Digital accessibility compliance ensures the web includes everyone, no exceptions.

When the Web achieves this goal, it becomes accessible to individuals with various levels of hearing, movement, vision, and cognitive abilities.

The effect of disability on the Web is significantly altered since the Web eliminates communication and interaction barriers that many individuals encounter in the physical world. However, poorly designed websites, applications, technologies, or tools can create obstacles that prevent people from accessing the Web.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the core principles of digital accessibility compliance, key global compliance laws, practical tools, and Drupal-specific solutions to help you build and maintain inclusive digital experiences.

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Digital Accessibility Compliance: Principles

Digital Accessibility Compliance is the process of designing websites that everyone can use, no matter their disability or impairment, where accessibility is often shortened to A11y (which stands for 'a', followed by 11 characters, and then 'y'), refers to making websites usable for as many people as possible, including those with some limitations in their abilities. This includes people with permanent, temporary, or situational disabilities.

Digital accessibility compliance enables individuals to see, comprehend, navigate, and engage with the Web, as well as contribute to it.

Disabilities and User Needs

Recognizing various types of disabilities is essential for creating inclusive design strategies. Below are some common categories:

WCAG's POUR Principles

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are global standards created to assist content creators and developers in making web content, including websites, web applications, or other digital technologies, accessible.

There are four key principles of accessibility that the WCAG is based on. These principles are summarized by the acronym POUR, which stands for Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust.

POUR provides a framework for digital accessibility compliance by dividing it into these four essential components. Let’s explore what each of these principles entails in more detail.

Perceivable: Making Content Understandable to All Senses

The first principle of web accessibility, Perceivable, means that users must be able to recognize and process the information on your website, whether they see it, hear it, or feel it (like via braille devices). This involves:

• Text alternatives for non-text content (images, icons, videos, buttons)
• Subtitles and transcripts for multimedia (audio descriptions, sign language)
• Proper structure using headings, lists, and tables for screen readers
• Sufficient color contrast and resizable text for better visibility
• Avoid relying only on color to convey meaning

Operable: Making your Website Usable for All

The Operable principle ensures that every visitor can interact with and navigate your website, regardless of how they access it via keyboard, voice input, touch, or assistive devices. To be operable, your site should:

• Support full keyboard access; all functions must be usable without a mouse
• Offer enough time, and users should be able to read, understand, and complete actions at their own pace
• Avoid content that causes seizures; flashing elements and intense animations should be minimized or removed
• Ensure clear navigation, use descriptive titles, headings, and link text; allow easy focus and orientation
• Support multiple input methods, gestures, voice, or touch, should provide accessible alternatives

Understandable: Make Content and UI Easy to Grasp

The Understandable principle ensures that your website’s content and interface are clear, predictable, and user-friendly for everyone, especially those with cognitive or language-related disabilities. To meet this principle, your site should:

• Use clear, simple language to ensure content is easy to read and understand.
• Identify the language of the content and explain any technical terms or abbreviations.
• Keep navigation and layout consistent across pages to avoid confusion.
• Avoid unexpected changes on the screen unless triggered by the user.
• Help users correct mistakes by providing clear instructions, error messages, and the option to review and fix inputs.

Robust: Built to Work Everywhere

Your content must be compatible with current and future tools, including assistive technologies. Ensure reliable interpretation:

• Use clean, semantic, and valid HTML
• Apply ARIA roles where needed
• Support non-standard UI elements with proper labels and roles
• Test across browsers and devices

This ensures everyone, no matter the tool they use, can access and interact with your site effectively.

Digital Accessibility Compliance: Legal Landscape

The digital transformation has changed the way businesses function, providing fresh chances for growth and innovation. Yet, this change also brings various legal issues, especially in fields such as data protection, e-commerce, and digital accessibility compliance. Ignoring these can result in serious legal consequences and damage your business's reputation. As we near 2025, it is crucial to revise your digital compliance strategy. Below are some compliance requirements based on different countries.

