The legal background, briefly
The Americans with Disabilities Act does not spell out a technical standard for private business websites, but courts and settlements commonly point to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), usually level AA. In 2024 the Department of Justice adopted WCAG 2.1 AA as the standard for state and local government websites, which reinforced WCAG as the reference.
This article is practical guidance, not legal advice. If you have received a demand letter, talk to a lawyer first.
The barriers that cause most problems
Low contrast text, especially light gray on white. Images without useful alt text. Buttons and links that cannot be reached or seen with a keyboard. Forms whose fields have no labels, and error messages that only use color. Videos without captions. Pop-ups that trap focus or cannot be closed.
Each of these is fixable at the design and code level, and fixing them makes the site better for everyone, not only for users with disabilities.
Contrast and type
WCAG AA asks for a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text and interface boundaries such as input borders. We audited our own site against this and found hundreds of text elements, from footer notes to date labels, below the threshold. Raising a few color tokens fixed them site-wide.
Keyboard, focus and structure
Unplug your mouse and try to complete your main task, such as requesting a quote, with the Tab and Enter keys. Every interactive element should show a visible focus outline and be reachable in a logical order. Use real headings in order, real buttons for actions and real links for navigation; screen readers rely on that structure.
Touch targets matter on phones too: WCAG 2.2 sets a minimum target size so small links are not impossible to tap.
Overlays are not a fix
Accessibility overlay widgets promise compliance with one script tag. They do not repair the underlying markup, and many users of assistive technology find them get in the way. Fix the site itself.
Build accessibility into design and development, then test with automated tools and a manual keyboard pass before launch. That is part of how we deliver custom websites, and it belongs in any website checklist.