Understanding accessibility laws around the world
Laws, regulations, and best practices can vary widely depending on your location, content, and user interface. How can you be sure that you are current and compliant? The list below gives a summary of the most-requested country-specific regulations. This is the first step to learning how these mandates are enforced and which government department will oversee compliance in specific countries. While this summary should not be considered legal advice, it can be an important starting point for both the country of your headquarters, as well as any countries where you do business.
Australia (DDA) - The Australian Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) mandates that access to online information and services is a fundamental human right and a legal requirement. Websites owned or developed by individuals or organizations must provide equal access to people with disabilities, if it can be reasonably provided.
Brazil (LBI 13.146/2015) - Brazil's accessibility law, LBI 13.146/2015, stipulates that universal design that accommodates disabilities extend to digital spaces. The law requires websites and digital platforms be accessible to all users, and reasonable accommodations for accessibility must be made.
Canada (ACA) - The Accessible Canada Act (ACA) is legislation for providing a standard of accessibility. Based on the European EN 301 549, the regulations apply to public and private organizations.
Canada (AODA) - The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) requires Ontario-based public-sector organizations and most commercial businesses to provide a means to accessibility for their websites, web content, and web-based applications. Learn more
European Union (EAA) - The European Accessibility Act (EAA) requires a variety of products and services, such as websites, mobile apps, and e-commerce platforms, to be accessible to individuals with disabilities. This law applies to all European Union member states and seeks to establish consistent accessibility standards for organizations across Europe. These regulations will apply to organizations headquartered or doing business in the EU. Learn more
European Union (EN 301 549) - EN 301 549 is the European accessibility standard for information and communications technology (ICT) products and services. Similar to Section 508 in the United States, it establishes accessibility requirements for the public procurement of ICT in Europe.
Italy - Considered more comprehensive than most European countries, Italy’s digital accessibility regulation efforts are encapsulated in the AgID: Agency for Digital Italy, effective from August 2023. The directive mandates accessible digital interfaces, IT providers, and those with public funding. Overseen by the Ministry of Economic Development, the directive enforces monetary penalties, promoting universal digital access.
UK - The UK Equality Act indicates that product and service providers in England, Scotland, and Wales need to provide an equal experience for online and offline users and that discrimination based on ability is strictly prohibited.
USA (ADA) - The ADA is a US civil rights law that forbids discrimination against individuals with disabilities. The Department of Justice has ruled that Title III of the ADA, which bars discrimination in public accommodations, also extends to websites. Learn more
USA (Section 508) - Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 mandates that US federal agencies, as well as vendors working with them, must create, acquire, maintain, and use information and communication technology that is accessible to people with disabilities. Learn more
WCAG: The standard for accessibility compliance
Most government regulations for online accessibility are built on the WCAG 2.0 (or higher) created by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Adhering to these standards mean digital services, products, and online platforms should be considered accessible to all individuals, including those with disabilities.
We understand that the latest WCAG 2.2 guidelines are both nuanced and specific, so we help our customers prioritize any fixes for efficiency between critical vs. modest improvement. We invite you to review our WCAG page to deepen your understanding as it relates to your organization. That page can be found at this link.
For our technical and power users, and for customers further into the RFP journey, explore our testing matrix at this link which illustrates how our software and manual services align with WCAG 2.2. Too often contradictions and exaggerations cloud the true scope of accessibility software. We want to be fully transparent so our customers can make the best choices. It's why we created our own software and don't use widgets and overlays. You can learn more about the limitations of these types of widget and overlay tools at https://www.accessibilityassociation.org/s/iaap-edf-joint-statement and https://overlayfalseclaims.com/.
You may also choose to visit the W3C website to review the WCAG policies directly. They can be found at https://www.w3.org/WAI/policies.