ADA (USA)

The Americans with Disabilities Act is a civil‑rights law that bans discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, education, transportation, and public places. It grants the same protections provided for race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion, ensuring equal access to public services, jobs, transport, government programs, and telecommunications.

The law aims to ensure that individuals with disabilities enjoy the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. The ADA provides civil rights protections for people with disabilities that are comparable to those given to individuals based on race, color, gender, national origin, age, and religion.

It ensures equal opportunities for individuals with disabilities in public services, jobs, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications.  

Section 508

This section of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act (amended in 1998) requires that all federal agencies make their electronic and information technology (EIT), including websites, software, documents, and multimedia, accessible to people with disabilities. It applies to the development, procurement, maintenance, and use of ICT by federal agencies.  

In 2018, the standards were updated to align with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA, reinforcing digital accessibility compliance and ensuring better consistency with international standards. 

Section 508 not only ensures equal access for federal employees and the public but also guides technology vendors and contractors working with the U.S. government.  

If full compliance creates an undue burden, agencies must still provide alternative accessible formats. Even for non-federal organizations, adhering to Section 508 can enhance usability, widen audience reach, and demonstrate a strong commitment to digital inclusivity.

EN 301 549 (EU)

The European is the accessibility standard that sets technical accessibility rules for all Information and Communication Technology (ICT), like websites, mobile apps, software, hardware, and telecommunications devices used by public-sector bodies and many private companies under the European Accessibility Act.

Initially published in 2014 and updated regularly (with the latest being version 3.2.1 aligned with WCAG 2.1 Level AA), it promotes consistency among EU member states by incorporating WCAG success criteria into its framework.

It addresses a wider range of ICT areas beyond just web content, including hardware and voice communication, making it relevant for both procurement and legal compliance.

Any organization providing digital products or services in the EU must ensure they comply, not just to fulfill legal requirements but also to improve usability and inclusivity across all digital platforms.

India’s RPwD Act

Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, is India has a detailed law that guarantees equal rights and prevents discrimination against people with disabilities.

It requires accessibility in physical structures, transportation, information and communication technologies, and online services.

The Act identifies 21 different types of disabilities and mandates that both government and private organizations ensure inclusive access to education, jobs, and public services.  

In the digital realm, it promotes global accessibility standards and mandates digital accessibility compliance for websites and mobile apps, ensuring inclusivity for users with visual, hearing, and cognitive challenges, reinforcing India’s broader mission of digital inclusion.

Legal Compliance and Risk Mitigation

Following basic digital accessibility compliance isn’t just about building a website that’s usable for everyone. Failing to meet these standards can lead to fines and even lawsuits. Here are some other consequences of non-compliance. Here are the main consequences highlighted in the sources provided:

1 . Reputational Damage: Not following digital accessibility compliance can cause negative publicity, harm to reputation, and loss of public trust.

2. Inability to Reach a Wider Audience: Failing to comply with digital accessibility compliance can lead to the exclusion of people with disabilities from accessing products, services, or information, causing missed chances to connect with a larger audience.

3. Legal Action and Lawsuits: Ignoring digital accessibility compliance can lead to legal actions, including discrimination lawsuits from individuals with disabilities. This may result in financial penalties, compensatory damages, and legal costs.

4. Loss of Business Opportunities: Failing accessibility standards can cost businesses, especially public sector deals and contracts that require compliance.

5. Direct Legal Action by Individuals: Accessibility barriers can lead individuals with disabilities to sue, causing high legal costs and potential damages.

6. Fines and Penalties: Non-compliance with accessibility laws can result in fines or sanctions like financial penalties under the EU’s Web Accessibility Directive.

7. Legal Barriers to Market Entry: Sometimes, not following accessibility laws can stop organizations from applying for public contracts.

Some instances of digital accessibility compliance lawsuits are as follows:

Netflix: In 2012, the National Association of the Deaf took legal action against Netflix for not providing sufficient accessibility features for people with disabilities.

