ADA website requirements.
There is no single ‘ADA website checklist’ in law — but the standard everyone is held to is WCAG 2.1 AA. Government sites (Title II) now have a fixed rule and deadlines; private businesses (Title III) have no codified technical standard, yet are still sued under the ADA, with courts applying WCAG 2.1 AA.
US government rule: ADA.gov (2024) requires WCAG 2.1 AA for state/local government; deadlines were extended in 2026 to April 2027 (population 50,000+) and April 2028 (smaller entities).
Title II vs Title III — different rules.
Most owners conflate the two. They’re not the same.
- Title II (government) — the 2024 DOJ rule names WCAG 2.1 AA with set deadlines (April 2027 / April 2028 after the 2026 extension).
- Title III (private business) — no DOJ technical standard codified, but the ADA still applies and plaintiffs sue. Courts use WCAG 2.1 AA as the measure.
- The practical standard is the same — WCAG 2.1 AA — whichever applies to you.
- State laws add to it — some US states (e.g. California) apply their own accessibility requirements.
UK and EU requirements.
In the UK the Equality Act 2010 requires ‘reasonable adjustments’, and public-sector sites must meet WCAG 2.1 AA under separate regulations. In the EU, the European Accessibility Act applies from June 2025 to e-commerce and key services — and it reaches businesses outside the EU that sell to EU customers. (See our EAA explainer.)
If you take enquiries online, this is you.
You don’t have to be a government body or a giant retailer to be at risk. Digital accessibility lawsuits target businesses of every size, and a demand letter doesn’t wait for a deadline. Meeting WCAG 2.1 AA is the way to be both compliant and out of the firing line.
Common questions.
What are the ADA requirements for a website?
The ADA itself sets no technical checklist, but the accepted standard is WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Meeting it — keyboard access, contrast, text alternatives, labels and more — is what satisfies the requirement in practice.
Is my business legally required to have an ADA compliant website?
Private businesses have no DOJ-codified technical rule, but the ADA is widely applied to their websites and lawsuits are common. In practice you are expected to meet WCAG 2.1 AA, and you can be sued if you don’t.
What are the new ADA website deadlines?
The 2024 Title II rule for state and local governments set deadlines that were extended in 2026 — April 2027 for populations of 50,000+ and April 2028 for smaller entities. These apply to government bodies; private businesses have no fixed date but ongoing exposure.
What is the difference between ADA Title II and Title III for websites?
Title II covers state and local government and now has a specific rule (WCAG 2.1 AA, with deadlines). Title III covers private businesses and has no codified technical standard, though the ADA still applies and courts use WCAG 2.1 AA.
Do UK and EU rules apply to my website?
In the UK the Equality Act 2010 requires reasonable adjustments. In the EU, the European Accessibility Act applies from June 2025 to e-commerce and key services — including non-EU businesses that sell to EU customers.
What standard should I aim for?
WCAG 2.1 Level AA. It satisfies the ADA in practice, underpins the EU rules, and is the level courts and regulators point to. WCAG 2.2 AA is the forward-looking target.
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