| ✅ Checklist | Action | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| ☐ Know your laws | Equality Act 2010, PSBAR 2018 (public sector) & EAA 2025 (private + e-commerce) | Non-compliance can trigger civil claims and fines. |
| ☐ Target WCAG 2.2 AA | October 2024 is the UK public-sector deadline; private firms will be judged against it too | WCAG 2.2 adds nine new success criteria, tightening the bar. |
| ☐ Publish an accessibility statement | Outline conformance & improvement roadmap | Required for PSBAR and expected under the EAA. |
| ☐ Plan annual audits & monitoring | Treat accessibility like security: continuous, not one-off | 4,500+ US lawsuits in 2023 show global litigation pressure. |
The Legal Landscape: Deadlines You Can’t Ignore
WCAG for Business: What to Test Today
Think of the WCAG for business as a user-experience toolkit. Use this quick audit to spot the low-hanging fruit:
Text alternatives — every meaningful image, logo and icon has accurate alt text.
Colour contrast — minimum 4.5:1 for text, 3:1 for large display; high-contrast mode supported.
Keyboard-first navigation — all interactive elements reachable via Tab, with visible focus states.
Forms that talk back — programmatic labels, clear error messages, ARIA live regions where needed.
Accessible PDFs & downloads — tagged structure, logical reading order, searchable text.
Captions & transcripts — live captions for streamed video, accurate subtitles for prerecorded media.
Tip: automate scans with Axe or WAVE, but finish with manual screen-reader testing to catch edge-cases.
Inclusive Web Design Pays Off
Accessibility isn’t just a compliance cost — it’s a growth strategy rooted in inclusive web design:
Reach a bigger market — 15 % of UK users have a disability; add older users and situational impairments and the number doubles.
Boost SEO — semantic HTML and fast, keyboard-friendly navigation match Google’s Core Web Vitals.
Enhance brand trust — clear accessibility statements and badges signal social responsibility.
Reduce support overheads — intuitive, barrier-free journeys mean fewer assistance calls.
Future-proof for tech — voice interfaces, wearables and AR all depend on structured, accessible markup.