Ways to Improve Website Accessibility for Healthcare Organizations Planning an Accessibility Update to Support Usability and Inclusive Access

Introduction

Healthcare organizations often maintain websites that serve patients, caregivers, referring clinicians, and community members. When planning an accessibility update, leaders must balance clinical priorities, content accuracy, privacy, and the practical realities of staff workflows. Poorly structured content, inaccessible forms, and unmanaged third-party tools can create avoidable barriers for people with disabilities and reduce overall usability for everyone.

This article focuses on practical, accessibility-informed actions healthcare teams can take during planning and implementation: clarifying content, using semantic structure, handling forms and documents thoughtfully, coordinating third-party reviews, and training editors. These steps are intended to improve real-world usability and inclusive access rather than promise formal certification or legal compliance.

Use this guidance to build a realistic plan, prioritize work you can maintain, and identify when to bring in independent specialists for formal evaluation. For background resources and helpful explanations of scope and next steps, see the Accessibility Hub.

Clarify content and simplify language

Content clarity is one of the highest-impact accessibility improvements for healthcare websites. Medical material can be dense and full of jargon; clear content helps all users—patients with cognitive or reading challenges, people using screen readers, and caregivers who need quick answers.

Practical steps:

• Prioritize essential information at the top of pages: who the service is for, how to access care, contact options, and eligibility or referrals.
• Write short paragraphs and use plain language. Replace long clinical sentences with concise summaries and a clearly labeled link to more detailed information.
• Use bulleted lists for steps (e.g., appointment preparation, required documents) instead of dense paragraphs.
• Provide clear link text that describes destination and purpose. Avoid using vague phrases such as “click here.” Screen-reader users rely on descriptive links to understand context.
• Label phone numbers and contact methods consistently, and include alternative contact options (email, text, live chat) where appropriate.

When training content authors, share short templates for common page types—service pages, provider bios, patient instructions—that enforce consistent structure and language. See planning resources and examples in the planning accessibility work guide to define the scope and responsibilities for content changes.

Use semantic structure and consistent headings

Semantic HTML and a logical heading hierarchy make navigation easier for people using assistive technologies and improve visual scanning for everyone. For healthcare sites with many service pages and provider profiles, consistent structure reduces cognitive load and maintenance cost.

Actionable recommendations:

• Ensure there is one H1 per page that clearly states the page purpose (e.g., “Cardiology Services” or “Request an Appointment”). Use H2 and H3 only to create a meaningful outline—though this article uses only H2 headings per style rules, your site pages should use deeper headings as needed.
• Prefer semantic elements: <nav> for navigation, <main> for primary content, <form> for interactive sections, and <table> only for tabular data.
• Include skip links (“Skip to main content”) to help keyboard and screen-reader users bypass repetitive navigation.
• Use ARIA only to supplement missing semantics—not to replace correct HTML structure.

These changes are often implemented by developers during a redesign or phased content update. If you use WordPress, consider building templates that enforce semantic output so content editors don’t need to manage markup directly. Our WordPress development work focuses on maintainable templates that support semantic structure and accessibility-informed patterns.

Make forms and documents usable and accessible

Forms and downloadable documents (PDFs) are high-touch interaction points for healthcare websites—appointment requests, patient intake, consent forms, and educational PDFs. Inaccessible forms and documents can block access to care.

Recommended steps:

• Design forms with clear labels, visible focus states, and inline validation messages. Use descriptive label text and associate labels programmatically with inputs.
• Reduce required fields to the minimum necessary. Where feasible, provide optional fields for additional context rather than forcing long forms.
• Offer multiple ways to submit information: secure forms, phone, email, or in-person. Clearly state alternative contact options near forms.
• Provide accessible file formats. When offering PDFs, also provide HTML or plain-text alternatives. If PDFs are necessary, prioritize accessible PDF creation and include a plain-language summary on the page.
• Use progress indicators for multi-step forms and allow users to save and return when possible (important for longer intake processes).

Because document remediation can be labor-intensive, list which documents must be updated first and assign ownership for ongoing maintenance. For guidance on content responsibilities and documents, review the content and staff responsibility resources.

