What are the most common accessibility mistakes in business websites?

The most common accessibility mistakes in business websites are: insufficient color contrast between text and background (failing the WCAG 2.1 AA minimum of 4.5:1 for body text), interactive elements that cannot be reached or activated using a keyboard alone, images without descriptive alt text, and form fields without associated labels that screen readers can announce.

Other frequent violations include: videos without captions or transcripts, PDF documents not tagged for screen reader navigation, modals and pop-ups that trap keyboard focus and cannot be dismissed without a mouse, and low-quality focus indicators (or none at all) that make keyboard navigation impossible for users who rely on it. Tools like Axe, WAVE, and Lighthouse provide automated accessibility audits that identify these violations with specific remediation guidance, though automated tools catch only approximately 30 to 40% of actual WCAG violations; manual testing with screen readers like NVDA or VoiceOver is essential.