The World Health Organization estimates that more than 15 percent of the world's population — 1.3 billion people — self-identify as having a disability, while 1 in 4 adults in the United States have some type of disability, according to the Centers for Disease Control.^{1 2}

A study in the United Kingdom found that 71 percent of web users with a disability will leave a website that is not accessible.³ That’s a lot of potential clients, customers, and members to exclude.

But web accessibility isn’t just for people with visible disabilities. About 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women are color blind making the colors that are used on websites critical to them.⁴ Web accessibility also benefits people without disabilities, for example:⁵

• people using mobile phones, smart watches, smart TVs, and other devices with small screens, different input modes, etc.
• older people with changing abilities due to aging people with “temporary disabilities” such as a broken arm or lost glasses
• people with “situational limitations” such as in bright sunlight or in an environment where they cannot listen to audio
• people using a slow Internet connection, or who have limited or expensive bandwidth

But most people consider accessibility a “technical issue” or a one-time fix. However, the most common accessibility issue impacting more than 80 percent of the homepages comes from design and the second biggest issue affecting more than 60 percent of homepages is from inaccessible content.⁶

New content and regular upgrades make ongoing accessibility review critical for all websites as does changing laws and guidelines.

The U.S. Department of Justice in April 2024 also published its final rule updating its regulations for Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This rule requires state and local agencies to comply with WCAG 2.1 Level AA guidelines, and while Title II only covers governmental agencies, this rule signals where the DOJ may be headed as it begins review of final rules for Title III covering private and nonprofit business.⁷

A new Colorado law will go into effect July 1, 2025, that could impact any websites related to companies that are “directly contracted or affiliated with state agencies for public-facing projects.”⁸ A similar California law has been in effect since 2019. While it does not directly apply to nonprofit or private companies, it does signal lawmakers are likely to continue moving toward WCAG 2.1 standards.

There are many overlays and widgets on the market that promise to “fix” accessibility for websites, but these products only take people’s money and mask the problem. The European Accessibility Act, which is set to go into effect on June 25, 2025, preemptively clarified that such widgets do not provide compliance. They state “Claims that a website can be made fully compliant without manual intervention are not realistic, since no automated tool can cover all the WCAG 2.1 level A and AA criteria”⁹

Automated software also has limits. When auditing, it’s important to know that even the very best software can only detect about 30 percent of WCAG issues. That gap can only be filled by use of qualified web accessibility consultants to deliver a proper WCAG audit of a website. Skvare recommends a professional accessibility website audit annually and our team can provide clients with an Accessibility Evaluation Report to identify any deficiencies and recommended remediation. Our experts also can provide training to help your website team stay up-to-date on the latest accessibility guidelines and requirements. Contact Us to learn more or talk to your Skvare project manager.

¹https://web.dev/learn/accessibility/why/

²https://www.perkins.org/digital-accessibility-makes-the-world-a-better-place/

³https://www.section508.gov/manage/benefits-of-accessibility/

⁴https://www.colorblindguide.com/post/colorblind-people-population-live-counter

⁵https://www.w3.org/WAI/fundamentals/accessibility-intro/

⁶https://accessibility.day/

⁷https://www.ada.gov/resources/2024-03-08-web-rule/

⁸https://www.accessibility.works/blog/how-to-comply-colorado-hb21-11110-accessibility-law/

⁹https://www.accessibility.works/blog/eaa-european-accessibility-act-compliance-standards-requirements/