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Web accessibility is regulated by overlapping laws on both sides of the Atlantic — and most organizations answer to more than one. These guides explain each regime in plain English: who it applies to, which technical standard it references, how it is enforced, and what to do about it. The good news: they all converge on WCAG, so one solid remediation program addresses them together.
Not legal advice. These guides are educational information about accessibility laws and standards, not legal advice. Obligations depend on your jurisdiction, sector, and specific facts — consult a qualified lawyer before making compliance decisions.
United States
Americans with Disabilities Act
The US law behind thousands of website lawsuits a year. Titles II and III, the WCAG 2.1 AA rule for state and local governments, and what private businesses must do.
United States · Federal
Rehabilitation Act
Binding on federal agencies and every vendor that sells them technology. The 2017 refresh, WCAG 2.0 AA baseline, and how VPATs and ACRs work in procurement.
European Union
European Accessibility Act
The EU law covering e-commerce, banking, e-books, transport, and consumer devices — including non-EU companies selling into the EU. Applies since June 28, 2025.
European Union · Standard
Harmonized ICT accessibility standard
The technical standard behind EU accessibility law. Chapter structure for web, documents, and software, WCAG 2.1 AA incorporation, and version history.
United States · California
Unruh Act & state requirements
The most expensive US jurisdiction for accessibility claims: statutory damages of $4,000 minimum per violation under the Unruh Civil Rights Act, plus state-sector rules.
United States · New York
State & city human rights laws
The busiest venue for federal web accessibility filings, with state and city human rights laws that extend protections beyond the federal ADA baseline.
Every regime above ultimately points at the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. The ADA Title II rule requires WCAG 2.1 AA, EN 301 549 incorporates WCAG 2.1 AA for the EU, and Section 508 incorporates WCAG 2.0 AA. Because WCAG versions are backwards-compatible, conforming to the WCAG 2.2 AA checklist puts you at or ahead of the technical baseline in every jurisdiction on this page.
For the raw data behind these guides — statutes, penalties, and deadlines across 35+ jurisdictions, plus US litigation trends — see the global accessibility laws tracker and the accessibility lawsuit tracker.
A WCAG 2.2 AA audit tells you your exposure under every one of these laws at once — and gives you the remediation roadmap.
Usually more than one. A US business open to the public falls under ADA Title III; if it has customers or operations in California or New York, state laws like the Unruh Act add statutory damages on top. Selling products or covered services to EU consumers brings the European Accessibility Act into play, and selling to the US federal government triggers Section 508 procurement requirements. The practical convergence point is WCAG: conforming to WCAG 2.1/2.2 Level AA addresses the technical core of every major regime at once.
WCAG 2.2 Level AA is the safest single target today. The DOJ's ADA Title II rule requires WCAG 2.1 AA, the EU's EN 301 549 incorporates WCAG 2.1 AA, and Section 508 formally requires WCAG 2.0 AA — and because WCAG 2.x versions are backwards-compatible, content that meets 2.2 AA satisfies all three baselines. Building to 2.2 AA also covers the criteria newer laws and procurement requirements are starting to reference.
Laws (the ADA, the European Accessibility Act, Section 508, state statutes) create the legal obligation and the enforcement mechanism — lawsuits, regulators, procurement rules. Standards (WCAG, EN 301 549) define the technical test for what 'accessible' means. Laws point at standards: the EAA points at EN 301 549, which points at WCAG 2.1 AA; the ADA Title II rule points directly at WCAG 2.1 AA. You comply with a law by conforming to the standard it references and meeting its process duties, such as accessibility statements and feedback channels.
Start with an audit of your highest-traffic user journeys against WCAG 2.2 AA — that tells you your real exposure under every regime at once. Fix blocking barriers in core flows first (navigation, forms, checkout, login), publish an accessibility statement, and add automated checks to your development pipeline so regressions get caught. Then work through the jurisdiction-specific duties — VPATs for federal sales, EAA service information for EU markets — from a foundation that is already solid.
Comprehensive tools, checklists, and guides to help you create inclusive digital experiences