Domino’s Pizza: In 2019, a blind individual named Guillermo Robles filed a lawsuit against Domino’s Pizza for breaching ADA Title III, as he was unable to order food through the website and app using screen-reading software. This case became a crucial reference for businesses concerning digital accessibility compliance.

Burger King: In early 2018, Burger King faced a lawsuit due to its website being inaccessible to visually impaired users. The main issue raised in the case was the lack of compatibility with screen readers.

Digital accessibility compliance is not only a moral obligation but also a legal necessity that organizations need to prioritize. Not adhering to accessibility laws can lead to serious repercussions, including legal actions, financial penalties, damage to reputation, and loss of business opportunities. The cases of accessibility lawsuits involving well-known companies like Netflix, Domino’s Pizza, Burger King, Fox News Network, and Five Guys Burgers and Fries highlight the significant consequences of failing to meet digital accessibility compliance.

Also Check Out:

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3. Full-Spectrum Site Analysis: Where SEO, Performance, Security & Accessibility Converge

4. DrupalFit: Your One-Stop Solution for Security, Accessibility & Performance

Digital Accessibility Compliance: Tools and Techniques

Digital Accessibility Compliance testing tools assist organizations in swiftly pinpointing typical problems that could hinder individuals with disabilities from accessing content.

These tools are particularly valuable for establishing a general standard of a website’s accessibility and for actively identifying issues during the creation of digital experiences. Nevertheless, they are not yet able to uncover all obstacles.

Various tools provide distinct features and functionalities, so it is crucial to select the appropriate ones for your requirements. Let’s examine some well-known categories of web accessibility tools.

WAVE

Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool is a free resource from WebAIM designed to help you find accessibility problems on any website. WAVE classifies these problems into errors, contrast issues, alerts, structural elements, and ARIA usage. It is also beneficial for keyboard and screen reader users, making it useful for both automated and manual accessibility testing.  

Axe

Axe DevTools by Deque is a free Chrome extension that helps developers, testers, and designers identify accessibility issues during development. Powered by the Axe-Core engine, it performs fast automated scans with accurate, actionable results and no false positives. It offers clear remediation guidance, and with a Pro upgrade, users get advanced features like guided testing and component-level checks supporting efficient, compliant, and accessible digital experiences.

Lighthouse

Lighthouse is a free, open-source tool built into Chrome and Edge DevTools that evaluates web pages for accessibility, performance, SEO, and more. It automatically audits for issues like low contrast, missing alt text, and ARIA misuses, assigning a score from 0 to 100. With actionable insights and best-practice links, it helps developers fix problems efficiently. Lighthouse also supports mobile and desktop testing and integrates into CI/CD workflows, making it ideal for maintaining accessible, high-performing websites.

Keep your digital experience optimized and accessible, trust DrupalFit for regular checks and upkeep, where automation meets expert intervention for truly barrier-free web experiences.

Check your Website's Accessibility Today

Here’s where Drupal makes things easier for developers and users alike!

Drupal also comes with many built-in features that simplify the process of creating an accessible website, such as:

Siteimprove

Siteimprove is a powerful cloud-based tool that helps improve content quality, traffic, performance, and accessibility, all from one platform. For Drupal sites with different frontend domains, it offers ready-made plugins and support via the siteimprove_domain_access module. Advanced users can also build custom plugins using flexible methods and annotations, making it ideal for complex or multisite setups.

Editoria11y

Editoria11y is a real-time accessibility checker for CMS platforms like Drupal and WordPress. It runs in the background, highlighting issues like missing alt text or poor heading structure as you edit, and provides helpful tips to fix them. Compliant with WCAG, it’s ideal for non-technical users to maintain accessibility effortlessly during content creation.

