Why Website Accessibility Matters: WCAG & ADA Standards Explained

Eight seconds – that’s roughly the attention span of the average person, and about how long a business has to entice an online visitor to stick around. With Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) enforcement and user expectations on the rise, those eight seconds also carry a legal weight.

This guide explains the basics of website accessibility, how ADA standards affect your industry, and how to effectively start your compliance journey.

What Is Website Accessibility?

Web accessibility is a broad term that applies to transforming websites and web-based applications so that they’re accessible to people with disabilities and compatible with assistive technology.

An accessible website fosters a more inclusive digital experience for all visitors, and can benefit your brand in four key ways:

• Legal risk: Since it’s the law in many jurisdictions, ensuring your digital environments are accessible will help you fulfill your legal obligations and mitigate legal risk
• Brand reach: Investing in web accessibility opens your brand up to an enormous market with immense spending power
• SEO: Web accessibility best practices, such as adding alt text to meaningful images, adding descriptive metadata, and investing in readability, align with many sound SEO principles. Accessible websites are therefore likely to perform better on search engines
• Doing good: Today’s consumers heavily consider the ethical stance of the companies they support, making initiatives around Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) a critical business imperative

👉To learn more and get a 10-step checklist for meeting website ADA standards, read “Your Ultimate Guide to Website ADA Compliance: The What, Why, and How.”

Web Accessibility Legislation: What Is the ADA?

In 2018, the U.S. Department of Justice reaffirmed that the ADA applies to websites and has referenced the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) as the recommended standard for businesses to follow. 

In other words, the ADA requires businesses to make their websites accessible to people with disabilities.

The law is structured into five distinct titles. For the purposes of this article, we’re going to focus on Title II and Title III.

What Is ADA Title II?

Title II mandates equal access to all public services and transportation for individuals with disabilities, ensuring state and local governments accommodate their needs

Who’s covered:

• City and town websites
• School district portals
• Public transportation apps
• Online payment systems
• Mobile apps and digital forms

What’s required:

• WCAG 2.1 Level AA conformance across websites, mobile apps, and other digital services

Key dates:

• April 24, 2026 for state and local governments serving 50,000 or more people
• April 26, 2027 for smaller entities and special district governments

Worth noting: Federal agencies aren’t covered by Title II but have digital accessibility obligations under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act

What Is ADA Title III?

Title III requires that all public accommodations and commercial facilities be accessible to individuals with disabilities.

Who’s covered:

• Private businesses that are “places of public accommodation” (e.g., restaurants, hotels, theaters, doctors’ offices, banks/credit unions, pharmacies/healthcare providers, retail stores, private schools/colleges, museums, libraries, parks, daycare centers, and more)

What’s required:

• The law doesn’t name a specific web standard, but the DOJ and courts commonly reference WCAG. Aiming for WCAG 2.1 Level AA is the widely accepted best practice

What Is WCAG?

Web accessibility legislation dictates adherence to WCAG 2.1 Level AA. WCAG serves as the gold standard for web accessibility, providing a detailed framework for making websites and digital content usable for people with a wide range of disabilities. 

At its core, WCAG is based on four key principles:

• Perceivable: Content must be presented in ways people can recognize and process using their senses
• Operable: All interactive elements must be usable by people with different input methods
• Understandable: Website content needs to be presented in a direct, simple way
• Robust: A website’s code should be written in adherence to recognized standards, and should be compatible with assistive technology (e.g., screen readers)

WCAG 2.1 Level AA requires meeting a range of technical and content requirements. The guidelines themselves can be rather complicated, which is why we recommend partnering with a company that specializes in web accessibility solutions for businesses of all sizes, like accessiBe.

What Do WCAG and ADA Standards Mean for Your Industry?

As we outlined above, web accessibility should be on everyone’s radar, regardless of whether you’re a state or local government entity (ADA Title II), federal agency (Section 508), or private business (ADA Title III).

From credit unions and banks to car dealerships, associations, law firms, and health care companies, we’re here to help you take action now. 

Ready to make accessibility practical and measurable?