Overview
This article helps you make your Volcanic website accessible to everyone, including users with disabilities. Website accessibility ensures all visitors can navigate, understand, and interact with your content effectively.
Improving accessibility often overlaps with SEO improvements and overall user experience, making it a valuable investment for your recruitment site that can increase application rates and demonstrate your commitment to digital inclusion.
Key benefits
Reach more candidates by ensuring users with assistive technologies can access your site.
Improve SEO performance through better content structure and search engine discoverability.
Demonstrate compliance and commitment to digital inclusion and equality.
Enhance user experience for everyone through clearer navigation and content.
Build brand trust by showing leadership in inclusive practices.
Increase application rates through improved usability and engagement.
Before you start
Before improving your website's accessibility, make sure you have:
Admin access to your Volcanic website.
Basic understanding of your current content structure and design.
SEO Console access to identify technical issues.
Clear goals for which pages and areas to prioritise for improvements.
📌 Note: This article focuses on accessibility improvements within Volcanic's tools and features. For formal compliance guidance, always consult your internal or legal compliance teams.
Quick accessibility checklist
Run these essential checks on all key pages and templates:
Add alt text to all non-decorative images with clear, descriptive explanations
Use proper heading structure with one H1 per page and logical H2-H6 subheadings
Ensure each page has unique meta titles and descriptions for better navigation and SEO
Add meaningful body content instead of relying only on images or empty pages
Check colour contrast between text and backgrounds for readability
Use accessible typography with readable fonts, appropriate sizing, and clear hierarchy
Test responsiveness across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices
📌Note: See our Getting Started with SEO guide to learn more about adding alt text, metadata, unique content and more.
🤓 Tip: Use browser extensions to help with accessibility testing. For example, try:
Colour Contrast Checker for checking text readbility.
HalfAccessible - Accessibility Toolkit for comprehensive accessibility testing.
SEO META in 1 CLICK to quickly review headings and meta data on any page.
Using SEO Console to find accessibility gaps
The SEO Console crawler identifies issues that often affect both accessibility and user experience. Review these metrics regularly and fix any gaps:
Metric | What it flags | How to fix |
Meta titles | Pages missing unique titles. | Add titles in the page editor or via SEO Settings. |
Meta descriptions | Pages missing descriptions. | Add descriptions in the page editor or via SEO Settings. |
H1 titles | Pages missing an H1 heading. | Add headings in Edit Mode or raise a support case if not editable. |
Body content | Pages with no readable text. | Add meaningful content in Edit Mode. |
Images without alt | Pages with untagged images. | Add descriptive alt text for each image. |
Fixing heading structure in Edit Mode
Follow these steps to add or correct heading tags (H1-H6) on your pages:
Log in to the Admin Area.
Navigate to the page you want to edit.
Click Edit Mode.
Select the text area or lava box where you want to apply headings.
Use the Heading dropdown to assign the correct level:
Heading 1 = H1 (use once per page).
Heading 2 = H2 (main sections).
Heading 3 = H3 (subsections).
Heading 4 = H4 (minor subsections).
Heading 5 = H5 (detailed subsections).
Heading 6 = H6 (smallest subsections).
Paragraph = P (body text).
Click Save Changes.
📌 Note: If the page title isn't editable and you need an H1, add a visible H1 heading in the body content using Edit Mode.
🤓Tip: Use Design Studio to update your heading font sizes or to update the page template if needed.
Design-level accessibility improvements
Design choices directly impact accessibility. Focus on these key areas:
Colour and contrast
Ensure all text has sufficient contrast with its background.
Review brand colours across different sections (headers, content, call-to-action buttons).
Use a Colour Contrast Checker tool to verify compliance with accessibility standards.
🤓Tip: Try this Colour Contrast Checker browser extension to quickly test colour combinations on your website.
Test colours across key areas like navigation, content blocks, and buttons.
Typography and readability
Choose readable, accessible fonts that work well across devices.
Establish clear font hierarchy with appropriate weights for headings versus body text.
Maintain proper font size, line height, and spacing for comfortable reading.
Consider Google Fonts options that prioritise accessibility and legibility.
Responsive design checks
Use Volcanic's device previews to test desktop, tablet, and mobile views.
Validate that content remains readable and properly spaced across screen sizes.
Ensure navigation and interactive elements work effectively on all devices.
Using Design Studio for accessibility
When working in Design Studio, apply these accessibility-focused updates:
Font and typography settings:
Assign appropriate font weights to headings and body text.
Set font sizes and line heights that scale well across devices.
Build consistent visual hierarchy for all heading levels (H1-H6).
Colour and contrast adjustments:
Adjust brand and typography colours to meet contrast standards.
Test colour combinations across content blocks, navigation, and buttons.
Preview changes across different sections to ensure consistency.
Responsive layout validation:
Use preview tools to confirm content scales properly across viewports.
Ensure layout patterns remain consistent to aid user comprehension.
Test that interactive elements remain accessible on smaller screens.
🤓 Tip: Always preview, test, and refine changes before publishing. Keep design patterns consistent throughout your site to help users navigate more easily.
Optional accessibility tools
Recite Me partnership
Access Volcanic are proud partners with Recite Me to offer additional accessibility support. They offer:
Recite Me Toolbar: An accessibility toolbar you can embed on your website that allows users to customise their browsing experience e.g. with screen reader support, layout tools, font adjustments.
Recite Me Toolkit: Free guidance and resources on accessibility best practices.
Free EAA Website Audit: Get a free accessibility report for your website to
identify EAA non-compliance issues and discover how to address them effectively.
Accessbility Checker: Use their Accessibility Chercker to improve the build of your website to WCAG 2.2 Compliance.
