Understanding ADA & WCAG Compliance
A plain-English guide to web accessibility requirements, ADA Title II enforcement, and what it means for your organization.
What is ADA Title II?
Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits state and local governments from discriminating against people with disabilities. In 2024, the Department of Justice issued a final rule extending this requirement to government websites and mobile apps.
Who must comply?
State and local government entities serving populations of 50,000 or more people.
What was the deadline?
April 24, 2026 — passed. DOJ enforcement is now active for large entities. Small entities have until April 24, 2027.
What standard?
WCAG 2.1 Level AA — the internationally recognized standard for web accessibility.
What are the penalties?
DOJ enforcement actions, private lawsuits, and settlements averaging $75,000+.
What is WCAG 2.1 AA?
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). They define how to make web content accessible to people with disabilities — including blindness, low vision, deafness, motor impairments, and cognitive disabilities.
Level AA is the target conformance level required by ADA Title II. It covers the most common barriers without imposing unreasonable burdens on content creators.
The 4 Principles (POUR)
Perceivable
Content must be presentable in ways all users can perceive — alt text, captions, contrast.
Operable
Navigation and interaction must work for everyone — keyboard access, enough time, no seizure triggers.
Understandable
Content and interfaces must be clear — readable text, predictable behavior, error prevention.
Robust
Content must work with current and future technologies — semantic HTML, ARIA, valid markup.
Key WCAG 2.1 AA Criteria
These are the most commonly failed criteria. Understanding them is the first step to compliance.
Non-text Content
All images, icons, and graphics must have descriptive alt text so screen readers can convey the meaning to blind users.
Info and Relationships
Use proper HTML structure — headings, lists, tables, and form labels — so assistive technology understands the page layout.
Contrast (Minimum)
Text must have a color contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 against its background. Low-contrast text is unreadable for low-vision users.
Resize Text
Users must be able to zoom to 200% without losing content or functionality. Many low-vision users rely on browser zoom.
Keyboard
Every feature must work with a keyboard alone — no mouse required. Many users with motor disabilities navigate by keyboard.
Bypass Blocks
Provide a 'skip to main content' link so keyboard users don't have to tab through the entire navigation on every page.
Link Purpose
Link text must describe where the link goes. 'Click here' and 'Read more' are not accessible — use descriptive text instead.
Language of Page
Declare the page language in the HTML (e.g., lang='en'). Screen readers use this to pronounce words correctly.
Name, Role, Value
Interactive elements (buttons, form fields, custom widgets) must have accessible names and roles so assistive technology knows what they are.
See how many of these criteria your site fails — free scan, no account needed
Scan Your Site FreeWhat happens if you don't comply?
DOJ enforcement
The Department of Justice actively investigates and brings action against non-compliant government websites under Title II.
Private lawsuits
ADA lawsuit filings have increased year over year. Plaintiff firms actively target non-compliant government and public websites.
Settlement costs
The average ADA web accessibility settlement exceeds $75,000 — not including legal fees, remediation costs, and ongoing monitoring.
Reputation damage
Being publicly cited for accessibility failures erodes public trust, especially for government entities that serve all citizens.
Excluding people
At its core, non-compliance means people with disabilities cannot access your services — the very people these laws protect.
Check your site's compliance
Check your site in 30 seconds — free. Get an instant WCAG 2.1 AA score with a breakdown of issues by severity. No account required.
Scan Your Site Free →Need ongoing compliance as your site changes? Monthly monitoring — from $15/mo →