How to Meet Disability Compliance Standards
Rohit Rajpal
Learn what disability compliance is, why it matters for digital accessibility, and how to meet standards like WCAG, ADA, and AODA effectively.
Accessibility is a legal requirement in several regions through laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the United States, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) in Canada, and the European Accessibility Act (EAA) in the European Union. Failure to comply can lead to legal action and prevent many users from accessing your content.
Disability compliance ensures websites, applications, and digital services are accessible to people with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive disabilities.
This guide explains what disability compliance is, why it matters, and the standards that define it, especially WCAG and ADA.
What is Disability Compliance?
Disability compliance refers to meeting the legal and technical standards that ensure digital products are accessible to people with disabilities. This includes following accessibility guidelines, such as using proper semantic HTML, supporting assistive technologies, and ensuring that all users can perceive, operate, and understand content.
Note: Most accessibility laws reference the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which define how to make digital content perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust.
Why Disability Compliance Matters?
Disability compliance ensures equal access to digital content for all users, regardless of ability. Without it, people with disabilities may face barriers that prevent them from using essential services like healthcare, banking, education, or employment platforms.
Here are some more reasons to ensure disability compliance:
- Equal Access: Ensures that people with disabilities can use websites and applications without barriers.
- Legal Obligation: Helps organizations comply with laws like the ADA, AODA, and EAA, reducing the risk of lawsuits and penalties.
- Wider Reach: Opens digital products to a broader audience, including millions of users with disabilities.
- Better Usability: Improves overall user experience for everyone, including those using mobile devices or assistive technologies.
- Brand Reputation: Demonstrates a commitment to inclusion, which can strengthen public trust and brand image.
What Makes a Website or App Accessible?
An accessible website or application allows people with disabilities to navigate, interact with, and understand content without barriers. This includes users who rely on screen readers, keyboard-only navigation, voice commands, or assistive input devices.
Below are the key components of an accessible digital product:
1. Semantic and Structured HTML
Proper HTML markup allows assistive technologies to interpret the structure and meaning of content. It ensures that screen readers and other tools can understand how content is organized, what each element represents, and how users should interact with it.
To implement semantic structure effectively:
- Use heading levels in a logical, nested order to reflect the content hierarchy.
- Mark up navigation menus, banners, and sidebars using semantic tags like <nav>, <header>, and <aside>.
- Prefer native HTML elements such as <button>, <label>, and <fieldset> instead of relying on generic <div> or <span> tags.
- Group related form elements using <fieldset> and label them with <legend>.
- Use lists (<ul>, <ol>, <li>) for grouped content that needs a defined reading order.
2. Keyboard Accessibility
Many users navigate using only a keyboard, without a mouse or touchscreen. All functionality, such as navigation, buttons, forms, and modals, must be fully accessible through keyboard interaction alone.
To support keyboard access:
- Ensure that all interactive elements can be reached using the Tab key.
- Maintain a logical tab order that matches the visual flow of the page.
- Use visible focus indicators so users can track their position on the screen.
- Avoid keyboard traps where users get stuck inside a component like a modal or dropdown.
- Allow users to activate all controls using Enter or Space, including custom widgets.
3. Text Alternatives for Non-Text Content
Images, icons, video, and audio must include meaningful alternatives so users with visual or hearing impairments can access the same information.
To provide effective alternatives:
- Add concise and descriptive alt text to all informative images.
- Use empty alt=”” for decorative images to prevent distraction.
- Label icon buttons using ARIA labels or visually hidden text if no visible label is present.
- Provide captions for all videos and transcripts for audio content.
- Use descriptive headings or summaries near complex visuals like charts or infographics.
4. Clear and Consistent Navigation
Users should be able to predict how the interface works and move through it without confusion or disorientation. Consistency improves usability for everyone, especially for screen reader users and those with cognitive disabilities.
To make navigation consistent and intuitive:
- Keep navigation menus in the same location and order on every page.
- Use skip links to let keyboard users jump directly to the main content.
- Structure pages using landmark regions such as <header>, <nav>, <main>, and <footer>.
- Group related links or actions using lists or navigation regions.
- Ensure breadcrumbs, tabs, and menus follow consistent interaction patterns.
5. Responsive and Flexible Design
Interfaces must adapt to different screen sizes, orientations, zoom levels, and input types. Accessibility is closely tied to flexibility across environments.
To create flexible, accessible layouts:
- Use responsive design techniques to support mobile, tablet, and desktop devices.
- Use relative units (like em, rem, or %) instead of fixed pixels for text and spacing.
