The information presented within this guide is aimed at website owners seeking to learn the ropes of web accessibility. Technical elements are described in layman’s terms, and, as a rule, all topics pertaining to the legalities of web accessibility are presented in as simplified a manner as possible. This guide has no legal bearing, and cannot be relied on in the case of litigation.
Research from Stanford University reveals that 75% of people judge a company's credibility based on their website design alone. This demonstrates the critical role of design in shaping how people perceive your brand.
But a professional, well-designed site goes beyond visual appeal — it provides an accommodating space for all visitors, including people with disabilities.
The good news is you don't have to sacrifice aesthetics for accessibility. With careful planning and design, you can make a website that is both visually pleasing and usable for everyone. Here at accessiBe, we want to make sure you can do just that.
In this blog, we'll show you twenty stunning websites that stand out in accessibility. We'll look at the important elements that make a site easy for everyone to use and show why making your website accessible is smart — beyond meeting legal requirements.
The top 20 most beautiful accessible websites
We're excited to present a curated list of 20 websites that blend aesthetic appeal with web accessibility. These examples prove that creativity and accessibility can coexist beautifully, allowing brands to be both innovative and inclusive.
Each website on this list has passed accessScan, fully conforming to WCAG 2.1 Level AA. This means they're not just nice to look at for some while excluding others. These websites can be fully enjoyed by everyone, regardless of ability.
1. Peanut Butter & Co.
Peanut Butter & Co. brings a delightful twist to everyone's favorite spread, peanut butter. Offering a variety of flavors from Old Fashion Crunchy to Cinnamon Swirl, they invite you to explore their world of gourmet peanut butter (and related products).
The website stands out for its effective use of color scheme and contrast. Warm, inviting colors capture the brand's essence of being family-owned. Additionally, the site ensures easy readability of text against background. This makes the website not only aesthetically pleasing but also accessible to a wide range of visitors.
2. Clearstem
A prominent health and skincare company, Clearstem offers a variety of products aimed at alleviating acne, that are free of harsh, toxic chemicals.
What really sets this site apart in terms of accessibility is its highly contrasting color scheme. With shades of white and light pink, the black text really pops, allowing for optimal readability.
3. 2Gether-International
Challenging the traditional entrepreneurial landscape, 2Gether-International empowers founders with disabilities by connecting them with essential resources. Recognizing that they've historically been underserved in entrepreneurship, 2GI strives to flip the narrative — viewing disability as a competitive advantage in business.
2GI's website design is as impactful as their mission. It combines a beautiful aesthetic with functionality, demonstrating the organization's commitment to inclusivity. The welcoming and professional layout ensures all visitors can engage with and appreciate their message of empowerment.
4. Sweetkick
In their own words: "We created Sweetkick, products designed to help you manage and satisfy sugar cravings and support a healthier lifestyle."
This online store scores high when it comes to menus, an prickly area when it comes to accessibility. Menus (including drop-down ones) are properly tagged for assistive technology, allowing for optimal navigation for those relying screen readers.
5. AdCentral
AdCentral is a one-stop digital solution for businesses across various industries. Whether it's boosting a retail location's online presence, automating social media for a landscaping firm, or crafting a professional website for an auto repair shop, their platform adapts to a multitude of needs.
The website captivates with its cool gradient, seamlessly blending black, dark blue, and purple hues. This background, combined with crisp white text, ensures strong contrast and readability.
6. Laservue Eye Center
Discover the world of advanced eye care at Laservue Eye Center, where cutting-edge technology meets patient-centered service. Laservue makes comprehensive information on laser vision correction and eye care solutions readily available.
The standout feature of their website is its highly readable copy. The text is clear and concise, making complex medical information accessible to everyone. This readability allows visitors to easily find and understand the information they need without eye strain or confusion.
7. Constant
Founded by Catherine York Powers, Constant is reshaping how teams approach loan servicing and collections. Their innovative SaaS platform shifts contact volume to self-service channels. This allows financial institutions to maximize profit margins by reducing operational costs.
