Web accessibility: what the law requires and where to start

For many people web accessibility is one of those things they have heard about for years and keep postponing, because it seems technical, expensive and a little vague. In reality it is a very concrete subject: it means making sure your website can be used by everyone, including people with visual, motor or hearing disabilities, and those who find it hard to read or concentrate.

In this guide I explain what it means, what regulation asks for (in simple terms, not as legal advice) and where to start without overhauling the site.

What "accessible website" means

A site is accessible when it can be perceived, used and understood even by people who cannot see well or at all, who cannot use a mouse, who cannot hear videos. International guidelines sum this up in four principles.

• Perceivable. Information must arrive in more than one way: alternative text for images, captions for videos, sufficient contrast between text and background.
• Operable. Everything must work from the keyboard alone, with reasonable timing and without dangerously flashing elements.
• Understandable. Clear text, forms with understandable labels, error messages that explain what to fix.
• Robust. The code is well written, so browsers and screen readers interpret it reliably.

The WCAG: the technical reference

The WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) are the international guidelines published by the W3C. They have three conformance levels: A, AA and AAA. Level AA is usually taken as the realistic goal, and it is also the reference for much of the regulation.

The WCAG are not a single checklist to tick off once: they apply page by page and have to be checked again whenever the site changes.

What the law says

The answer here depends on who you are, so with due caution.

• Public administration. In Italy there have long been specific rules requiring websites and applications to be accessible.
• Private businesses. At European level the European Accessibility Act (Directive 2019/882) requires some digital products and services to be accessible, including, in certain cases, e-commerce services. The obligations have applied since June 2025, and exemptions exist, for example for micro-enterprises providing services.

I am not a lawyer and cannot tell you whether your case falls within the obligations. What I can do is help you understand what to ask a legal adviser and prepare the site technically. In any case, fixing accessibility pays off regardless of any obligation.

Why it pays off even without an obligation

• More people can use the site, so more people can contact you or buy.
• Fewer problems on a phone, in sunlight or on a slow connection: the same fixes help everyone.
• It helps SEO. Orderly headings, alternative text and clean code are useful signals for Google too, which reads pages much like a screen reader.
• It reduces the risk of complaints and disputes.

Where to start

You do not need to rebuild the site. You proceed step by step.

1. A first automatic check. Free tools flag many obvious problems, such as insufficient contrast or images without alternative text. They only find part of the errors, but they are a good start.
2. A keyboard test. Try using the site with the Tab key only: can you reach menus, buttons and forms? Can you always see where you are?
3. A screen reader test. Listen to how a page is read: does the order make sense? Do buttons have an understandable name?
4. Contrast and text size. Check that text reads well and that the site remains usable when enlarged.
5. Forms. Every field must have a clear label, and errors must say how to correct them.
6. Content. Sensible alternative text, headings in order, videos with captions.

For the most common problems there is also a practical list in Accessible website: the 10 most common mistakes.

Things that do not solve the problem

• "One-click accessibility" buttons. They can support the work, but they do not fix the code where the problem is born.
• An automatic tool alone. It finds part of the errors; the rest needs a person.
• A one-off fix. If content is added without care, the problems come back.
• Promises of certification. There is no definitive badge valid for any site: what counts is the checks carried out and documented.

How to keep accessibility up over time

Accessibility is never "finished". It is worth:

• building it into the workflow: whoever writes content knows how to write alternative text and a heading;
• checking again after every important change to the site;
• keeping a short log of what was verified and fixed;
• listening to people who use the site, because real feedback is worth more than any tool.

Who does what: designer, developer and editors

Accessibility is teamwork, and it helps to know who takes care of what.

• Whoever designs chooses colours, contrast, type sizes, touch areas and button states. Many problems are born here.
• Whoever develops writes code with the right structure, handles the keyboard, form labels and menu behaviour.
• Whoever writes the content takes care of alternative text, headings in order, understandable links and video captions.

If one of these three links is missing, the work of the other two also loses effectiveness. That is why, besides fixing, it is worth leaving whoever runs the site a few simple rules to follow.

How much time and work it takes

There is no measure valid for everyone: it depends on the size of the site and how many problems there are. A first check gives a realistic picture in a short time, and lets you put priorities in order: first what truly blocks use (forms, menus, keyboard navigation), then the rest. After the analysis you can have a clear estimate, without random numbers.

Why entrust it to me

I have been programming since 1999 and have delivered more than 300 projects. I work on web accessibility: I check the site with automatic tools, by keyboard and with screen readers, and fix problems according to the WCAG guidelines, from contrast to alternative text, from forms to menus. I do not issue certifications: I deliver a report of what I verified and fixed. For legal obligations it is worth consulting an adviser as well. I work from Rome and remotely.

If you want to understand what condition your site is in, write to me: a chat of about 20 minutes, no strings attached, then a written, free proposal. The details are in Web accessibility: WCAG audits and fixes.