Trades and home services

When a furnace stops in January or a pipe bursts, people search for help and contact the first business that makes it easy. For homeowners with a disability, and for older homeowners who may rely on magnification or a screen reader, a trades website is often the quickest way to find out whether you serve their area, what you do and how to reach you. A phone number that is only inside an image, or a quote form that cannot be submitted by keyboard, can send that call to a competitor.

About 27% of Canadians aged 15 and over reported one or more disabilities in 2022 (Statistics Canada, Canadian Survey on Disability 2022). Many trades businesses are small, but Man. Reg. 47/2022 applies to organizations with one or more employees in Manitoba, and has done so since May 1, 2025. Web content must meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA (s. 7(1) (opens in a new tab)).

Where websites in this sector usually fail

These are common patterns on trades and home services websites. They describe typical issues, not any particular contractor.

The journeys we test first

• Finding the phone number and emergency service hours quickly
• Confirming that you serve a particular town or neighbourhood
• Requesting a quote or estimate, including uploading a photo
• Booking a service call or maintenance visit online
• Reading about services, warranties and financing options
• Viewing past projects and reviews

We test each journey by keyboard only, with NVDA on Windows and VoiceOver on macOS and iOS, at 200% text size and at 320 CSS px reflow, along with automated scans. Our method page explains how.

Beyond the website

Accessible formats and communication supports (s. 5 (opens in a new tab))

Customers should know they can ask for information in a format that works for them. For a trades business, that usually means estimates, invoices, warranties and maintenance instructions available as accessible electronic documents or in large print, and staff willing to communicate by text or email when a phone call is difficult. A short notice on the website and on estimates makes these options known.

Feedback process (s. 9 (opens in a new tab))

Customers need an accessible way to tell you about barriers. An email address, phone number and simple form listed on the contact page is usually enough for a small business.

Training (s. 4 (opens in a new tab))

Dispatchers and office staff who answer calls, technicians who explain work to customers, whoever updates the website, and whoever chooses scheduling or invoicing software all fall within the training requirement. It applies as soon as reasonably practicable. Large employers must also document a training policy (s. 4(4) (opens in a new tab)).

What an engagement looks like

Trades websites are often built on WordPress or a hosted site builder, sometimes with embedded scheduling, quote or financing tools. Our process fits that setup.

1. Audit. We test your key pages and journeys against all 50 WCAG 2.1 AA success criteria and record each issue and where it occurs.
2. Fixed quote. You receive a written, fixed price for remediation before work starts.
3. Remediation that preserves your design. We replace image text with real text, adjust colours just enough to meet contrast while keeping your brand recognizable, and fix forms and focus. For embedded scheduling or financing tools you do not directly control, we document the issues, review the exceptions in s. 7(2) (opens in a new tab), and help you request fixes or offer a phone alternative.
4. Verification. Every fix is retested with assistive technology.
5. Compliance pack. You receive documentation, notice and feedback wording, and short training material suited to office and field staff.

We never use overlay widgets. If anything we repaired is later found not to meet WCAG 2.1 AA, we correct it at no charge. See services.

To find out where your website stands, contact us, call (431) 816-6210 or email [email protected].

Last reviewed October 2026. General information, not legal advice.