📌 Note: Contact your Customer Success Manager to learn more about enabling Recite Me on your website.
🤓Tip: Check out ReciteMe's FAQs to answer any question you have about their software.
Professional Services support
For advanced accessibility requirements, Volcanic's Professional Services team offers:
Accessibility audits aligned with WCAG standards.
Custom design recommendations for inclusive user experiences.
Development changes to address complex accessibility requirements.
Services are available in Standard, Plus, and Premium tiers and are delivered via Access FlexPoints. Contact your Account Manager or Customer Success Manager for more information.
Why accessibility matters for recruitment
Accessibility goes beyond compliance: it's good business practice that delivers measurable benefits:
Wider candidate reach: Ensure job seekers using assistive technologies can search, read, and apply for roles effectively.
Improved application rates: Clear navigation and readable content lead to more completed applications and better candidate experiences.
Competitive advantage: Demonstrate leadership in inclusion and modern web standards to both candidates and clients.
SEO benefits: Many accessibility improvements (proper headings, alt text, content structure) also support search engine optimisation.
Client confidence: Inclusive practices strengthen partnerships and show commitment to equality and professional standards.
Brand reputation: Build trust through inclusive design that reflects your organisation's values.
Best practices
Follow these guidelines to maintain and improve accessibility:
Regularly audit high-traffic pages for accessibility issues.
Use descriptive link text that makes sense out of context.
Avoid relying on colour to convey important information.
Provide text alternatives for multimedia content.
Keep content structure logical and easy to follow.
Test changes across different devices and browsers.
FAQs
Q1: Do I need to meet WCAG 2.0 standards to be compliant?
Answer: WCAG 2.0 is a widely accepted accessibility standard, but your specific compliance requirements depend on your location and legal obligations. Always consult with your internal compliance team for guidance.
Q2: What if I don't have access to Design Studio?
Answer: You can still improve accessibility using Edit Mode, SEO Console, and content updates. Contact your Customer Success Manager if you need design-level changes or want to explore upgrading your package.
Q3: How often should I check for accessibility issues?
Answer: Audit your high-traffic pages monthly and after every major content or design update. Regular monitoring helps catch issues early and maintain consistent user experience.
Q4: Can Volcanic handle accessibility audits for me?
Answer: Yes, accessibility reviews and improvements are available through our Professional Services packages. Contact your Account Manager for detailed information about available options and pricing.
Q5: Will accessibility improvements affect my website's loading speed?
Answer: Proper accessibility improvements typically enhance rather than harm website performance. Good content structure, optimised images with alt text, and clean code all support faster loading times.
Q6: How do I know if my colour contrast is sufficient?
Answer: Use online colour contrast checkers or browser extensions to test text and background combinations. Aim for WCAG AA standards as a minimum (4.5:1 ratio for normal text, 3:1 for large text).
Q7: Can I test my website's accessibility myself?
Answer: Yes, you can perform basic accessibility testing using keyboard navigation, screen reader software, and browser developer tools. However, comprehensive testing may require specialised tools or professional assessment.
Q8: What's the difference between accessibility and SEO improvements?
Answer: Many improvements benefit both accessibility and SEO (like proper headings, alt text, and content structure). However, accessibility focuses specifically on making content usable for people with disabilities, while SEO targets search engine discoverability.
Q9: Why can't I edit the page title to add an H1 heading?
Answer: Some page titles are controlled by your website template and aren't directly editable in Edit Mode. To resolve this, add a visible H1 heading in the body content using Edit Mode.
If template-level changes are needed for the actual page title, use Design Studio or raise a support case for developer assistance.
Q10: How do I add alt text to images that are missing it?
Answer: To add alt text: go to Edit Mode on the relevant page, go to the Images Alt text section in the top right. Add the alternative text next to the image and click Update when done. Then click Save Changes.
If the image in question doesn't appear in the panel, or the image has been hard-coded onto a page, you may need to raise a support case for a developer to amend.
Q11: Why does my page show no meaningful content in accessibility reports?
Answer: Pages that rely only on images, videos, or embedded content without readable text can create accessibility barriers. To fix this, add descriptive text content using Edit Mode or the Admin area CMS. Add meaningful content i.e. text or a description, that explains the page's purpose, describes what visitors will find, or provides context for any visual elements.
Ensure every page has at least one paragraph of readable text that helps users understand the page's content and purpose.
Q12: How do I improve poor colour contrast on my website?
Answer: Poor colour contrast makes text difficult to read, especially for users with visual impairments. To improve contrast, go to Design Studio (if available) and review your brand colours and typography colours.
Adjust text and background colour combinations to ensure sufficient contrast. Test your changes across different sections like headers, content areas, and buttons.
Use online colour contrast checkers to verify your combinations meet accessibility standards (aim for at least 4.5:1 ratio for normal text). If you don't have Design Studio access, consult with a designer or contact your Customer Success Manager for assistance.
Q13: Why are my accessibility improvements not showing on the website?
Answer: If your accessibility changes aren't visible, try these troubleshooting steps:
Clear your browser cache and refresh the page.
Test the page on different devices (desktop, tablet, mobile) and different browsers to confirm the issue.
Some changes, especially those involving templates or design updates, may take time to reflect across all areas of your site. If you made changes in Edit Mode, ensure you clicked Save Changes.
For Design Studio changes, make sure you published your updates.
If problems persist after these steps, contact support for assistance.
Q14: How do I get technical support for the Recite Me toolbar?
Answer: Technical support for the Recite Me toolbar is provided directly by the Recite Me support team. You can contact them via email at [email protected] or telephone on 0191 432 8092.