Create Accessible Navigation with Wix

Did you know that only 4% of all websites are accessible? Yet not only people with disabilities benefit from an accessible website, but also mobile users or people with slow internet connections. With Wix, you can remove barriers and create a website that is accessible to all -- without great effort.

The Key Points:

• Wix Accessibility Wizard: Automatic detection and fixing of problems (e.g. contrasts, keyboard control, ARIA labels).
• Optimise navigation: Clear structure, visible skip links, descriptive link texts.
• Legal standards: Comply with WCAG 2.0, conduct regular reviews.
• Additional features: Focus indicators, check DOM structure, use hover effects.

Why this matters: Accessibility improves the user experience, strengthens your brand image and protects against legal consequences. Start with Wix and make the web accessible for everyone.

Fundamentals of Web Accessibility

What Does Web Accessibility Mean?

Web accessibility ensures that all people -- regardless of their abilities -- can use websites and digital tools. This is crucial, as approximately 16% of the world's population lives with a disability.

An accessible website enables users to:

• Perceive and understand content
• Interact with the website
• Use various assistive tools for navigation

"The power of the Web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect." -- W3C

Accessibility helps not only people with permanent disabilities. Mobile users, older people, people with temporary impairments or slow internet connections also benefit. These principles form the foundation for implementation with Wix.

Business and Legal Aspects

Accessibility brings not only social benefits but also clear business advantages, as a 2023 study shows:

Benefits of Accessibility****Percentage of CompaniesImproved user experience87%Higher customer satisfaction81%More positive brand image79%More effective customer acquisition70%Stronger customer loyalty68%

Legal requirements also play a central role. During the 2021 Christmas season alone, online shops lost an estimated $828 million due to inaccessible websites. A prominent example: Target paid $6 million in damages and $3.7 million in legal fees after a lawsuit with the National Federation of the Blind.

To comply with legal standards, you should:

• Implement the WCAG guidelines (at least Level AA)
• Regularly review your website
• Ensure keyboard accessibility
• Ensure sufficient colour contrasts
• Guarantee screen reader compatibility

Accessibility is not only legally required but also a decisive competitive advantage. With Wix, you can implement these standards effortlessly.

Build Your Accessible Website with Wix - Complete Guide

Making Navigation Accessible in Wix

Here you will learn how to implement fundamental accessibility principles directly in the Wix Editor. Wix provides powerful tools to improve the accessibility of your website.

Using the Wix Accessibility Wizard

The Accessibility Wizard helps to identify and fix accessibility problems. Here is how it works:

1. Start the wizard and scan the website Open the Accessibility Wizard in the Wix Editor settings and start the scan with "Scan My Site". The wizard analyses your website for potential problems.
2. Identify and resolve problems The wizard highlights problematic areas and offers concrete solutions:

• Errors in heading hierarchy
• Poor contrasts in navigation menus
• Missing ARIA labels for interactive elements

After completing the scan, you can specifically review and adjust your navigation elements.

Reviewing and Adjusting Navigation Elements

Clear and consistent navigation is crucial for accessibility. Note the following points:

Navigation ElementSettingReasonMain menuPlace in the headerConsistent position on all pagesSearch functionTop rightUsers expect it in this locationSkip linksBefore the main navigationFacilitates access for keyboard users

To optimise navigation:

• Use global elements for menus in the header or footer.
• Ensure a logical page structure with a clear hierarchy.
• Use descriptive link texts and sufficiently large click areas, especially for touch devices.

After making these adjustments, you can add additional features to further improve accessibility.

Setting Up Additional Accessibility Features

Supplement your navigation with these features:

1. Ensure keyboard navigation All navigation elements should be reachable via the keyboard. Activate visual focus indicators in the Wix Editor for this purpose.
2. Check DOM structure Verify the order of navigation elements in the DOM so that screen readers can correctly capture the content.
3. Add visual support

• Clear hover effects on links
• High contrasts in colour design
• Clear visual hierarchy through spacing and size differences

After each design change, you should re-check these settings.

Guidelines for Accessible Navigation

When you have made adjustments in the Wix Editor, these guidelines help to keep your website's navigation accessible and user-friendly in the long term.

Creating Clear and Simple Navigation

A well-structured navigation is crucial for accessibility. Use global menus, a clearly visible search function and a clear hierarchy to ensure a consistent user experience.

Navigation Element****RecommendationsMain menuAdd visible skip links to facilitate content skippingSearch functionPlace a prominent and easily accessible search barLandmark areasUse HTML5 elements like