MyClawn WCAG Audit › ADA website compliance
ADA compliance for your website: what the law expects and what to do
The ADA requires businesses open to the public to be usable by people with disabilities, and courts and regulators apply that to websites. The law names no technical standard for private businesses, so WCAG Level AA does that job in practice. Here is what that means for a small business site.
What the law says, and what it leaves out
- Title II covers state and local governments. Since 2024 it has a web rule with a named standard, WCAG 2.1 AA, and deadlines in 2027 and 2028. See ADA Title II.
- Title III covers businesses open to the public: shops, restaurants, clinics, hotels, service firms. It has no regulation that names a web standard. Demand letters, settlements and auditors measure against WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 Level AA.
So for a private business there is no official checklist and no certificate. Nobody can declare your site 'ADA compliant' with legal effect. What you can do is remove the barriers WCAG describes and be able to show that you did. This page is general information, not legal advice; if you have received a letter, talk to a lawyer first.
What owners actually ask for
We read the accessibility job posts on Upwork from the 28 days to November 11, 2026. The small-business ones have a pattern:
- A retailer wants a third-party WCAG 2.2 audit as documented proof, to confirm the site works and to limit liability, after removing an overlay widget they did not want to rely on.
- A dental practice needs a WCAG 2.2 AA audit and code fixes for 59 pages, the overlay removed, and a retest with a dated remediation log. Budget: $2,500.
- A business moved its one-page site to a new host, lost the widget icon, and offers $500 to have the site reviewed and fixed.
- One company received a letter from a US district court about its website and needs a lawyer to respond.
The lesson in those posts: the widget did not settle it, and what people want afterwards is the site fixed and a paper trail.
Paste your address and see what fails WCAG 2.2 AA, where, and the code that fixes it. Starter $39/mo · Pro $129/mo. Refund within 14 days if it misses.
Check my siteWhy a widget does not make a site compliant
An overlay is a script that adds a toolbar and tries to adjust the page in the visitor's browser. The page code underneath stays the same, so the barriers it cannot patch are still there for someone using their own screen reader.
On January 3, 2025 the US Federal Trade Commission announced a proposed order requiring accessiBe to pay $1 million. The FTC alleged that the claim its plug-in could make any website WCAG compliant was false, and the order bars such claims without evidence. Widget plans are not cheap either: accessiBe lists $59 to $479 a month depending on traffic.
We install nothing on your site. You get the list of failures and the corrected code, and the fixes live in your pages.
Five steps that reduce your risk
- Test your main pages against WCAG 2.2 AA: home, a service or product page, contact, any form, cart and checkout. Start with one page, free.
- Fix what blocks people first: forms without labels, buttons without names, anything unreachable by keyboard. Then contrast and alt text.
- Publish an accessibility statement that says what standard you aim for, when you last tested, and how to reach you about a barrier. Answer those messages.
- Test again after changes. New pages, plugin updates and seasonal banners add failures.
- Keep the dated reports. A record of regular testing and fixing is the honest evidence of good faith.
Our monthly audit does 1, writes the code for 2, drafts 3, and produces 4 and 5 for you, from $39 a month.
Questions
Is my website legally required to be ADA compliant?
If your business is open to the public in the US, the ADA applies to you, and courts and the Department of Justice have applied it to websites. There is no web rule with a named standard for private businesses, so WCAG Level AA is the practical measure.
Is there an official ADA certification for websites?
No. No government body certifies websites, and a badge or icon has no legal effect. A dated audit report and a record of fixes are the meaningful evidence.
Will an audit protect me from a lawsuit?
Nothing guarantees that. Removing the barriers takes away the basis of a claim, and a dated record shows you were doing the work. For a letter you have already received, see a lawyer.
How much does ADA website compliance cost?
Prices we saw in November 2026: $1,250 to $2,750 for a specialist firm's audit, $2,500 offered for an audit plus fixes on a 59-page site, $59 to $479 a month for a widget. Our monthly audit with the fixes written out is $39 or $129 a month; applying the fixes is done by whoever edits your site.
What are the most common ADA website problems?
The ones owners list in their own job posts: colour contrast, missing alt text, form labels, heading structure, link text, keyboard focus and tab order.
Paste your address and see what fails WCAG 2.2 AA, where, and the code that fixes it. Starter $39/mo · Pro $129/mo. Refund within 14 days if it misses.
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Sources (checked 2026-11-11): www.ada.gov/resources/2024-03-08-web-rule/ · www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/01/ftc-order-requires · accessibe.com/pricing · accessible.org/services/audits/ · www.upwork.com/jobs/~022119040730565950829 · www.upwork.com/jobs/~022117726759259564045