ADA Compliance
Conformance with the Americans with Disabilities Act as it applies to websites, generally interpreted to mean meeting WCAG 2.1 AA standards so that people with disabilities can access and use the site equally.
The ADA (1990) predates the web and does not mention websites explicitly. However, the Department of Justice has consistently taken the position that websites of public accommodations (businesses open to the public) must be accessible. In 2024, the DOJ published a final rule requiring state and local government websites to conform to WCAG 2.1 AA.
ADA-related web accessibility lawsuits have surged in recent years, with thousands filed annually against e-commerce sites, restaurants, healthcare providers, and other businesses. Courts increasingly reference WCAG 2.1 AA as the standard for compliance.
Why It Matters for QA Teams
ADA lawsuits against websites are common and costly. QA teams that proactively test against WCAG standards help their organizations avoid legal action and the expense of retroactive remediation.
Example
A restaurant chain receives an ADA demand letter because their online ordering system is inaccessible to screen reader users. The QA team conducts an audit and finds that menu items are presented as images without alt text, the order customization dropdowns are inaccessible custom components, and the checkout timer cannot be paused by users who need more time. Remediation costs significantly more than proactive testing would have.