What sets Constant's website apart is its customer-centric design. It's simple to use and fully accessible for users from various backgrounds. The site's interface is clean and intuitive, making navigation straightforward and efficient.
8. Commonwealth Insurance
Commonwealth Insurance streamlines the insurance experience by offering clear, direct coverage options. Catering to a wide range of insurance needs, their approach simplifies the process of finding and managing insurance policies.
The website mirrors their offering with a very simple, yet stimulating, design. Free of distracting elements, it presents what the business offers in a highly accessible way. This clean approach ensures that information is easily found and understood — setting a new benchmark for web accessibility in the insurance industry.
9. Match Stoneware
Transforming the everyday dining experience, Match Stoneware showcases a unique collection of handcrafted ceramics. Website visitors can explore tableware that marries functionality with artistic design — perfect for any meal setting.
Match Stoneware's website features excellent use of white text on a black background. Again, this lends to ample contrast, improving readability. Using Squarespace for their site, the handmade ceramics brand shows how thoughtful design contributes to accessibility. You can read more about Squarespace website accessibility by pressing here.
10. Blue Bowl
Blue Bowl redefines the concept of healthy eating with its delightful array of superfood bowls. They offer nourishing, flavorful options — inviting people to explore and try their favorite blends.
The site's charm is largely in its font choice — Karla and Karla Bold. These fonts strike a balance between cool and legible, making browsing enjoyable and easy on the eyes for all visitors.
11. Michael Kohn Gallery
Michael Kohn Gallery is a distinguished art gallery in Los Angeles showcasing diverse artists, exhibitions, and art fairs. Known for its curated selection of contemporary art, the gallery provides a platform for artistic expression and engagement.
The gallery's website reflects its commitment to elegance and accessibility in the art world. Embracing minimalism, the site reminds us that simplicity can be both sophisticated and user-friendly. The clean design and easy navigation make exploring contemporary art online an accessible experience for all art enthusiasts.
12. Gallica
Immersing visitors in the world of fine wines, Gallica celebrates the artistry of winemaking. It invites enthusiasts and connoisseurs to explore its exquisite vineyards virtually or book a wine tasting session.
The site's true highlight is its beautiful imagery. Each photo tells a compelling story of the care and passion that goes into Gallica's wines. This visual storytelling not only captures the essence of their offerings but also makes the browsing experience alluring for all visitors.
13. Vuzix
An industry leader in Augmented Reality (AR), Vuzix specializes in pioneering optical products that provide comfort and performance for defense, security, and enterprise professionals. Their smart glasses offer advanced solutions, pushing the boundaries of what's possible in AR technology.
Their red, black, and white color scheme creates a visual impact that mirrors the cutting-edge nature of their products. This bold color combination ensures clear navigation and conveys a sense of high-tech sophistication. As a Shopify-built site, Vuzix also shows how eCommerce sites can be both striking and accessible. You can read more about Shopify website accessibility by pressing here.
14. Hickies
Hickies brings a fresh and innovative approach to footwear with its unique no-tie shoelaces. Their product range appeals to those wanting to add convenience and style to their shoes.
The website impresses with its cool color schemes, which are both eye-catching and harmonious. Coupled with a readable font, the site offers an accessible, fun browsing experience for everyone.
15. Som Sleep
Som Sleep is all about helping people get better sleep with their functional berry-flavored sleep drinks. They serve those seeking a drug-free way to sleep well with a proprietary blend of magnesium, vitamin B6, L-theanine, GABA, and melatonin.
The website's design echoes the calm and restfulness of a good night's sleep. It features a cool color scheme with white and two soothing shades of blue. Additionally, the site has legible, well-spaced fonts, making it easy for anyone to explore their sleep-enhancing options.
