{"id":17149,"date":"2025-02-11T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-11T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sortlist.com\/blog\/?p=17149"},"modified":"2025-02-06T23:46:57","modified_gmt":"2025-02-06T22:46:57","slug":"web-accessibility-in-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sortlist.com\/blog\/web-accessibility-in-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"The State of Web Accessibility in 2025: Are We Truly Inclusive?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A study of the top 1 million websites<\/a> found that 95.9% had detectable WCAG failures <\/strong>on their home pages, which got us thinking about the state of web accessibility in 2025<\/strong> and what you, as an organization, can do to make it better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s take a deep dive and identify action items<\/strong> you can take to make your website compliant and accessible to everyone, regardless of disability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Web Accessibility?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Web accessibility refers to the process of ensuring that your website and online experience meet the needs of all users<\/strong>, including those with all types of disabilities (auditory, cognitive, neurological, physical, etc.).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By prioritizing accessibility, you are helping to create a more inclusive and equitable digital world.<\/strong> Even better, it will improve the user experience for those with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Temporary disabilities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Situational limitations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Poor Internet connections.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Web Accessibility in 2025 – Are We Inclusive?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    A study published by Accessibility Checker<\/a> shows that despite efforts, websites are not inclusive or accessible. There’s room for improvement, and we all need to do our part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u203c\ufe0f88% of websites are still not fully compliant with the latest web accessibility standards. <\/strong>Why is this happening?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. Lack of awareness of standards and guidelines.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Complexity of web accessibility standards.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Cost of achieving full compliance.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      \ud83d\ude12The average Web site has an accessibility score of only about 60\/100. <\/strong>The vast majority of compliant sites, with accessibility scores of 90\/100 or more, are European-based, likely in response to the EAA’s digital accessibility deadline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      <\/p>\n\n\n

      \n
      \"Web
      Source: Accessibility Checker<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

      <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \ud83d\udcb0Sites with an accessibility score of 75\/100 or higher are shown to have higher levels of revenue.<\/strong> Yet companies still believe that the cost of an accessibility lawsuit often far outweighs the time, money and effort it takes to achieve a compliant status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Web Accessibility Laws, Regulations and Standards<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      With more than 16%<\/a> of the world’s population (approximately 1.3 billion people<\/strong>) having significant disabilities, governments and organizations around the world have had to create various laws and guidelines to ensure that websites follow accessibility best practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \u203c\ufe0fAs a website owner or designer, you need to understand what these are and how to comply<\/strong> with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Keep in mind that your country may have specific laws and guidelines. We share only those that are promoted by the United States and the European Union <\/strong>and followed by most countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      European Accessibility Act (EAA)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      An EU directive that aims to improve accessibility (implementing features such as screen reader compatibility, keyboard navigation, and alternative text for images) for people with disabilities by requiring companies to make their websites, mobile applications, and e-commerce platforms <\/strong>more accessible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Who Needs to Comply and When?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

      By June 28, 2025, all businesses operating in the EU<\/strong> (except small businesses with fewer than 10 employees and \u20ac2 million in revenue) must comply with the EAA accessibility requirements for their digital services. Failure to comply can result in fines and legal consequences<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      Internationally recognized standards developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)<\/strong> to make digital content accessible to people with disabilities:<\/p>\n\n\n\n