Accessibility standards
The standards and laws that define accessible digital products, who they apply to, and how they connect. One technical standard, WCAG, sits beneath almost all of them.
What are web accessibility standards?
Web accessibility standards are agreed technical rules for building digital products so that people with disabilities can use them. The global baseline is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), currently version 2.2. Most national laws – the European Accessibility Act, the US ADA and Section 508, Australia’s Disability Discrimination Act and others – reference WCAG (usually Level AA) as the standard you must meet. So while the laws differ by region, meeting WCAG 2.2 AA is what satisfies almost all of them.
The global top 10 accessibility standards
The major digital accessibility standards and laws worldwide, ranked by scope and technical demand. Filter by the region that applies to you. Each links to its official source.
Showing all 10 standards
| Rank | Standard / regulation | Region | Approx. criteria | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Accessibility Act (EAA) (opens in a new tab) | EU-wide | EN 301 549 plus product and service scope | Very high – includes hardware and apps |
| 2 | EN 301 549 v3.2.1 (opens in a new tab) | EU / International | WCAG plus broader ICT scope | Very high – broad technical domain |
| 3 | WCAG 2.2 Level AA (opens in a new tab) | Global (W3C) | 87 success criteria; AA is the most common target Learn more → | Very high – deep technical coverage |
| 4 | US Section 508 (updated) (opens in a new tab) | USA | Built on WCAG 2.0 AA plus functional criteria | High – legal complexity |
| 5 | ADA Title II + 2024 DOJ web rule (opens in a new tab) | USA | References WCAG 2.1 AA | High – legal applicability varies |
| 6 | CRPD Article 9 (UN Convention) (opens in a new tab) | International | Broad accessibility obligations | High – rights-based legal stance |
| 7 | ISO 30071-1 (replacing BS 8878) (opens in a new tab) | UK / International | Guidance-focused, not criteria-rich | Medium – planning-oriented |
| 8 | Australia's DDA / AS EN 301 549 (opens in a new tab) | Australia | WCAG-based procurement standard | Medium – public-sector focused |
| 9 | AODA (Ontario Disability Act) (opens in a new tab) | Canada (Ontario) | WCAG 2.0 / 2.1 AA | Medium – provincial legislation |
| 10 | GIGW (Indian Government Guidelines) (opens in a new tab) | India | WCAG 2.0 A–AA | Medium – focused on government sites |
WCAG 2.2 Level AA is the foundation. Almost every law in this list points back to WCAG as its technical measure of "accessible". Get to WCAG 2.2 AA and you are most of the way to meeting the rest.
Everything we have on standards and compliance
Tools, guides and services to help you understand which standard applies, target the right level, and prove conformance.
WCAG Level A vs AA vs AAA Compared
What each conformance level covers, criteria counts and which level to target by sector, with Australian legal context.
Compare the WCAG levels →WCAG Compliance Criteria Search
Filter all 87 WCAG 2.2 success criteria by disability impact, conformance level and principle.
Search the WCAG criteria →WCAG 2.2 Quick Reference
A printable, scannable reference of every WCAG 2.2 success criterion, grouped by principle.
Open the WCAG quick reference →WCAG 2.2 Compliance Checklist for Government Suppliers
What suppliers must evidence for Australian government procurement, and how to prove conformance with a VPAT or ACR.
View the supplier checklist →Accessibility Audit
Independent WCAG 2.2 audits for websites, apps and documents, with prioritised, code-level findings and a re-test.
Explore our accessibility audits →Accessibility Statement Generator
Generate a compliant, professional accessibility statement tailored to your organisation in minutes.
Generate an accessibility statement →Government Accessibility
How we help agencies meet the Digital Service Standard, the DDA and procurement obligations.
Explore government accessibility →Understanding Global Accessibility Standards
WCAG, EN 301 549, Section 508 and the Australian context, compared side by side.
Read the standards comparison →Web Accessibility Legal Risks in Australia
The DDA, AHRC complaints and the Australian legal landscape every digital team should understand.
Read about Australian legal risks →Accessibility standards: common questions
Plain-English answers to what teams ask most about standards and the law.
What are web accessibility standards?
Web accessibility standards are agreed technical rules that define how digital products must be built so people with disabilities can use them. The global baseline is the W3C's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Most national laws, such as the European Accessibility Act, the US ADA and Section 508, and Australia's Disability Discrimination Act, point back to WCAG (usually Level AA) as the standard you must meet.
Is WCAG a law?
WCAG itself is a technical standard, not a law. It becomes legally enforceable when legislation references it, which most jurisdictions now do. In Australia the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 makes inaccessible digital services a form of unlawful discrimination, and government policy points to WCAG 2.2 Level AA.
Which accessibility standard applies in Australia?
Australian organisations are bound by the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA), and government digital services follow the Digital Service Standard, which targets WCAG 2.2 Level AA. Public-sector procurement increasingly references AS EN 301 549. In practice, meeting WCAG 2.2 AA is how you satisfy all three.
Which WCAG version and level should we target?
Target WCAG 2.2 Level AA. AA is the level nearly every law and procurement standard references, and 2.2 is the current version. Level A alone is not enough for compliance, and AAA is generally reserved for specific high-need contexts rather than whole sites.
Does the European Accessibility Act apply to my organisation?
The EAA applies to a wide range of products and services sold into the EU, regardless of where your business is based, with obligations in force from June 2025. If you sell digitally to EU customers (e-commerce, banking, e-books, transport, more) it likely applies, and EN 301 549 (which incorporates WCAG) is how conformance is measured.
What is the difference between a standard and a regulation?
A standard (like WCAG or EN 301 549) is the technical specification of what accessible means. A regulation or law (like the ADA, the EAA or the DDA) creates the legal obligation to meet it and the consequences for not doing so. The standards in the table below are a mix of both, which is why their difficulty and scope vary.
Not sure which standard applies to you?
We help Australian government and enterprise teams work out exactly what they need to meet, then get there with audits, remediation and evidence for procurement.
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