Is Your Website Accessible?
ADA Compliance & Website Accessibility
More than 1 in 4 U.S. adults has a disability, including hearing, vision, cognitive, and mobility difficulties. If your website isn’t accessible to them, you’re turning away customers, and depending on your organization, you may be required by law to fix it.
Accessibility at a Glance
Who it affects
More than 1 in 4 U.S. adults — over 70 million people — reported a disability in 2022, according to the CDC. The Census Bureau counted 42.5 million people with disabilities in 2021.
What it covers
Visual, auditory, motor, cognitive, and speech impairments, across page design, images, video, animation, text, and navigation.
The standard
WCAG 2.1 Level AA, the technical standard the U.S. Department of Justice adopted for state and local government websites in April 2024.
1 in 4
U.S. adults have a disability
70M+
Adults, CDC 2022
WCAG 2.1 AA
The standard we follow
Design to Code
Where accessibility lives
Creating Access for Everyone
Who Has to Comply?
Not every website is required to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. These organizations are.
State and Local Government
Title II covers state and local government organizations, including their websites and mobile apps.
Employers With 15+ Employees
Private organizations with 15 or more employees are covered by the ADA.
Places of Public Accommodation
Restaurants, public transportation, schools, healthcare providers, gyms, grocery stores, and other businesses serving the public.
Everyone Else
Even when it isn’t required, an accessible website gives every visitor a better experience, and you stop turning away customers.
The Rules Are Changing
A Federal Standard, With Deadlines
Website accessibility used to be judged case by case. Now there’s a published technical standard and a schedule attached to it for public entities, and private organizations are increasingly measured against the same guidelines.
If you run a school district, a municipality, an authority, or any organization that works with them, these dates matter to your planning. We’re not attorneys, so talk to your counsel about your obligations, then talk to us about the website.
What Changed, and When
April 2024
The U.S. Department of Justice issued a final rule under ADA Title II adopting WCAG 2.1 Level AA for state and local government websites and mobile apps.
April 26, 2027
Compliance date for public entities serving a population of 50,000 or more, extended by one year in April 2026.
April 26, 2028
Compliance date for smaller public entities and special district governments, also extended by one year.
What Accessibility Covers
It’s More Than Alt Text
Accessibility touches page design, images, video and media, animation, text, and navigation.
Page Design & Color
Contrast, type size, and layout that stay readable for people with low vision or color blindness.
Images & Alt Text
Descriptive alternative text so screen readers can convey what an image shows.
Video & Media
Captions and transcripts so your video works for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Navigation & Keyboard
Menus, links, and controls that work without a mouse, in a logical order.
Text & Structure
Clear headings and plain language that help every visitor, including people with cognitive disabilities.
Forms & Animation
Labeled fields, helpful error messages, and motion that doesn’t get in the way.
How We Help
Accessible Websites, Start to Finish
Fresh Creative follows WCAG 2.1 Level AA and accessibility best practices in the websites we design, build, and maintain.
Accessible by Design
We follow accessibility best practices while we design and build, which is far cheaper than retrofitting later.
Content That Works for Everyone
Headings, alt text, link wording, and captions handled as part of writing your content.
Ongoing Care
Websites change. Maintenance keeps new pages, images, and PDFs from quietly undoing your accessibility work.
Reach More Customers
If your site isn’t accessible, you miss traffic and business from more than a quarter of U.S. adults.
Better for Every Visitor
Captions, contrast, and clear navigation help people on phones, in bright sun, and in noisy rooms, not only people with disabilities.
Helps Your SEO
Descriptive headings, alt text, and transcripts give search engines the same clarity they give screen readers.
Let’s Make Your Website Work for Everyone
We’ll review your site, show you what’s getting in people’s way, and build a plan to fix it.
Accessibility FAQs
Questions We Hear Most
Is my website required to be ADA compliant?
Not every website is. State and local government organizations, private organizations with 15 or more employees, and places of public accommodation such as restaurants, schools, healthcare providers, gyms, and grocery stores are covered. We’re not attorneys, so your legal obligations are a question for your counsel.
What accessibility standard do you follow?
We follow WCAG 2.1 Level AA and accessibility best practices. That’s the technical standard the U.S. Department of Justice adopted in April 2024 for state and local government websites and mobile apps.
When do the new DOJ deadlines take effect?
Public entities serving a population of 50,000 or more have until April 26, 2027, and smaller public entities and special district governments until April 26, 2028. Both dates were extended by one year in April 2026.
Can you make our existing website accessible?
Yes. We review your current site, prioritize the issues that affect real visitors, and fix them across design, content, and code. Ongoing maintenance then keeps new pages and files from undoing that work.
Does accessibility help SEO?
It helps. Descriptive headings, alt text, captions, and transcripts give search engines the same clarity they give screen readers, and they make your content easier for everyone to use.
