What the law says today
The Justice Department's 2022 guidance says the ADA covers businesses open to the public, including what they offer online. It also says the department has no regulation with detailed technical standards for businesses. Businesses may choose how to make their sites accessible. The guidance points to WCAG and the federal Section 508 standards as helpful references.
Government websites have a firm rule. A 2024 Justice Department rule requires state and local governments to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA. An April 2026 update moved the deadlines to April 2027 for larger governments and April 2028 for smaller ones.
WCAG levels explained
| Level | What it covers | Who aims for it |
|---|---|---|
| A | The most basic barriers, like missing alt text | A minimum, never a goal |
| AA | Contrast, labels, keyboard use, captions and more | The common target for business sites |
| AAA | The strictest criteria, not possible for every page | Specialized sites where it fits |
Why private businesses aim for AA anyway
Lawsuits over inaccessible websites happen regularly, and WCAG AA is the usual yardstick in settlements and expert reports. Meeting it also opens your site to more customers. This is general information, not legal advice. Ask a lawyer about your specific risk.
Good example. A law firm builds its new site to WCAG 2.2 AA and tests it with a screen reader. It publishes an accessibility statement with a contact for problems.
Bad example. A retailer adds an overlay widget, claims full compliance on its homepage and never tests its checkout.
Where to start
- Fix missing alt text and form labels first.
- Check text contrast against the 4.5 to 1 minimum.
- Make every feature work with a keyboard.
- Caption videos and give audio a transcript.
Read what website accessibility means. Our web design team builds every site to WCAG 2.2 Level AA.