CKEditor Accessibility Checker

CKEditor 5 is a rich-text editor designed for accessibility, supporting full keyboard navigation and major screen readers like NVDA and JAWS. It includes an Accessibility Help dialog (Alt+0) and follows WCAG 2.2 AA and Section 508 standards, backed by a regularly updated VPAT. This ensures an inclusive and user-friendly editing experience for all, including those using assistive technologies.

Digital Accessibility Compliance: Manual vs Automated Testing

Manual testing involves real users using assistive tools like screen readers or keyboards to assess accessibility. It uncovers complex, user-centric issues such as navigation clarity and content comprehension that automated tools may miss.

On the other hand, Automated testing uses tools like Axe or Lighthouse to scan code for common accessibility errors. It's fast, repeatable, and ideal for integration in development pipelines, but it typically detects only around 30% of WCAG issues.

Both methods are crucial. Automated testing provides quick, consistent identification of technical problems, while manual testing offers depth, nuance, and genuine user insights. Together, they guarantee thorough compliance and outstanding user experiences.

Integrating both strategies is the most effective way to create truly accessible, user-focused digital products.

Digital Accessibility Compliance: Drupal Best Practices

Drupal is well-known for its strong focus on digital accessibility compliance, making it a great option for organizations that want to create inclusive and compliant digital experiences.

Drupal adheres to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) set by the World Wide Web Consortium and follows best practices for an inclusive web. Since Drupal 7, the platform has continuously improved its accessibility standards, making sure that both the frontend user experience and the backend content management system (CMS) are accessible to users with various abilities.

Drupal includes many built-in features that simplify the creation of accessible websites, such as:

Accessible Default Themes

Drupal offers default themes like Olivero and Claro, which prioritize digital accessibility compliance. These themes adhere to WCAG 2.1 AA standards, providing suitable color contrast, easy-to-read typography, and navigation that is friendly for keyboard users. Moreover, developers have the option to modify Drupal themes to uphold digital accessibility compliance best practices while creating a distinctive design.

Key features of Drupal’s accessible themes:

• High contrast and scalable fonts for improved readability.
• Responsive design that adjusts to various screen sizes.
• Support for keyboard navigation for users who depend on assistive technologies.

Semantic HTML output

A properly organized document aids users and assistive technologies in grasping the content hierarchy. Start with H1 for the main title, then use H2, H3, and H4 for the subsections. Do not skip heading levels, as this may confuse screen readers.

Moreover, utilize semantic HTML elements such as <nav>, <article>, and <section> to provide context to the page content, which helps assistive technologies to understand it better.

ARIA support

Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) assist screen readers in understanding intricate UI components such as modals, tooltips, and dynamic content. Some beneficial ARIA applications in Drupal are:

• Landmark roles (<nav>, <main>, <aside>) that aid users in navigating sections with ease.
• ARIA labels that provide improved context for buttons and icons.
• Live regions that allow for real-time updates without interrupting the flow of the screen reader.
• The Block ARIA Landmark Roles module in Drupal enables developers to assign these roles effectively.

Automatic Alternative Text

Alternative text (alt text) assists screen readers in explaining images to users with visual impairments. Adhere to these best practices for alt text:

• Utilize clear and brief descriptions to express the image's intent.
• Refrain from using phrases like "image of" or "picture of" in your descriptions.
• Employ the Automatic Alternative Text module in Drupal to create AI-generated alt descriptions when necessary.

For video and audio materials:

• Include closed captions and transcripts to ensure digital accessibility compliance for users with hearing difficulties.
• Utilize Drupal modules such as Media Entity to handle and integrate accessible media files.

Accessible Mega Menu

Many individuals with disabilities depend on keyboards rather than a mouse. To facilitate smooth navigation:

• Ensure all interactive components (buttons, links, forms) can be accessed using the Tab key.
• Utilize visible focus indicators to show which elements are active.
• Refrain from using elements that depend solely on hover interactions, as these may be inaccessible for keyboard users.

