ADA Ready · How-to

How to comply with ADA web accessibility (US)

US courts apply WCAG 2.1 AA to business websites under ADA Title III — thousands of demand letters land each year. Check the basics, and don't rely on an accessibility overlay.

Step by step

Work through these — each is a place compliance is won or lost. ADA Ready's checker verifies every one for you in about a minute.

  1. Do meaningful images have descriptive alt text?
  2. Fully usable by keyboard, with a visible focus ring?
  3. Does text meet 4.5:1 colour contrast?
  4. Do forms have real labels + clear errors?
  5. Do you rely on an accessibility overlay / widget?
  6. Published accessibility statement with a contact?
  7. Tested key flows with a screen reader / keyboard?

The fast way

🪿 Don't do it by hand. The free ADA Ready checker walks you through each step, flags exactly what's missing, and Clause drafts the fix for you — then re-check until you're clear. No signup, runs in your browser.

What's at stake if you skip it

⚠️ Exposure: DOJ up to $118,225 (1st violation) + private-suit costs · Status: In force. Every rule's penalty →

The source

RuleGoose checks this against the ADA Title III (42 U.S.C. 12181) — courts apply WCAG 2.1 AA. Read it yourself: ADA.gov — web accessibility guidance →

Check your ADA web accessibility (US) compliance — free.
See exactly which steps you've missed and draft the fix in about a minute. Run the ADA Ready checker →

or read the full ADA web accessibility (US) guide, or get one RuleGoose Score across every rule.

Informational only, not legal advice, and not affiliated with the DOJ. Last reviewed 2026-06-30.