Are you ready for the new accessibility requirements both in the USA & Europe?

On June 28, 2025, new accessibility regulations will come into force in the US that will require most digital products and services to be accessible. These regulations will apply to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The new regulations will require your books (in digital formats), your website and other broader digital presence to meet higher standards of accessibility.

How should organizations prepare for these incoming accessibility regulations?  

• Most digital products and services will need to meet WCAG 2.1 level AA standards
• The Department of Justice (DOJ) is expected to finalise regulations that clarify web accessibility standards

The Latest Web Accessibility Guidelines

The most recent version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is 2.2, which was published in November 2023.  WCAG 2.2 builds upon previous versions by adding new success criteria to improve accessibility for users with cognitive and learning disabilities, users with low vision, and users with disabilities on mobile devices. Some of the key updates in WCAG 2.2 include:

• Focus Appearance (Minimum): Ensures that focus indicators are clearly visible, helping users who rely on keyboard navigation.
• Dragging Movements: Provides alternative methods to perform actions that require dragging movements, aiding users with motor impairments.
• Findable Help: Ensures that help mechanisms are easy to locate, improving accessibility for all users, particularly those with cognitive disabilities.
• Visible Controls: Requires that controls needed to progress through content are always visible, benefiting users with cognitive and learning disabilities.

These updates reflect the ongoing commitment to making digital content accessible to all users and are crucial for businesses to implement (Accessibility.Works, 2024).

Practical Steps to Achieve Web Accessibility

To achieve ADA website compliance, businesses should follow a two-step process: website auditing and remediation. The first step involves conducting a thorough audit using automated tools, manual testing, and assistive technology testing. Automated tools can identify basic compliance issues, but manual testing is essential to detect nuanced and interpretive WCAG issues. At Supadu we use AXE by Deque as our accessibility testing tool of choice.

Once the audit is complete, the next step is remediation based on the audit results. It is important to avoid quick-fix solutions like accessibility overlays and plugins, as these often fail to address underlying issues.

“Even your PDF’s need to be accessible i.e. adding reading order, alt text to images, colour contrast and metadata.”

Achieving maximum accessibility on your website involves adhering to several key practices in summary. 

• Avoid using multiple line breaks unnecessarily, as this can disrupt the flow of content and make it difficult to read and navigate. Consistent use of a hierarchical structure for headings is vital as it helps organise content in a clear and logical manner, making it easier for all users to understand and locate information.
• Links  - it is important to write them in a way that clearly describes where they lead. This not only aids users who rely on screen readers but also enhances the overall user experience by providing clarity. 
• Images - on your website should always include descriptive alt text, ensuring that visual content is accessible to those using assistive technologies.
• Screen reader compatibility - To comply with screen readers it is important that you include detailed and consistent navigational elements on your web pages. 
• Alternative text for images - ALT text is used by people that cannot see images, having descriptive text with images allows them to understand what it is that they are observing. 
• Keyboard accessibility - you must be able to navigate your website through the keyboard controls.
• Controls for moving content - This includes no blinking infographics, videos and allowing users to pause and play video content. 
• Controls for timed content - For users that use assistive technology they need extra time to view content so adding in options to adjust or turn timed content off is essential. 
• Labelled forms - Labels for areas such as tick boxes should explicitly tell a user what the field is and sometimes provide additional cues.
•  Colour contrast - Ensuring there is sufficient contrast between text and background can significantly enhance the accessibility of your content particularly important for improved readability for readers with visual impairments.
• Accessible downloadable files- Any downloadable files on your website must be accessible. 
•  Plain language -  use simple language and clear sentences
•  Use of Captions - Rich content and multimedia require careful handling to be accessible. Providing captions, transcripts, and other aids for multimedia content is essential, ensuring that all users, regardless of their abilities, can access and benefit from the information.
•  Lists should be used appropriately, with bulleted or numbered formats employed to structure information in a digestible manner. 

Read more on these top ten tips here https://askearn.org/page/10-tips-for-an-accessible-website

iAccessDigital can examine your website for compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), offering a website accessibility auditing & report service.

Will Awad is an accessibility expert, highly recommended by Supadu, and can be reached at will@iaccessdigital.co.uk