Drupal’s default Olivero theme provides keyboard navigation by default, but always verify your site for seamless interaction.

Digital Accessibility Compliance: Continuous Commitment

Digital accessibility compliance is not just a checkbox; it’s a sustainable, user-first mindset that grows with your digital presence.

As websites change, due to design updates, content revisions, new features, or third-party integrations, new accessibility challenges may arise. Accessibility standards (like WCAG) also evolve, meaning what was compliant last year may not be today. Regular monitoring, testing, and updates are essential to ensure sustained accessibility.

Moreover, accessibility focuses on the user, and input from individuals with disabilities can reveal problems that automated tools may overlook. Treating accessibility as a continuous effort ensures inclusive experiences for all users, builds trust, reduces legal risk, and reflects a brand's commitment to digital equality.

Maintaining digital accessibility compliance also involves training teams, including developers, designers, and content editors, to follow best practices consistently. Without this awareness, new issues can be introduced unknowingly during routine updates. For example, uploading an image without alt text or embedding a video without captions can unintentionally create barriers.

Moreover, technologies, browsers, and assistive tools are constantly evolving. A feature that works well with a screen reader today may not behave the same way after a browser update. This makes periodic audits and user testing critical.

Digital accessibility compliance should be integrated into the entire development lifecycle from planning and design to QA and post-launch maintenance. Organizations that embed accessibility into their workflows are more likely to deliver a seamless experience for all users, avoid costly retrofits, and stay aligned with legal requirements and ethical responsibilities.

Examples of how fixing accessibility improved user engagement

1. British Broadcasting Corporation: The BBC introduced various accessibility features in its digital services, such as audio descriptions for users with visual impairments and high-contrast modes for individuals with visual challenges. They also integrated accessibility guidelines into their production workflows.

Impact:

By incorporating accessibility into their main design strategy, the BBC not only promoted inclusivity but also enhanced the usability of their services. Content with audio descriptions experienced greater engagement, and their inclusive strategy became a benchmark for public broadcasters worldwide.

2. Netflix: Netflix added closed captions, audio descriptions, and sign language options to its content. They worked with the deaf and blind community to enhance content navigation and interaction.  

Impact:

These changes greatly enhanced accessibility for users with hearing or visual impairments. This not only increased satisfaction among the disabled community but also attracted wider audiences who valued the additional effort, reinforcing Netflix’s image as an inclusive platform.

3. Tesco: Tesco, a major retailer in the UK, collaborated with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to enhance the accessibility of its grocery website. The upgrades featured improved keyboard navigation, support for screen readers, and more straightforward layouts.

Impact:

Following these enhancements, Tesco saw a 350% rise in online grocery orders from users with disabilities. They also pointed out that accessible design is beneficial for all users, including older individuals and those with slower connections or mobile devices.

4. Apple: Apple has been a pioneer in digital accessibility for a long time, offering features such as VoiceOver (a screen reader), Zoom (screen magnification), and AssistiveTouch. These features are integrated into iPhones, iPads, and Macs, rather than being optional add-ons.

Impact:

This strong dedication has fostered a loyal user community among people with disabilities. Apple devices have become the preferred technology for many users who require accessible interfaces, leading to increased customer loyalty, a favorable brand image, and even impacting the tech accessibility sector as a whole.

Key Takeaways

1. A11y (short for 'a', followed by 11 characters, and then 'y') means making websites accessible to as many people as possible, including those with certain limitations in their abilities.

2. Manual testing captures real user challenges that automation often misses, while automated tools offer speed and consistency—each plays a vital role in a complete accessibility strategy.

3. Ensuring digital accessibility compliance is an ongoing task. As websites evolve through design changes, content updates, new features, or third-party integrations, fresh accessibility challenges can emerge.

4. Neglecting digital accessibility compliance can lead to significant legal issues and harm your business's reputation.

5.  Drupal also follows the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) established by the World Wide Web Consortium and adheres to best practices for an inclusive web.