Accessibility isn’t a “nice-to-have.” It’s a product and website requirement — full stop. And if you’re building on HubSpot CMS, the good news is that you can create highly accessible, ADA-aligned websites with the right foundations, components, and governance in place.
This guide breaks down what really matters, what’s required, and how your team can build accessible experiences that support every visitor — while improving overall UX, SEO, and conversions in the process.
If you’re aiming for compliance, start with the standards that shape it: WCAG 2.2, built around four key principles (POUR):
Perceivable – Information must be presented in ways users can perceive.
Operable – All functionality must work via keyboard and other inputs.
Understandable – Content and interfaces must be clear and predictable.
Robust – Content must work across browsers, assistive tech, and future technologies.
Most public-facing sites aim for WCAG 2.2 AA, which includes newer criteria like stronger focus appearance requirements and alternatives for drag-and-drop interactions.
For U.S. organizations, the DOJ’s ADA website guidance aligns closely with WCAG 2.2 AA. Education, government, and public-sector audiences often require even stricter adherence.
HubSpot gives your team a flexible, modular system — but accessibility must be intentional. A compliant build starts with the essentials:
One H1 per page
Logical heading hierarchy
Meaningful, descriptive link text
Landmark regions for header, nav, main, and footer
4.5:1 contrast for normal text
3:1 for large text
Never rely on color alone to communicate meaning
Visible, accessible focus states that meet WCAG 2.2 appearance rules
Everything — menus, accordions, tabs, forms — must work via keyboard only. No traps, no dead ends, no “mystery meat” focus indicators.
Alt text that communicates purpose and context
Captions for video
Transcripts for audio
Audio descriptions when visuals convey unique meaning
Labels programmatically connected to inputs
Field sets/legends for grouped fields
Descriptive error messages tied to fields via aria-describedby
Never use placeholders as labels
HubSpot’s modular system shines when accessibility is built into every component:
Buttons with accessible names
Dialogs with proper focus management
Tables with headers, scopes, and captions
Accordion/tab structures using proven ARIA patterns
Component-level governance ensures your content editors don’t accidentally break accessibility as the site grows.
Great accessibility happens when design, copy, and engineering work together.
Readable typography: sufficient weight, size, and line height
Minimum target size: 24×24 CSS pixels
High-contrast focus states
Reduced motion options and limited animation
Use clear, plain language
Descriptive headings and meaningful link text
Avoid “click here” — explain the action
Provide contextual form instructions before users interact
For complex data, offer tables or CSV downloads
Use semantic HTML first; ARIA only when necessary
Validate that toggles, tabs, and accordions support Enter/Space and arrow keys
Add skip links for keyboard users
Ensure dynamically injected content preserves focus state and screen reader announcements
Optimize performance so assistive tech doesn’t lag
And of course:
Run automated checks + manual keyboard and screen-reader tests. Both matter.
Accessibility isn’t a project — it’s a practice. And it needs structure to last.
Automated scanning tools
Manual keyboard testing
Screen reader testing (NVDA, VoiceOver)
WCAG 2.2 AA-aligned acceptance criteria
A repeatable bug-reporting template
Recurring audits of templates and modules
Accessibility checks before new components ship
Caption/transcript confirmations on media-heavy pages
Proper form labeling and error handling verification
Document standards in your design system
Build accessibility into editorial guidelines
Appoint an internal accessibility owner or committee
Add accessibility checks to your QA and sprint workflows
Track accessibility bugs alongside other product issues
Create an Accessibility Statement outlining:
Your WCAG target level
Known limitations
How users can report issues
Your process for continuous improvement
Track KPIs like:
Open accessibility defect count
Time-to-remediate
Lighthouse accessibility score improvements
When you invest in accessibility, you’re also investing in better UX, stronger SEO, and higher conversions. Accessible sites simply perform better for everyone.
If you want a clearer picture of where your site stands, we can help. Our team offers a free accessibility audit to identify risks, opportunities, and practical next steps tailored to your HubSpot ecosystem.