- Ensure touch targets are large enough and spaced to prevent accidental taps.
- Support both portrait and landscape orientations.
- Ensure that zooming up to 200% doesn’t cause content overlap or hidden elements.
6. Support for Assistive Technologies
Digital products must function reliably with screen readers, screen magnifiers, voice input tools, and other assistive technologies. This requires attention to coding practices and device compatibility.
To ensure assistive tech compatibility:
- Test interfaces using screen readers like NVDA, JAWS, and VoiceOver.
- Use ARIA roles and properties only when native HTML does not provide the needed functionality.
- Announce dynamic content updates using live regions (aria-live) where appropriate.
- Avoid using scripts that override default browser behaviors unless necessary.
- Validate your code using accessibility checkers and manual testing workflows.
Understanding WCAG: The Global Standard for Disability Compliance
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the international standard for making websites and applications accessible to people with disabilities. Developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), WCAG forms the basis of most accessibility laws worldwide, including the ADA in the U.S., the AODA in Canada, and the EAA in the European Union.
WCAG is organized into three main components: core principles, conformance levels, and versions.
1. Core Principles: POUR
WCAG is built on four foundational principles that guide accessible design.
- Perceivable: Information must be presented in ways users can perceive (e.g., alt text, captions, contrast).
- Operable: Users must be able to navigate and interact with all components using various input methods.
- Understandable: Content and interactions must be clear and predictable.
- Robust: Code must work reliably with current and future assistive technologies.
2. Conformance Levels
WCAG success criteria are divided into three conformance levels: A, AA, and AAA. These levels indicate the degree of accessibility and help organizations prioritize what to implement based on legal requirements and user needs.
- Level A represents the minimum level of accessibility. It addresses the most basic barriers that, if left unresolved, can make content completely unusable for some users.
- Level AA is the most widely adopted level in regulations. It builds on Level A and includes additional requirements that significantly improve accessibility for a broader range of users without imposing major design or development constraints.
- Level AAA is the highest level of accessibility. It includes criteria that address more complex or specific user needs. While valuable, Level AAA is not typically required by law and may not be achievable across all content types.
3. Versions and Updates
WCAG has gone through multiple versions, each expanding the guidelines to account for changes in technology and user behavior. Each new version builds on the previous one without removing existing criteria, which helps maintain backward compatibility.
- WCAG 2.0, published in 2008, established the foundational success criteria that remain valid today. It focused on general web accessibility requirements that applied broadly across websites.
- WCAG 2.1, released in 2018, introduced 17 new success criteria to address gaps related to mobile accessibility, users with low vision, and people with cognitive or learning disabilities.
- WCAG 2.2, released in 2023, added 9 more criteria focusing on keyboard navigation, touch target sizing, and input assistance for users with limited motor skills or cognitive challenges.
ADA Compliance: The U.S. Legal Standard
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a U.S. civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities. The ADA does not specify exact technical standards, but the Department of Justice and U.S. courts often refer to WCAG Level AA as the benchmark for accessible digital content.
Who Must Comply?
Businesses that serve the public are covered under Title III of the ADA. This includes:
- Retailers and e-commerce sites
- Banks and financial services
- Healthcare providers and insurance portals
- Restaurants, hotels, and entertainment venues
Public sector organizations fall under Title II and must also make their digital content accessible.
Several companies have faced legal action for not complying with the ADA:
- Domino’s Pizza was sued after a blind customer could not order food online. The court upheld that the ADA applies to websites and mobile apps.
- Harvard and MIT settled lawsuits for failing to provide captions for online video content.
- Winn-Dixie was sued by a blind customer who couldn’t refill prescriptions independently through the website using a screen reader.
Here’s how to comply with the ADA for websites and digital services:
- Use WCAG 2.1 Level AA as your accessibility benchmark: While the ADA doesn’t name specific technical standards, WCAG 2.1 Level AA is widely accepted by courts and the Department of Justice as the baseline for compliance.
- Design for full keyboard accessibility: People with motor impairments or vision loss often rely on keyboards instead of a mouse. Ensure all interactive elements, including menus, modals, sliders, and forms, can be accessed and operated using only the keyboard.
- Ensure screen reader compatibility: Use semantic HTML to give assistive technologies clear information about the structure and roles of elements. All form fields, buttons, icons, and interactive components should have accessible names and roles.
- Provide text alternatives for all non-text content: Add meaningful alt text for informative images. For videos, provide synchronized captions and separate transcripts. For audio-only content, offer text transcripts. For complex visuals like graphs, include summaries or accessible data tables.
