Website accessibility is no longer optional for businesses. With over 1,000 ADA-related lawsuits filed in 2024, protecting your digital presence has become a legal and business imperative. The Americans with Disabilities Act, enacted before the internet existed, now applies to websites as places of public accommodation, meaning compliance is mandatory for all businesses.
Understanding WCAG 2.1 Level AA Standards
The federal standard for website accessibility is WCAG 2.1 Level AA, established by the Department of Justice in April 2024. This framework encompasses four core principles: perceivable information, operable navigation, understandable content, and robust technology compatibility. Compliance requires addressing critical issues like color contrast ratios (4.5:1 for normal text), alt text for images, keyboard navigation, proper form labels, logical heading structures, video captions, and descriptive link text.
Budget and Timeline Expectations
Small business websites typically require $5,000 to $11,000 for complete remediation, while larger sites may cost $33,000 to $65,000 or more. The implementation timeline spans eight weeks, starting with a comprehensive audit, followed by critical fixes, comprehensive remediation, testing, and ongoing documentation. Automated tools like WAVE, axe DevTools, and Lighthouse catch 30-40% of issues, making manual testing essential.
However, accessibility overlays and widgets provide no legitimate protection—over 1,000 businesses using such solutions faced lawsuits in 2024, and the FTC fined accessiBe $1 million for false compliance claims. Building accessibility from the start costs 20-30% less than retrofitting, making early investment the smartest business decision.