The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. While the ADA was originally focused on physical spaces, courts and the Department of Justice have consistently ruled that it applies to websites as well.
The technical standard most widely used to measure website accessibility is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) specifically WCAG 2.1 Level AA, which the DOJ has adopted as its reference standard. A website that meets WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines is considered accessible to people with a wide range of disabilities including those who are blind or visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing, and those with motor or cognitive impairments.
In practice, this includes requirements such as descriptive image alt text, accessible forms, keyboard navigation, readable contrast ratios, video captions, proper heading structure, and screen reader compatibility, along with many other technical standards.
WCAG accessibility standards are built around four core principles. To meet compliance standards, your website should be:
Perceivable
Content must be available in ways all users can access, including support for screen readers, captions, and sufficient color contrast.
Operable
Your website must be fully usable by keyboard navigation and allow visitors to interact without relying on a mouse.
Understandable
Content, navigation, and forms should be clear, consistent, and easy to follow, with helpful instructions and error guidance.
Robust
Your website should function reliably across browsers, devices, and assistive technologies now and in the future.