- Maintain strong color contrast: Ensure that foreground text has sufficient contrast against background colors (typically 4.5:1 for normal text).
- Label forms and give clear feedback: Every form field must have an associated label that screen readers can detect. Use aria-describedby or similar techniques to provide instructions or describe required formats.
- Test with real assistive technologies: Automated tools catch only a portion of issues. Supplement automated checks with manual testing using screen readers (such as NVDA, JAWS, and VoiceOver), screen magnifiers, and keyboard-only navigation.
How to Meet Disability Compliance Standards
Below is a practical, step-by-step guide to help your team meet accessibility standards consistently and at scale:
1. Identify Which Laws and Standards Apply
Before making changes, understand your legal responsibilities. The specific laws that apply depend on where your business operates and who your users are.
To align with legal expectations:
- Refer to the ADA if you operate in the United States.
- Follow the AODA in Canada or the EAA in the European Union.
- Use WCAG 2.1 Level AA as your default accessibility standard unless stricter requirements are enforced in your region.
2. Define Accessibility in Design Specifications
Design files should include accessibility criteria with the same level of detail as visual and interactive requirements. This allows developers and testers to implement and validate inclusive behavior without ambiguity or rework.
To embed accessibility into the design process:
- Specify the keyboard navigation sequence across screens, including modals, menus, and popups.
- Use clear heading levels, section landmarks, and ARIA roles when outlining page structures.
- Assign color values that meet or exceed the 4.5:1 contrast ratio requirement for text and interface elements.
- Include focus indicators in design mockups, showing exact shape, color, and placement for every interactive component.
- Use native interaction patterns whenever possible. For custom UI controls, define how they behave with keyboard input and assistive technologies.
- Document states like active, focus, selected, and error using both visual styles and accessibility attributes.
- Annotate how live content updates (e.g., form validation or notifications) should be announced by screen readers.
3. Use Semantic HTML and Standards-Based Code
Assistive technologies rely on semantic structure and proper markup to interpret the meaning and functionality of content. Accessibility cannot be added later through styling or scripts, and it must be coded into the foundation of the page or application.
To write accessible front-end code:
- Use semantic HTML elements like <header>, <nav>, <button>, and <form> to define structure and behavior.
- Connect labels to form inputs using the for and id attributes, and provide helpful error messages with aria-describedby.
- Apply ARIA roles, states, and properties only when necessary and always according to spec.
- Avoid using div or span for interactive elements unless custom behavior is correctly supported with keyboard input and ARIA.
4. Run Tests Across Real Devices
Accessibility performance varies across browsers, operating systems, and devices. Tools like BrowserStack provide access to over 3,500+ real Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS devices, allowing teams to catch issues that may be missed in local testing environments.
With BrowserStack, you can test on real devices with native screen readers such as TalkBack (Android), VoiceOver (iOS/macOS), and Narrator (Windows). You can also check compatibility across multiple browsers, including Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge, to ensure consistent behavior.
5. Fix Barriers Based on Severity and Task Disruption
Once issues are identified, remediation should be prioritized by how much the problem blocks user tasks or access to critical content. High-impact issues must be fixed immediately and verified after resolution.
To manage issue remediation effectively:
- Classify issues by severity, such as blockers (e.g., non-functional forms), moderate issues (e.g., missing alt text), and minor visual gaps.
- Assign each issue to a responsible developer or team using a centralized issue tracker.
- Track fixes with version control and link them to WCAG success criteria for traceability.
- Retest resolved issues to confirm they are fixed and have not introduced regressions.
6. Publish a Clear Accessibility Statement
An accessibility statement provides legal protection, user transparency, and a channel for feedback. It signals that your organization is committed to digital inclusion and open to continuous improvement.
To create an effective statement:
- Declare the WCAG version and conformance level your site or app meets.
- Highlight known limitations and provide timelines or context for resolution.
- Provide a way for users to report accessibility issues or request help.
- Review and update the statement regularly to reflect progress and changes in scope.
Conclusion
Disability accessibility compliance requires a structured, long-term approach. Organizations must align with legal regulations such as the ADA, AODA, and EAA, and implement technical standards like WCAG 2.1 Level AA to ensure accessibility across all digital experiences. This improves usability for people with disabilities and helps meet legal and business goals effectively.
Written by
Rohit Rajpal
Rohit Rajpal is a B2B Content Strategist at BrowserStack, helping SaaS brands build AI-first strategies that drive authority and revenue. He writes about content, strategy, and the future of search in the zero-click era.
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