WCAG, ADA & EAA compliance, explained
Accessibility law is changing quickly across the US, EU and beyond. Here's what WCAG, the ADA and the EU's EN 301 549 / EAA require today, the recent updates you should know about, and how AccessPulse helps you stay on the right side of them.
What is WCAG?
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the internationally recognised standard for digital accessibility, published by the W3C. They're organised around four principles — content must be Perceivable, Operable, Understandable and Robust (POUR) — and defined at three conformance levels: A, AA and AAA.
WCAG 2.1 AA is the level most laws reference, and WCAG 2.2 AA (published October 2023) is the current version, adding criteria for focus visibility, target sizes and simpler authentication. Meeting Level AA is the practical goal for almost every website.
- Perceivable — text alternatives, contrast, resizable text and captions.
- Operable — full keyboard access, enough time, no seizure triggers.
- Understandable — readable content and predictable, consistent behaviour.
- Robust — works with assistive technologies like screen readers.
The law is catching up with the web
Regulators worldwide are making digital accessibility a legal requirement — with real deadlines.
ADA Title III & web
US courts have repeatedly applied the Americans with Disabilities Act to websites of businesses ("places of public accommodation"). Thousands of web-accessibility lawsuits are filed each year, and the Department of Justice has affirmed the ADA covers web content.
DOJ Title II rule
In April 2024 the DOJ finalised a rule requiring state and local government websites and mobile apps to meet WCAG 2.1 AA, with compliance deadlines in 2026–2027 depending on population size — a strong signal of where enforcement is heading.
European Accessibility Act
The EAA applies from 28 June 2025, requiring a wide range of private-sector digital products and services sold in the EU — e-commerce, banking, transport and more — to be accessible in line with EN 301 549 / WCAG.
Other frameworks include Section 508 (US federal), AODA (Ontario, Canada) and EN 301 549 (EU). This page is general information, not legal advice.
Accessibility is good for people and business
Reach more people
Over 1 billion people live with a disability — an audience you can't afford to exclude.
Lower legal risk
Reduce exposure to accessibility lawsuits and demand letters.
Better SEO
Accessible markup — alt text, structure, semantics — also helps search engines.
Stronger brand
Show every customer that your business is inclusive by design.
If you have customers online, this is for you
Any organisation with a public website benefits from accessibility — but it's especially important for those handling essential services or operating under regulatory scrutiny.
- E-commerce & retail — reach every shopper and reduce cart abandonment.
- Government & public sector — meet Title II / Section 508 mandates.
- Education — serve all students and staff equitably.
- Healthcare — make critical information available to everyone.
- Finance & banking — a focus area under the EAA.
- Small & medium businesses — comply without a costly rebuild.
Every tool, every standard
How each of the 30 AccessPulse tools maps to the success criteria behind the five standards. ● counts toward that standard's required baseline; ◐ is supported but beyond the required minimum (a Level AAA or newer-WCAG criterion).
| Tool | WCAG success criterion | Level | WCAG | 508 | ADA | EN 301 549 / EAA | GIGW 3.0 |
|---|
Baselines: Section 508 = WCAG 2.0 AA · ADA & GIGW 3.0 = WCAG 2.1 AA · EN 301 549/EAA = WCAG 2.1 AA (moving to 2.2). AccessPulse assists these presentation-related criteria in good faith — it is not a certification, and full conformance also needs source-level fixes (and, for GIGW 3.0, an STQC / CERT-In audit).
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