If I had 30 days to fix your accessibility…

If I had just 30 days to improve your website’s accessibility, what would I focus on?

Obviously, 30 days isn’t long enough to create sustainable improvement, but it’s a worthy thought exercise. Here’s my practical plan for making real progress in that timeframe.

Week 1: Understand your baseline

Run an automated scan using free tools like axe DevTools, WAVE, or Accessibility Checker (WordPress only). These tools catch 30-40% of WCAG issues, which is enough to build a prioritized action plan. Document any patterns you find, which may reveal whether problems are systemic or isolated. Remember: passing an automated scan doesn’t mean your site is accessible, but it shows you where to start.

Week 2: Focus on high-impact fixes

Target the five areas that account for most accessibility barriers: images with missing alt text, links with vague text (e.g. “click here” or “learn more”), insufficient color contrast, improper heading hierarchy, and form inputs without labels. These aren’t complex fixes, and most require no coding knowledge. Addressing these issues alone will cover the vast majority of detectable errors.

Week 3: Build accessibility into your process

Create documentation that supports accessibility across your organization (including checklists for content creators), automated testing in your development workflow, and a standard procedure for responding to accessibility complaints. Update or create your accessibility statement to acknowledge your commitment and provide clear contact information for users to report issues.

Week 4: Test with real users and train your team

Conduct basic usability testing with keyboard navigation and screen readers. Real use cases reveal issues that automated tools miss. Train your staff on accessibility best practices because human input is the primary source of new accessibility issues. Fix the process, not just the problems.

That’s it. Four weeks to meaningful accessibility progress.