In April 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice finalized a rule requiring state and local government websites and apps to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA, a widely used accessibility standard. It takes effect June 24, 2024, with compliance dates phased in over the following years. The rule applies to public entities, not private businesses, but it makes WCAG 2.1 AA the clear reference point for what an accessible site looks like.
Accessibility means practical things: images that carry text descriptions for screen readers, captions on video, enough color contrast to read, and forms you can complete with a keyboard alone.
For a small or mid-size business, this is protective work. Private companies already face accessibility lawsuits under the ADA, and the same WCAG standard is the yardstick. Ask whoever maintains your site to run an accessibility check against WCAG 2.1 AA, fix the obvious gaps like missing alt text and low contrast, and you shrink both a legal risk and the number of customers who bounce because they couldn't use your site.
Further reading: original source ↗
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