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To make a portfolio website more accessible, give its content meaningful HTML structure, make every feature usable by keyboard, keep focus visible, and combine automated checks with human review. A clean scan is useful, but it does not prove that a site conforms to accessibility standards.
Use WCAG 2.2 as your reference point
WCAG 2.2 is the current W3C version covered here. W3C published it as a Recommendation on 5 October 2023; it adds nine success criteria compared with WCAG 2.1, while removing the former 4.1.1 Parsing criterion. Most earlier criteria remain. See W3C’s overview of what changed in WCAG 2.2.
Use the normative WCAG standard when you need to assess conformance. W3C tutorials and techniques explain ways to meet requirements, but they are informative guidance rather than requirements that modify the standard. The distinction is explained in W3C’s guide to the WCAG documents.
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Build a page structure people and assistive technology can navigate
Choose semantic elements for meaning
Use HTML elements that describe the role of their content, such as <header>, <nav>, <main>, and <footer>, rather than relying on visual styling alone. A portfolio’s project list, biography, contact details, and navigation should be identifiable as parts of the page, not just blocks that look distinct. W3C’s page structure tutorial covers regions, labels, and meaningful markup.
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Make headings reflect the content outline
Use actual heading elements, not large or bold text that only looks like a heading. Start with a clear page-level heading, then use lower-level headings for sections and subsections in a logical order. For example, a project section can have its own heading, with each project title nested beneath it. This helps visitors scan the page and lets screen-reader users navigate by headings. W3C’s G141 technique illustrates logical heading organization.
Give pages and links useful names
Set a concise, informative title for each page, and make section headings describe their purpose. Use link text that tells people what they will open or do; avoid relying on vague labels such as “here” when the destination is not clear from context. These naming choices support orientation and navigation, as described in W3C’s writing tips for web accessibility.
Make every feature work with a keyboard
Move through the portfolio without a mouse. Every link, button, form control, menu, and interactive project element should be reachable and operable by keyboard. Verify that the focus indicator remains visible as you move, that the sequence follows the content in a sensible order, and that no interaction traps you. W3C describes keyboard operation in its G202 technique.
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Pay special attention to fixed or sticky headers, banners, and dialogs. In WCAG 2.2, Focus Not Obscured addresses whether a focused component can be entirely hidden by author-created content. Scroll through the page while tabbing to check that sticky interface elements do not cover the focused control. The criterion is included among the WCAG 2.2 changes.
Audit the portfolio in a repeatable sequence
- Inspect structure and content. Check the page title, landmarks, heading hierarchy, link wording, image alternatives, project cards, and any forms. Confirm that distinctions conveyed visually are also expressed in the markup.
- Run an automated evaluation. Use a checker to surface potential issues, then review its findings rather than treating them as a pass/fail verdict. Choose an appropriate tool using W3C’s tool-selection guidance.
- Test with a keyboard. Tab through every control, operate each function, track focus, and check for traps or focus hidden behind fixed interface elements.
- Review with human judgment. Check whether labels and names make sense in context, whether the page outline is understandable, and whether the content remains usable with assistive technology. Automated results can be incomplete or misleading.
- Fix issues and repeat relevant checks. Recheck the affected pages and interactions after changes. Record which pages and methods you evaluated, and describe the limits of that evaluation accurately.
W3C recommends evaluation early and throughout development or redesign. Its evaluation overview explains the role of both tools and knowledgeable human review. As W3C puts it: “However, no tool alone can determine if a site meets accessibility standards. Knowledgeable human evaluation is required.”
Choose evaluation tools for the job
Tools differ in what they examine and how they support an evaluation. Before relying on one, consider:
- Whether it performs automated checks, supports manual testing, simulates user experiences, or combines methods.
- Whether it evaluates websites, documents, or another type of content.
- Whether its license is free, open-source, commercial, or enterprise.
- Whether it helps organize manual review and follow-up.
- Whether the tool itself is accessible to the people who need to use it.
W3C maintains a directory and guidance for selecting web accessibility evaluation tools. A tool’s presence in that directory does not make its output a conformance determination.
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When a broader evaluation is needed
For a formal or broader assessment, WCAG-EM 2.0 provides a methodology for evaluating websites against WCAG. W3C published it as a Group Note on 23 July 2026; it is not a W3C Recommendation or a beginner checklist. It is intended for evaluators with a solid understanding of WCAG, assistive technology, and disability access. Read the WCAG-EM 2.0 methodology before using it.
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