Part 2: Who Decides What’s Accessible?

If you’re new to designing or developing for accessibility, the natural next question after “what is accessibility?” might be: “Okay, so who sets the rules?”

And truthfully, there’s a whole ecosystem of organizations, laws, and guidelines that influence what “accessible” means in the digital world. It's important to know that understanding them helps companies not only stay compliant, but also build more inclusive, effective, and forward-thinking digital experiences (a big win-win for consumers and companies).

Meet WCAG: The Global Standard

At the heart of digital accessibility is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). These guidelines serve as the international standard for accessibility across websites, mobile apps, and digital tools.

WCAG is built around four key principles. To be accessible, content must be:

• Perceivable: Can users see or hear the content?
• Operable: Can users navigate and interact with it?
• Understandable: Can users comprehend the information and how to use the UI?
• Robust: Will content work across different devices, browsers, and assistive technologies?

These are known as the POUR principles, and they provide the foundation for accessibility best practices.

Versions have evolved over time, with WCAG 2.1 currently serving as the most widely adopted version, though WCAG 2.2 was officially released in 2023 with updated success criteria for cognitive and mobile accessibility. You can view the full guidelines here.

The Legal Landscape: ADA, Section 508, and Beyond

While WCAG is technically a set of recommendations—not laws—many legal systems refer to it as the standard by which accessibility is measured.

Some of the key laws and policies in the U.S. are:

• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): One you may be familiar with, Title III of the ADA prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in “places of public accommodation”—a definition that courts and watchdog agencies increasingly interpret to include websites and digital platforms.
• Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act: This law requires federal agencies—and any organizations or contractor(s) that work with them—to ensure their digital content is accessible, typically by adhering to WCAG guidelines. This is a detail often missed by federal contractors as they aren’t aware the federal standards apply to them, even if they’re a private, independent company.
• State-Level Laws: Several states have introduced their own accessibility legislation or approaches to enforcement, further raising the stakes for digital compliance depending on where you live and how strict their policies are.

Why This Should Matter To Companies

While WCAG provides the framework and the law provides the enforcement, I would argue that the most important people in the field of accessibility are the users themselves.

People with disabilities—and the assistive technologies they use—are constantly evolving. That’s why it’s critical to involve people with lived experience in company research and testing processes when building and creating digital products. Because even the best-intentioned design can fall short without this perspective. That’s why inclusive research is one of the most powerful tools for accessibility. No checklist can replace inclusive co-creation.

If your organization is committed to building ethical, forward-thinking digital products, you can’t afford to be in the dark about accessibility guidelines. The rules are out there—and they’re getting more attention every year.

By understanding the standards, staying ahead of legal requirements, and centering disabled voices in our process, as designers, we create more than just “compliant” experiences—we create meaningful ones.

Up Next: Why Accessibility Is Good for Business

Next up, we’ll dig into the business case for accessibility—from legal risk and brand reputation to SEO, innovation, and inclusive growth.