Section 508, ADA, WCAG, 2.0, 2.1, AA, AAA, Digital Accessibility… What Does It All Mean?

Digital accessibility can seem a little tricky, especially with all the acronyms and technical talk out there. Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be so confusing.

Simply put, these terms revolve around one central idea: ensuring that everyone, regardless of their ability, has access to your digital content.

Let’s dive deeper into what these terms mean, why they’re a good thing, and what you can do to make your organization more accessible.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

These globally recognized standards are your “how-to” guide for web accessibility. Thankfully, they receive updates to keep pace with ever-changing technology. That means the higher the version number, the newer the update. Each WCAG version has 3 levels of compliance: A, AA, and AAA. The more “A’s” there are, the more criteria you need to meet.

We asked our Subject Matter Expert to explain the WCAG 2 versions:

WCAG 2.0 was published in 2008 and is the original 2.x standard. It has a total of 61 success criteria, 38 of which are required to meet Level AA. This version focuses on general accessibility, like keyboard navigation, color contrast, and screen reader functionality.

WCAG 2.1, released in 2018, added 17 new success criteria that address mobile accessibility, low vision, and cognitive needs. With this version, Level AA requires 50 success criteria.

WCAG 2.2, released in 2023, added 9 more criteria, as well as removing 1. This brings the total Level AA requirements to 55. The new success criteria focus primarily on users with cognitive and motor disabilities.

The overall goal of the 2.2 update was to make web content easier to understand and use for a larger group of people. Some examples of the updates include: eliminating the need to rely on memory or solve complicated puzzles to log in and requiring larger buttons to reduce frustration for users with motor disabilities.

We remediate to WCAG 2.2 AA, even though it’s not yet legally required. It offers better accessibility, especially for people with cognitive and motor disabilities, and helps future-proof compliance.

– Courtney Collins, Digital Accessibility & Compliance Project Manager

Section 508

This portion of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires federal agencies and organizations receiving federal funding to make their website, apps, emails, downloads, and technology accessible for people with disabilities.

Section 508 points to the WCAG 2.0 AA standard as the “how-to” guide for making federal government information accessible.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

This law requires state and local governments, businesses, and nonprofits to give everyone equal access to ALL goods, services, and communications.

The ADA is broken down into Titles. Title II and Title III remove communication barriers for people with disabilities.

Title II requires all state and local governments to give people with disabilities equal access to services and activities. This includes public education, transportation, and much more.
- In April 2024, the Department of Justice issued a new ruling requiring Title II entities to meet WCAG 2.1 AA compliance by April 2026 or 2027, depending on the size of their municipality.
Title III requires that all private businesses and nonprofits provide equal access to their goods and services. This includes places such as restaurants, hotels, movie theaters, and sporting stadiums.
- Despite the law saying “ALL,” some businesses think they can get away with not being digitally compliant. Here’s a (not so) fun fact: there were 2,452 ADA lawsuits based on digital accessibility in 2024. If you think this law doesn’t relate to your business, think again.

State laws

Depending on where you live, you may also need to comply with state-level accessibility laws.

Several states have digital accessibility laws on the books, including the following states. More are expected to follow suit.

Most of these laws require compliance with WCAG 2.0 or 2.1 AA.

Seeing a pattern yet? (WCAG. Following WCAG standards is the pattern.)

What does all of this mean?

All these terms boil down to a single objective – your content should be viewable, readable, interactable, and ACCESSIBLE for everyone.

A lack of digital accessibility is similar to closing your door in a potential customer’s face. They’re denied entry, and you lose out on business.

These terms also mean you’re legally required to make your organization’s digital information accessible. (Potential lawsuits? Yikes!)

Organizations have come to us in a panic because they thought they could get away without being accessible. It didn’t work. So, instead of having a plan in place and accessibility built in from the start, they’re left scrambling, backtracking, and, in many cases, paying a lot more money.

Being forced to follow rules doesn’t sound great, does it? Well, hear us out.

Why digital accessibility is a good thing.

While it may seem like a lot of work for little payoff, having your information digitally accessible does a lot more good than you think.

Everyone’s included – Do you want people to buy your products or donate to your cause? Make it as easy as possible for them to give you their money. (AKA remove digital barriers)
It looks good – We know giving customers the “warm fuzzies” shouldn’t be the driving force behind embracing digital accessibility, but it’s certainly a factor. People avoid doing business with an organization that excludes grandma or any of their loved ones.
Cheaper than a lawsuit – It’d be great if the fear weren’t a factor, but the thought of costly litigation is enough to encourage many to take action.
People without disabilities benefit too – When we say everyone benefits, we mean it. Trying to read something on your phone while in direct sunlight? WCAG color contrast standards make the information easier to read. Need a distraction from an incredibly boring meeting or family dinner? WCAG also requires closed video captions, so you can catch up on all the TikToks your bestie sent.

These are guidelines that ultimately help all of us!

Tips on getting started.

Focus on making progress, not getting it 100% correct right away. It would be great if you could flip a switch and make everything accessible, but that’s not the reality.

What does the journey look like? Here are a few tasks to get you started.

Website accessibility – If you’re just starting out, find a company that builds accessibility into a website from the beginning without relying on overlays. If you’ve already got a site, find someone to audit it for accessibility issues.
Downloads – Do you have forms or informational PDFs for people to download? Those need to be accessible, too. The company making or auditing your website may be able to help. But you’ll likely need to find a company that specializes in PDF remediation. (Like us!)
Emails – Those monthly newsletters and special offers need a makeover. All your images need alt text, and text color contrast should be high. Sending an attachment? Make sure the PDF remediation specialist you found makes it WCAG compliant.
Social media – Who doesn’t want to grow their Instagram following? To do that, you’ll want to include everyone by using image alt text, video captions, and limited emojis.

Accessibility, especially digital accessibility, is a process. You’ll need to revisit digital accessibility regularly because new things will come up. Having a plan on how you’ll do that makes it easier to remember and more likely that you’ll follow through.

Your accessibility journey starts today.

Ensuring digital accessibility may seem like a lot of work initially, because it is. But once you dive in, you’ll find it’s worthwhile. Before you know it, it’ll be a regular part of your day.

Following digital accessibility laws leads to a more inclusive experience for all of your customers. Today, tomorrow, and always.

Braille Works

Braille Works has been an industry leader in document accessibility since 1994. Over that time, Braille Works has helped numerous clients in various industries from healthcare to restaurants to government agencies reach more people by Making the World a More Readable Place™. The subject matter experts and content creators at Braille Works often work closely when crafting blogs and other educational materials. When the Braille Works name is attributed to a publication, it means Braille Works’ innovative team of experts collaborated on that piece.