WCAG remains the yardstick
- Regulators and specialists continue to use WCAG as the practical accessibility benchmark for public institutions. - The DOJ rule references WCAG 2.1, while market guides already discuss adopting WCAG 2.2 as best practice. - Buyers are moving from overlays toward measurable governance, remediation workflows, and auditability. (sage.agency)
The rulebook buyers and regulators keep reaching for is still WCAG, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. (ada.gov) The U.S. Department of Justice published its final Title II web-accessibility rule on April 24, 2024, and it points state and local governments to WCAG 2.1 Level AA for websites and mobile apps. Small public entities generally have until April 26, 2027, and larger ones until April 24, 2026, to comply. (ada.gov) WCAG is the technical checklist the World Wide Web Consortium maintains for things like keyboard access, captions, color contrast, and error handling. WCAG 2.2 became a W3C Recommendation on October 5, 2023, adding nine success criteria beyond WCAG 2.1. (w3.org) That leaves a split between the legal floor and the market’s current target. The Department of Justice rule names WCAG 2.1, while the W3C says content that conforms to WCAG 2.2 also conforms to WCAG 2.1. (ada.gov) (w3.org) Federal procurement has been using the same basic playbook for years. Section 508 guidance says the Revised 508 Standards incorporate WCAG 2.0 Level AA and apply those criteria to web and non-web electronic content bought or used by federal agencies. (section508.gov) The buying conversation has also shifted from quick fixes to proof. In January 2025, the Federal Trade Commission said accessiBe would pay $1 million to settle allegations that it falsely claimed its plug-in could make any website WCAG-compliant, and the Commission made that order final in April 2025. (ftc.gov 1) (ftc.gov 2) The FTC’s complaint did not ban automated tools, but it did challenge blanket compliance claims. The agency said accessiBe lacked substantiation for statements that its widget could make all user websites compliant with WCAG. (ftc.gov) That is why procurement teams now ask for audit trails, issue tracking, and remediation plans instead of a badge or toolbar alone. Section508.gov’s Accessibility Requirements Tool is built around requirement statements that buyers can map to standards and contracts. (section508.gov) The result is a market where the benchmark has not really changed, even as the version numbers have. WCAG remains the yardstick, and the pressure is moving toward showing the work. (ada.gov) (w3.org)
