ADA law & WCAG

This topic explains how the Americans with Disabilities Act applies to websites, in plain English for small-business owners. It isn’t legal advice; if you’ve received a demand letter or lawsuit, talk to a lawyer.

Title III of the ADA covers businesses open to the public. The Department of Justice says the ADA applies to the goods and services a business offers online, but it has no regulation setting a technical standard for business websites. Its 2022 guidance points to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) as a helpful reference and gives businesses flexibility in how they comply.

State and local governments are different. Under Title II, a 2024 DOJ rule adopted WCAG 2.1 Level AA. An April 2026 interim rule pushed the deadlines to April 26, 2027 for larger entities and April 26, 2028 for smaller ones, without changing the standard. Because it’s the clearest benchmark available, WCAG 2.1 AA is a sensible target for any business. WCAG 2.2, published in October 2023, adds nine more success criteria and is the current version.

Where to start

1. Start with ADA compliance: what you need to know for the basics.
2. Read WCAG 2.2: the content accessibility guide to see what the standard asks of your pages.
3. Restaurants should read ADA compliance for restaurants.
4. Then check ADA tax credit: who qualifies to see whether accessibility costs could earn a credit.