Get ADA & WCAG compliant

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), passed in 1990, is the cornerstone US civil rights law for people with disabilities. Title III prohibits discrimination by "places of public accommodation", and US federal courts have repeatedly held that this includes commercial websites and apps, especially those tied to a physical business or service.

There is no single federal accessibility standard for the web under the ADA, but courts and the Department of Justice consistently point to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA as the working benchmark. WCAG sets four principles (perceivable, operable, understandable, robust) broken down into testable success criteria.

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) makes WCAG essentially mandatory for the EU. From 28 June 2025, most consumer-facing digital products and services (websites, apps, e-commerce, banking, ticketing, e-readers) must meet harmonised accessibility requirements aligned with WCAG 2.1 AA. EU Member States set penalties; many include large fines and removal from market.

For most companies, the practical path is the same regardless of jurisdiction: audit against WCAG 2.1 AA, fix the high-impact issues first, publish an accessibility statement, and build accessibility into the design system going forward.