Manage third-party vendors and embedded tools

Many healthcare websites integrate third-party patient portals, scheduling widgets, map services, and third-party forms. These integrations can undermine otherwise accessible experiences if not evaluated and coordinated.

How to reduce risk and improve outcomes:

• Inventory all third-party tools and embedded content. Record where the tool appears, which pages and devices it affects, and whether vendor support exists for accessibility updates.
• Ask vendors for accessibility statements and technical documentation. If a vendor cannot provide reasonable accessibility support, plan an alternative or a compensatory access path (for example, a clear phone option).
• Isolate vendor content where possible (e.g., open external tools in a new, clearly labeled window and provide an accessible alternative on the page).
• Include accessibility requirements in future vendor contracts and procurement documents so accessibility is considered before purchase.

If a critical third-party system is inaccessible and altering it is not an option, document compensatory measures and timelines for replacement or remediation. When projects include many third-party dependencies, consider bringing in an independent review to assess integrated workflows and end-to-end accessibility.

Train editors and set content governance

Accessibility is an ongoing practice, not a one-time checklist. Training content editors and defining governance ensures improvements persist after launch.

Key governance practices:

• Create short, role-based training for editors, clinicians who contribute copy, and administrative staff. Focus on plain language, headings, link text, alt text for images, and how to upload accessible documents.
• Provide easy reference materials and content templates in your content management system (CMS). Templates reduce errors and help non-technical staff publish consistent, accessible pages.
• Define a review process for new content: a quick accessibility checklist before publishing and a periodic audit for high-traffic or clinical pages.
• Assign ownership for ongoing updates. Know who is responsible for patient instructions, provider bios, and downloadable forms so accountability is clear.

Training is most effective when paired with tools that fit your workflow. For many organizations, light-touch checks inside the CMS combined with periodic manual reviews strike the right balance between effort and results.

Testing, monitoring, and continuous improvement

Testing should combine automated tools, manual checks, and real-world feedback. Automated scans catch many issues quickly, but manual testing and user feedback uncover usability problems automated tools miss.

A practical testing plan:

• Run automated scans on a schedule for site-wide issues such as missing alt text, color contrast, and heading structure. Treat these scans as signal, not final truth.
• Do manual testing for keyboard navigation, focus order, form labels, and screen-reader behavior on representative pages (scheduling, intake, service descriptions).
• Invite feedback from users and staff. Provide a clear contact method for accessibility-related concerns and document reported issues and remediation actions.
• Consider an independent accessibility review for critical workflows or if the organization needs an objective evaluation of scope and risk. Independent specialists can provide assistive-technology testing and comprehensive reports that guide prioritized remediation.

Document monitoring responsibilities, thresholds for escalation, and a schedule for re-testing. Accessibility requires maintenance—software updates, content changes, and new integrations can introduce regressions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do we prioritize which pages or features to make accessible first?

A: Start with high-traffic and high-impact pages: appointment scheduling, patient intake forms, service descriptions, and contact information. Consider legal or clinical priorities but balance them with what users actually need to access care quickly.

Q: Can automated tools determine if our website meets accessibility standards?

A: Automated tools are useful for identifying common issues, but they cannot determine full conformance or real-world usability. Combine automated scans with manual testing and consider independent specialist reviews for critical workflows.

Q: Should we remediate existing PDFs or replace them with HTML?

A: When possible, provide HTML alternatives for essential content because HTML is generally more flexible and accessible. If PDFs must remain, prioritize remediating high-use documents and provide plain-language summaries on the web page.

This article provides general educational information and does not constitute legal advice, an accessibility audit, certification, or a determination of WCAG conformance or legal compliance. Accessibility requirements and appropriate evaluation methods vary by organization and project.

Accessibility should be considered throughout website planning, design, development, content, and maintenance. SouthCoast Internet can help you discuss practical accessibility-informed improvements and define an appropriate project scope. Call (508) 415-8648 or email info@southcoastinternet.com to begin the conversation.