A Starter Guide to ADA Compliance for Websites
The web keeps evolving, and so do the rules around who gets to use it. Today, roughly 15% of the world’s population lives with some form of disability, and making sure they can navigate, understand, and interact with your website isn’t just good practice — it’s increasingly the law.
Web accessibility speaks to websites, tools, and technologies that are designed and developed so people with disabilities can use them. Laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) have contributed to higher overall accessibility for people with disabilities, allowing them to better contribute, understand, navigate and interact with the web.
Examples of basic web accessibility best practices might include:
- Adding alt text to every image, video file, audio file, etc. (An alt tag is an HTML code that describes the appearance and function of an image and appears if an image cannot be loaded)
- Adding captions to videos and audio files
- Making sure that form fields are in a logical tab order
- High contrast between background images and overlaid text
- Making every interactive element usable with a keyboard alone
What are ADA regulations?
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was created in 1990 to protect people with disabilities from discrimination in public spaces and services. For years, it stayed vague on how that applied to websites, which led to a patchwork of lawsuits and inconsistent court rulings.
That changed in April 2024, when the Department of Justice issued a final rule under Title II of the ADA. For the first time, it names a specific technical standard: WCAG 2.1, Level AA (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines). This applies to state and local governments, public schools and universities, courts, and special districts like transit and water authorities — including content those entities provide through vendors and contractors.
The compliance deadlines have also shifted. Originally set for 2026 and 2027, the DOJ extended both by a year this spring:
April 26, 2027 — public entities serving populations of 50,000 or more
April 26, 2028 — smaller public entities and special district governments
Important: the extension only moves the deadline. It doesn’t pause the ADA’s broader nondiscrimination requirements, and private lawsuits over inaccessible websites can still move forward in the meantime. The DOJ has said plainly that it expects full compliance once the new dates arrive.
Title II covers government entities directly. Title III — which would set a parallel standard for private businesses — remains stalled, so private companies still operate without one explicit federal technical standard. That gap hasn’t stopped litigation; courts have continued to apply general ADA accessibility principles to business websites, and WCAG 2.1 AA has become the de facto benchmark referenced in settlements and rulings.
Who benefits from accessibility?
Having an ADA compliant website specifically affects the user experience for people with disabilities. However, users in other scenarios can also benefit from accessibility, such as:
- People using mobile phones, smart watches, smart TVs and other devices with small screens, different input modes, etc.
- Those with changing abilities due to aging
- People with “temporary disabilities” such as a broken arm or lost glasses
- People with “situational limitations” such as in bright sunlight or in an environment where they cannot listen to audio
- Folks using a slow internet connection or who have limited or expensive bandwidth
Do I need an ADA compliant website?
Your organization is likely covered if you are:
- A state or local government entity, public school, or university
- A business with a physical location open to the public — retail, restaurants, hotels, medical offices
- A private employer with 15 or more full-time employees
- A government-funded organization or contractor providing services on a public entity’s behalf
If you fall under Title II specifically, WCAG 2.1 Level AA is now the named standard — not a vague tier system. If you’re a private business, there’s no single federal technical standard yet, but courts and settlements consistently point to the same benchmark: WCAG 2.1 AA.
How can I test ADA compliance on my website?
The Department of Justice uses a series of guidelines known as WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) to decide if a website is ADA compliant. At Red Orange Studio, we rely on the following free tools to explore and test site accessibility:
ADA compliance is considered a best practice even if your organization isn’t a federal agency or legally required to meet web accessibility standards. Practicing it can help protect you from lawsuits, and above all, will create equal opportunity for all users on your site. If you need advice on creating an ADA compliant website or updating your site to meet guidelines, we are certainly here to help. Let us know how we can support you on your journey toward an ADA compliant website.
Website Accessibility Checker
Quickly examine the accessibility level of your website using our easy Website Accessibility Checker!
Resources
Are you a designer or a developer looking for tips on best practices when it comes to ADA compliant websites? Check out our blog post on How to Maximize Web Accessibility. We’ve also created an infographic that breaks it all down!