Web Accessibility Legislation Overview
Learn what web accessibility laws require, who they apply to, and which standards you need to meet.
Web Accessibility Legislation vs. WCAG
Countries and states around the world are adopting web accessibility laws. These laws aim to build awareness of the need for accessible websites and to enforce it.
Most of these laws carry penalties for noncompliance but do not set their own technical standards. Instead, they point to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and require conformance with one of its published versions.
WCAG Standards by Jurisdiction
WCAG rests on four principles: content must be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. It has three conformance levels. Level A is the minimum, Level AA is the common legal target, and Level AAA is aspirational. The version varies by jurisdiction, so each section below names the standard that applies.
WCAG 2.2, released in October 2023, adds nine success criteria, including a minimum target size of 24 by 24 CSS pixels. It is backward compatible with 2.1.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney about your situation.
United States
United States requirements come from two layers: federal civil rights and procurement law, and a patchwork of state policies. Most state policies cover government entities, while lawsuits under federal and California law reach private businesses.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Title III covers private businesses that operate as public accommodations, and the Department of Justice (DOJ) treats their websites and apps as covered. No technical standard is codified, but WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 Level AA is the benchmark in lawsuits. Title II covers state and local government, which must meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA by April 26, 2027 (larger entities) or April 26, 2028 (smaller entities and special districts).
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
Requires federal agencies to make information and communication technology accessible, including websites, software, documents, and multimedia. It reaches vendors through procurement, where a current Accessibility Conformance Report based on the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) is often required. The standard remains WCAG 2.0 Levels A and AA, and a 2024 proposal to move it to WCAG 2.2 did not advance.
State Laws
California
AB 434 requires state agencies to meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA, with a signed certification every two years. The Unruh Civil Rights Act applies to businesses, allows $4,000 in monetary relief per instance of discrimination, and names no technical standard.
New York
Policy NYS P08-005 sets baseline requirements for web content and applications of state entities, based on Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Levels A and AA.
Colorado
HB 21-1110 requires state and local public entities to meet OIT accessibility standards and WCAG 2.1. Agencies had to file accessibility plans by July 1, 2022 and implement them by July 1, 2024. Residents can pursue noncompliance in state court.
Illinois
The Illinois Information Technology Accessibility Act covers state agencies and public universities under Section 508 and WCAG 2.0, and the state encourages WCAG 2.1. HB 26 required K-12 school websites to conform to WCAG 2.1 by August 1, 2022.
Minnesota
State executive branch agencies must meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA and selected Section 508 provisions. Agencies that fail to keep accessible records or offerings face a $500 penalty per violation plus attorney fees.
Washington
IT Accessibility Policy 188 requires state agencies to meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA across the technology they procure, develop, maintain, and use.
Maryland
State agencies and public higher education institutions follow the Non-Visual Access standards in place since March 1, 2005. They add state-specific rules to Section 508, including captions for video with sound, audio descriptions for visual media, and W3C-validated pages. No WCAG version is named.
Virginia
State agencies, colleges, and universities must meet Section 508 requirements, and the Virginia Information Technology Agency (VITA) can set additional rules, including captioning for web audio and video. No WCAG version is named.
Arizona
Statewide policy applies to state offices, branches, and departments, and to organizations that receive state funding. Requirements include alt text, captions or transcripts, accessible form labels, and keyboard navigation. No WCAG version is named, and Section 508 is the technical reference.
Florida
State agencies follow Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 at a minimum. Courts in the Eleventh Circuit have historically not treated websites as public accommodations under the ADA, but private businesses still face risk from lawsuits filed in other courts.
Canada
Canada combines a federal framework with provincial laws, and Ontario has the most detailed web requirements. Organizations that serve Ontario and the United States can target WCAG 2.1 Level AA as a shared baseline.
Federal
The Accessible Canada Act, passed in 2019, applies to Parliament, the federal government, and federally regulated private-sector organizations, which must publish accessibility plans. Government websites also follow the Common Look and Feel standards, which require WCAG 2.0.
Ontario
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) applies to government, businesses, nonprofits, and public sector organizations. Public sector organizations and those with 50 or more employees had to meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA by January 1, 2021. Penalties can reach CA$100,000 per day for corporations.
Manitoba
The Accessibility for Manitobans Act (December 2013) covers the public and private sectors. Its information and communications standard requires WCAG 2.1 Level AA for web content an organization controls.
Nova Scotia
The Accessibility Act (Royal Assent April 27, 2017) sets a goal of an accessible province by 2030, including information and communications, with WCAG 2.0 Level AA as the web standard.
British Columbia
The province's accessibility law aims to remove barriers in areas such as employment, the built environment, and education, and the web standard is WCAG 2.0 Level AA.
Europe and the United Kingdom
Europe has two layers: rules for public sector bodies, and rules that reach private organizations selling to EU customers. Penalties are set by each member state, so enforcement varies by country.
EU Web Accessibility Directive
Directive (EU) 2016/2102 covers the websites and mobile apps of public sector bodies. New sites had to comply by September 2019, existing sites by September 2020, and mobile apps by June 2021. The technical standard is EN 301 549, which incorporates WCAG 2.1 Levels A and AA. Each body must publish an accessibility statement with a feedback mechanism and a link to the enforcement procedure. A disproportionate burden claim is allowed only for specific requirements, with a documented assessment.
European Accessibility Act (EAA)
Enforcement began June 28, 2025. The Act reaches private organizations that sell covered products or services in the EU, wherever the provider is based. Covered areas include e-commerce, consumer banking, passenger transport, audiovisual media, e-books, smartphones, computers, and self-service terminals. Micro-enterprises with fewer than 10 employees and turnover under €2 million may be exempt. The current standard is EN 301 549 v3.2.1, and a version that incorporates WCAG 2.2 is expected in 2026.
United Kingdom
The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 require public sector sites and apps to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA and publish an accessibility statement. The Equality Act 2010 applies to all UK businesses and service providers, and requires reasonable adjustments for disabled people. UK businesses that sell into the EU may also fall under the EAA.
Asia-Pacific
Approaches in Asia-Pacific range from discrimination law in Australia, to a government standard in New Zealand, to a national roadmap in Singapore.
Australia
The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 prohibits disability discrimination in areas that include employment, education, and services, which covers online services. The Australian Human Rights Commission published guidelines in 2025 that recommend WCAG 2.2 Level AA. The guidelines are not legally binding, but the Commission uses them when it handles complaints.
Singapore
The Enabling Masterplan 2030 is a national roadmap rather than a binding law. WCAG is the basis of its accessibility policies. It sets a goal of making all high-traffic government websites fully accessible by 2030. All government agencies must also follow the Digital Service Standards, and the Singapore Government Design System provides components checked against accessibility standards.
New Zealand
Web Accessibility Standard 1.1 requires public service and non-public service agencies to meet WCAG 2.1.
How to Get Ready
The laws differ, but the path to compliance looks much the same everywhere.
- Identify which laws apply: Start with where your organization operates, who you serve, and whether you sell into the EU.
- Audit against WCAG 2.2 Level AA: Combine automated scans with manual testing, such as keyboard-only navigation and screen reader checks, and test with people who have disabilities. Automated scans alone cannot find every barrier.
- Fix the highest-impact barriers first: Begin with problems that block core journeys, such as keyboard traps, missing alt text, and unlabeled form fields.
- Publish an accessibility statemen:. Include your conformance status, known limitations, and a way to report problems. Several laws require one, and it is good practice everywhere.
- Build accessibility into your workflow: Train content creators and developers, and check accessibility before content is published.
- Monitor continuously: Sites change daily, so schedule regular scans and periodic manual audits.
