Web accessibility means building sites that everyone can use — including the roughly 1 in 4 adults living with a disability. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.2) are the global standard for how to do it, and they're the benchmark U.S. courts apply to ADA Title III website lawsuits. These guides break down the failures we see most often when scanning real sites — missing alt text, low color contrast, unlabeled forms, keyboard traps and more — and show you exactly how to fix each one in your own code.
Every lesson is practical and copy-paste ready: the broken pattern, the accessible fix, framework notes for React, Vue and plain HTML, the common mistakes to avoid, and how to test it yourself. Whether you're chasing WCAG 2.2 Level AA conformance, preparing a VPAT, or simply removing barriers for your users, start with any topic below.
Images
1 lessonColor
1 lessonForms
2 lessonsForm Fields Without Labels
Every form input must have a programmatic label — either a <label> element, aria-label, or aria-labelledby.
Inaccessible Button Patterns
Buttons must use the <button> element or role="button" with full keyboard support. Using <div> or <span> for buttons is a common accessibility failure.
Structure
2 lessonsBroken Heading Structure
Headings (h1–h6) must form a logical, nested hierarchy. Skipping levels and using headings for visual styling breaks navigation for screen reader users.
Missing or Wrong Language Attribute
The <html> element must have a lang attribute so screen readers use the correct language, pronunciation rules, and voice.
Navigation
2 lessonsUninformative Link Text
Link text must describe the destination or purpose of the link. "Click here" and "Read more" are meaningless when read out of context.
Missing Skip Navigation Links
Pages with repeated navigation must provide a way to skip directly to the main content, so keyboard users don't have to tab through the same nav links on every page.
Keyboard
2 lessonsElements Not Keyboard-Accessible
All interactive functionality must be operable with a keyboard alone. Users who can't use a mouse depend entirely on keyboard navigation.
Missing or Hidden Focus Indicators
Keyboard users must be able to see which element is focused. Removing the browser's default outline without a replacement is a common and serious barrier.
ARIA
1 lessonMultimedia
1 lessonFrequently asked questions
- What is WCAG, and which version should I follow?
- WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is the international standard published by the W3C. The current version is WCAG 2.2 (2023). For legal and procurement purposes, target Level AA — it's the level referenced by the ADA, Section 508, and the European Accessibility Act.
- Are these lessons enough to make my site ADA-compliant?
- They cover the most common, highest-impact failures, which account for the bulk of real-world issues. Full conformance also requires testing your specific pages: automated scanning catches roughly half of WCAG issues, and the rest need manual checks like keyboard and screen-reader testing.
- Do I need to know how to code to use these guides?
- Basic HTML and CSS help, since every lesson shows before/after code. But the plain-language explanations, common mistakes, and testing steps are written to be useful for designers, QA, and product managers too.
- How do I find these issues on my own website?
- Run a free ADAGuard scan. It automatically detects every pattern in these lessons — and dozens more — across your pages in seconds, with each finding mapped to its exact WCAG success criterion.
See these issues on your own site
ADAGuard automatically detects all 12 of these patterns and dozens more — in seconds.