Three Common Digital Accessibility Barriers to Fix Today

When it comes to digital accessibility, many government teams focus on compliance, without considering the most important accessibility question: Can assistive technology users actually complete tasks on your site?

Using automated testing tools will only catch an estimated 50% of accessibility barriers, but they’re a good place to start.

Code for Canada is piloting a new accessibility tool for public sector organizations, which combines strict WCAG criteria and best practices to find common accessibility barriers.

After testing the tool with several government teams, we’ve found three common barriers that you can easily address.

Use headings to create a logical page outline

Across several sites, our tool found headings that jumped between levels (e.g., moving from H2 to H4), which creates a disorienting experience for assistive technology users.

To fix this, use heading levels to create a logical outline of your page, like a table of contents. Headings should decrease by one (e.g., H1, H2, H3) to help screen reader users understand how content is organized and navigate directly to the sections they need.

This approach is also good for SEO and general readability, making your content clearer for everyone, not just assistive technology users.

Have the  correct landmark regions

Landmark regions (e.g., <main>, <nav>, <header>, and <footer>) act as signposts on a page, letting screen reader users jump instantly to the section they want without wading through unrelated content.

Every page should have exactly one <main> landmark — the primary destination for screen reader users navigating to core content — and all page content should fall within a landmark so nothing is left in an inaccessible "dead zone."

When multiple landmarks share the same role (e.g., two navigation regions), each needs a distinct label so users can tell them apart and make informed choices about where to go.

Add a “skip to main content” link

A "skip to main content" link is one of the most impactful accessibility features a website can have. It lets keyboard and screen reader users bypass repetitive navigation menus on every single page, saving significant time and frustration.

Without this link, users who navigate by keyboard must tab through every menu item, logo, and utility link before reaching the page's actual content, a barrier that compounds across every page visit.

The link must actually work: it should move focus to the <main> content region, not just scroll the page visually, ensuring the benefit is real for all assistive technology users.

Ready to find accessibility barriers on your website?

Help us test our new accessibility testing tool! Simply fill out this form, and you’ll receive a free mini accessibility report within 2-5 business days, complete with WCAG-related barriers and recommended solutions.

Fill out the form to get your free report!