16. Windmill
Once you land on this site, you know exactly what's in store for you (the company name kind of gives it away, as well). Straight and to-the point, Windmill's site presents a variety of ventilation products, like portable AC units and fans. The choice of dark blue font, appearing on a white background, is accessibility best practice, and is pulled off very elegantly on this online store.
17. Whispering Willow
Whispering Willow brings a touch of serenity to daily self-care with its natural and handcrafted personal care products. Embracing simplicity and purity, they offer a range of items to soothe the mind and body.
The elegance of Whispering Willow extends to its website — where a minimal design enhances both beauty and accessibility. Clean lines, a muted and earthy color palette, and an uncluttered layout make it a breeze for anyone to shop and use the site.
18. Color More Lines
Color More Lines distinguishes itself in the eCommerce sector by offering quantifiable solutions to expand online businesses. Their approach, focusing on significant revenue growth without long-term contracts, has driven impressive results for their clients.
The website employs a best practice in accessible web design — a dark background with contrasting white font. This design choice not only provides a sleek and professional look but also ensures optimal readability. Leveraging the Wix platform, the site exemplifies how accessibility and aesthetic appeal can coexist seamlessly. You can read more about optimizing accessibility on Wix websites by pressing here.
19. Koeze
Established in 1910, Koeze offers a variety of gourmet nuts and popcorn, fine chocolates, and peanut butter. Their commitment to quality and tradition is evident in every product, offering a premium taste experience for discerning palates.
Website visitors are greeted with a clean and elegant layout, making it easy and fun to browse and shop for scrumptious treats. Built on the Magento platform, the site is a prime example of how eCommerce can be both luxurious and accessible. You can read more about making Magento websites accessible by pressing here.
20. AdventHealth University
At AdventHealth University, education is about nurturing the next generation of nursing professionals. With a commitment to excellence, AHU offers a diverse range of degrees and certificates, dedicated to advancing skills in the medical field and promoting compassionate care.
AHU's site excels in using great imagery and contrast, bringing to life the university's dynamic community and advanced facilities. This visual appeal is complemented by the site's accessible design, built on Drupal. You can read more about making Drupal websites accessible by pressing here.
What makes a website accessible?
An accessible website conforms to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), these guidelines are the benchmark for creating web content that is accessible to people with disabilities. WCAG also plays a major role in multiple web accessibility laws; either being the official standard for compliance (like in the case of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act), or being referred to as the optimal level of web accessibility conformance (like in the case of the Americans with Disabilities Act).
WCAG is built upon four guiding principles:
- Perceivable: Website visitors should be able to perceive website content and information through various senses
- Operable: Website visitors need to be able to operate your website regardless of ability. Visitors should be able to navigate the site using different methods like a keyboard or assistive technologies, regardless of their physical condition
- Understandable: Website visitors should be able to easily understand content and instructions without confusion
- Robust: For your website to be robust, it needs to use HTML and CSS according to specification, and be compatible with assistive technologies and devices like screen readers
WCAG has evolved, with WCAG 2.0 introduced in 2008 and its update, WCAG 2.1, having been released in 2018. The latest version, WCAG 2.2, was published in October 2023.
All three WCAG versions have three conformance levels:
- Level A (minimum)
- Level AA (standard)
- Level AAA (optimal)
Conforming to WCAG 2.1 Level AA is generally the standard for ensuring a website is accessible.
This involves practices like making text readable and understandable, providing descriptive alternative text for meaningful images, and ensuring compatibility with assistive technologies.
Click here for a detailed checklist on how to achieve WCAG conformance.
How to test your website for accessibility
To test your website for accessibility, you can use automated tools like accessScan and/or lean on expert service providers such as accessServices.
With accessScan, all you have to do is enter your website's URL. Then, the tool conducts an automated audit against WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards. You'll receive a score indicating your site's compliance level — compliant, semi-compliant, or non-compliant. Additionally, you'll get a detailed report pinpointing specific areas needing remediation.
