Designing a responsive and accessible non-profit website

A charity's online presence is often its first impression on potential supporters, beneficiaries and volunteers. It's important to ensure that your website is both responsive and accessible to allow it to support and provide a good experience for a wide range of users, including those with disabilities.  

In this guide, we'll explore the key principles and best practices for creating a responsive and accessible charity website that can make a meaningful impact. 

Designing for accessibility

Before you start planning and designing your charity website, it's crucial to understand what ‘accessibility’ is and why it matters.

At least 1 in 5 people in the UK have a long-term illness, impairment or disability. Many more have a temporary disability. Disabilities can be visual, auditory, cognitive, or motor-related.

Web accessibility goes beyond making information available online – it is about designing and developing websites and content so that people with disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with it effectively.

Here are some key guidelines to get you startedContrast and colour choices:

• Avoid relying solely on colour to communicate information (e.g., in graphs). Use other visual cues, like text labels or icons, to provide context and meaning
• Ensure there is enough contrast between any text and the background it’s on,