competitors.
Pricing & Investment
How much does an accessible website cost?
Pricing varies based on your needs, but our design packages start at $1,800. USD. Unlike designers who charge extra for accessibility, our pricing includes full accessibility integration from the start. No surprise fees, no hidden costs—just transparent pricing for a website that works for everyone.
Do you offer payment plans?
All projects are designed with a installation payment plan, broken into three payments.
Is accessibility more expensive?
Not when it's built in from the beginning. The expensive approach is treating accessibility as an afterthought—that's when you pay for redesigns, fixes, and workarounds. When accessibility is foundational (our approach), it's simply part of good web design, not an expensive add-on.
How much will itg cost to make my current website accessible?
Website audit and remediation services are based on a number of factors including; complexity of content, number of pages, interactive elements, custom coding, etc. If you are techie you can choose to just have an audit done and do remediations yourself, or hire us to handle those for you. To get a FREE quote specific to your needs contact us.
About Access Designs & Services
What does Access Designs do?
We create fully accessible, user-friendly websites for small to mid-size businesses using Squarespace. Unlike most web designers who treat accessibility as an add-on, we build it in from the start—no extra fees, no workarounds. We also partner with web designers to help make their clients' websites accessible and offer tutorials and courses for those who want to learn accessibility themselves.
What is your unique advantage as a designer and accessibility specialist?
Our advantage is the fusion of high-quality Squarespace design with certified digital accessibility expertise. We are accredited Accessibility Experts. We combine conversion-focused design with an ethics-first approach to accessibility, making sure your site performs well and welcomes every visitor.
How long does a typical Squarespace website design project take?
Project timelines vary based on scope, but a standard custom Squarespace build usually takes 4 weeks from kickoff to launch. We prioritize a clear, efficient process with set milestones. For smaller tasks, we offer Hire for a Day services to quickly tackle your to-do list. We value clear communication and establish realistic expectations for start and finish dates.
What is your process for testing and ensuring the site is truly accessible, not just "checked off"?
Our process is rigorous and relies on a combination of technology and human expertise:
Automated Scans: We use sophisticated tools to catch approximately 30% of technical compliance issues.
Manual Auditing: Our experts conduct thorough, hands-on testing, including keyboard navigation and screen reader use (the only way to detect the remaining 70% of issues).
Accessibility Statement: Upon launch, we provide you with a detailed accessibility statement to post on your site, outlining your commitment and providing users with a clear point of contact for feedback. This is a crucial element of a comprehensive risk management program.
Do you work with clients outside the United States?
Yes! Since everything is done online, we work with clients across the United States [or internationally, if applicable]. Location doesn't limit our ability to create an excellent website for your business.
Do you only work with Squarespace websites?
For web design, yes, we specialize in Squarespace because it offers a solid foundation for creating accessible, easy-to-maintain websites. This focus allows us to deliver expert-level accessibility integration without the complexity of managing multiple platforms.
For accessibility services we work in a variety of platforms. Contact us to discuss your project and get a FREE quote.
What is the first step to get started with Access Designs?
It's simple! Just reach out to schedule a free consultation call. We'll discuss your specific business goals, review your existing site (if applicable), and recommend the best path forward—whether it's a full custom design, a targeted accessibility audit, or a partnership package for your design team.
What exactly does your “accessibility-by-default” promise mean for my project?
It means that accessibility is not a separate service or an extra fee; it is fundamentally baked into the entire process. Unlike other designers who treat it as an add-on, we ensure every aspect of your website—from the color palette (contrast compliance) to the code structure and content hierarchy—is designed to meet WCAG 2.2 Level AA standards from Day 1. Our unique value proposition is that we treat accessibility as an integral component of your brand and a competitive advantage.
How is the pricing for your services structured? Are there hidden fees or long-term contracts?
Transparency and honesty are two of our Core Values. We believe in an anti-gatekeeping approach, which is why our pricing is structured clearly based on the scope and complexity of the project, with no hidden fees. We provide comprehensive, one-time project quotes for the initial build and remediation. For ongoing accessibility maintenance and monitoring (which is recommended for long-term compliance), we offer clear, simple retainer options. There are no lengthy, binding contracts—just honest, upfront pricing for high-quality, professional work.
Why choose Access Designs over other web designers?
Most web designers build websites first, then add accessibility later—if at all. This creates extra costs, compliance issues, and frustrating user experiences. We integrate accessibility from day one, ensuring your website works for everyone without hidden fees or complicated processes. Your site will be beautifully designed, fully functional, and built to reach more customers from the start.
Learning and Education
Do you offer accessibility training or courses?
Yes! We offer tutorials and are creating courses for both business owners and web designers who want to create more accessible digital content. We believe in educating, not gate-keeping. You'll learn what you can do yourself and when you need expert help, so you can maintain accessibility affordably and effectively.
What if I just want to learn enough to maintain my own website?
That's exactly what we help with. We teach you practical, actionable skills—no overwhelming technical jargon. You'll learn how to add new content, update pages, and maintain accessibility standards without needing to become an expert or call a developer every time you want to make a change.
Who are your courses designed for?
We create resources for small business owners and web designers. We help people who want to make their own content more accessible (social media, documents, basic website updates) and web designers can learn the skills to integrate accessibility into their client work.
Common Concerns & Misconceptions
Will an accessible website look less professional or boring?
Absolutely not. Accessibility and beautiful design go hand in hand. Good design is accessible design. We create visually appealing websites that are also fully functional—you don't have to choose between looking good and working well.
My audience is small—do I really need to worry about accessibility?
One in four adults in the U.S. has a disability. That's 25% of potential customers who might struggle with or abandon an inaccessible website. Beyond that, accessible websites benefit everyone—parents with strollers using voice commands, people with temporary injuries, older adults, and anyone using mobile devices. Better accessibility means better business.
I'm worried about legal risks—can you help?
While we can't provide legal advice, we can ensure your website follows Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and best practices that align with ADA requirements. It is important to know that digital accessibility is NOT a one and done concept. Requirements, laws, and technology are constantly changing so follow up accessibility services are highly recommended. And NO, they are not costly.
Can I just handle accessibility myself later?
You could, but it's much harder and more expensive to fix accessibility issues after your site is built. It's like trying to add a ramp to a building that's already finished versus designing the entrance to be accessible from the start. Plus, do you have time to learn a whole new profession while running your own business?