Websites — including travel websites — are facing significant accessibility issues, according to a new report from AudioEye, which is focused on building an inclusive digital future.
The 2025 Digital Accessibility Index, released this week, found an average of 297 accessibility issues detectable by automation during the fourth quarter of 2024 across 400,000 web pages on 15,000 websites in different industries.
Each issue serves as a potential barrier for 1.3 billion people around the globe with disabilities, according to AudioEye, which released its initial report in 2023.
In the United States in 2022, one in four adults reported a disability, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Digital accessibility isn’t optional. It’s a legal requirement that carries real business consequences,” David Moradi, CEO of AudioEye. “Ignoring your website’s accessibility can lead to frustrated customers and increased legal risk.”
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AudioEye said it went through 53,230 pages across 1,609 hospitality and travel sites looking at booking systems, amenities descriptions and reservation confirmation.
Issues within the travel industry include web page color contrast, lack of alternative text on images, vague links and inaccessible forms.
“For many travelers, booking a trip starts online — but for people with disabilities, accessibility barriers on travel and hospitality websites can make planning a frustrating, if not impossible, experience,” AudioEye said in its report.
The firm broke down the accessibility issues identified on travel websites included in the index. Among them were:
- Color contrast is among the major challenges identified on travel and hospitality websites. AudioEye identified more than 85 color contrast violations per page, which can make it hard for people with low vision to read, navigate and understand the website’s content.
- Missing alt text is another challenge for people with visual disabilities. Travel and hospitality sites were home to an average of nearly 27 inaccessible images on each page.
- Keyboard accessibility barriers posed limitations on site navigation. AudioEye found that travel and hospitality sites had more than 7 keyboard accessibility violations on average on each page. Those violations could make it more difficult for travelers to move and choose between pages and to finish booking.
- Unclear links were another issue. The average hospitality webpage was home to more than 5 inaccessible links, according to the report.
- Inaccessible forms were a problem, too. On average, travel and hospitality sites were hosting four inaccessible forms, buttons or labels on each page. That lack of accessible forms means it could be difficult for people with cognitive or visual disabilities to book independently or to complete other travel checklist items.
“When accessibility isn’t prioritized, people with disabilities are left with fewer travel options and a less seamless experience,” AudioEye said.
AudioEye isn’t the only organization to conduct a report on digital accessibility. WebAIM has an annual report, too, focused on the top million websites, including travel sites. In its 2024 report, travel home pages were found to have on average more than 64 errors, more than 13% higher than the average number of errors across all home pages.