What is website accessibility and how do I make my site usable for everyone?

Web accessibility ensures websites are usable by people with disabilities: visual impairments (screen readers), hearing impairments (captions), motor disabilities (keyboard navigation), and cognitive disabilities (clear language). WCAG 2.1 AA is the international accessibility standard. Key requirements: 1) Alt text for all images (<img alt="description">) — screen readers read this aloud. 2) Sufficient color contrast — minimum 4.5:1 ratio for body text. 3) Keyboard navigable — all interactive elements reachable via Tab key. 4) Form labels — every input has a <label> element. 5) Heading hierarchy — H1 > H2 > H3 in logical order. 6) Captions for video content. 7) No flashing content (triggers seizures). Test with: Lighthouse (Chrome DevTools > Accessibility tab), WAVE (wave.webaim.org), and screen reader testing (NVDA for Windows, VoiceOver for Mac/iOS). In India: Government of India websites follow GIGW (Guidelines for Indian Government Websites) which are based on WCAG. Making your site accessible also improves SEO (alt text, heading structure). All accessibility features work on Connect Quest hosting at connectquest.co.in.