WCAG Violations in Government Websites

Why Government Websites Must Be Accessible

Government websites face the strictest accessibility requirements under ADA Title II and Section 508. The DOJ's April 24, 2026 deadline requires all state and local government websites to meet WCAG 2.1 AA.

The most common WCAG 2.1 AA violations found on government websites are listed below. Each violation includes the WCAG criterion, impact level, and exact fix code.

Color Contrast

Ensures the contrast between foreground and background colors meets WCAG 2 AA contrast ratio thresholds.

Fix: Increase the contrast ratio between text and its background. For normal text (< 18pt), use at least 4.5:1. For large text (≥ 18pt or 14pt bold), use at least 3:1. Use a contrast checker like WebAIM's tool to verify.

Image Alt Text

Ensures elements have alternate text or a role of none or presentation.

Fix: Add descriptive alt="" attributes to all tags. For decorative images, use alt="" (empty string). For complex images like charts, provide a full text alternative in a nearby paragraph.

Form Label

Ensures every form element has a label.

Fix: Add a element for each form input, or use aria-label or aria-labelledby attributes. Placeholder text alone is not sufficient as a label.

Link Name

Ensures links have discernible text.

Fix: Add descriptive text inside tags. For icon-only links, add aria-label="Description of link". Avoid generic text like "Click here" or "Read more" — use context-specific text.

Button Name

Ensures buttons have discernible text.

Fix: Add descriptive text content to elements. For icon buttons, add aria-label="Description". For , add an alt attribute.

Full fix guide for Button Name →

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