The ADA mandates accessible digital content for everyone. Being ADA-compliant isn’t just about avoiding lawsuits: it is also about ensuring universal usability. According to WebAIM, 94.8% of home pages have detectable WCAG 2 failures that should have been fixed early but rarely are. These include low contrast text, broken heading structure, unlabeled buttons, empty links, missing alt text for images, and missing document language. Top agencies bake in accessibility from the start, avoiding costly, messy fixes later.
Accessibility Starts In Design
The best agencies think about accessibility before the first dev commit. They use contrast checkers, choose fonts that people can read, and build wireframes that work with keyboard-only navigation. Screen reader testing is baked into the design process.
Code Matters
Web accessibility lawsuits are going up fast. UsableNet tracked 4,605 ADA-related digital lawsuits in 2023. Most hit retail, food service, and healthcare sites. A lot of these companies used “accessibility overlays” that failed to make their sites actually usable.
Overlay tools promise compliance with one line of JavaScript. What they deliver is a false sense of security and a lot of broken interactions. Users with assistive tech hate them, and so do developers who have to clean up the mess later.
While accessibility plugins can help, ADA compliance isn’t achieved by simply adding overlays or widgets to websites. Well-written HTML, ARIA roles, and support for screen readers and keyboard navigation matter more than plugins when it comes to real ADA compliance. The best web development agencies follow WCAG 2.2, test for compliance with tools such as with NVDA and VoiceOver, and ensure features such as modals, dropdowns, and carousels don’t break tab order.
Automated Scans Aren’t Enough
Accessibility affects how people experience your site and that experience ties directly to conversions. According to the CDC, 1 in 4 U.S. adults has a disability, and even more deal with temporary issues like a broken arm, screen glare, or slow internet. A site that works for them works better for everyone.
Automated tools like Lighthouse or axe DevTools are a good start. But they only catch surface-level issues. The best web design agencies go further, using hands-on methods to make sure real users can actually navigate and use your site.
- Keyboard Testing
Users should be able to interact with elements like buttons, links, forms, and modals without a mouse. Competent web design agencies go through sites using just a keyboard to test tab order, focus indicators, and interactive components. If a modal traps focus or a menu disappears, they catch it. - Mobile Device Testing
A site that works fine on desktop can fail on mobile. The best web design agencies test accessibility on actual phones and tablets to check touch target sizes, screen reader behavior, and responsiveness. They use real devices people rely on every day. - User Flow Testing
Agencies test real flows (e.g., making a purchase, filling out a form, finding product details) to make sure users with disabilities can complete them without getting stuck or frustrated. - Assistive Tech Testing
This means testing with tools like NVDA or VoiceOver, not just running audits. These tools show how screen reader users experience the site: what gets read aloud, what gets skipped, what confuses. Agencies listen to the site the way users do. - Testing with People Who Have Disabilities
The best insights come from the people actually navigating the site with screen readers, magnifiers, or alternative input devices. Agencies bring in users with disabilities to do real tasks and give feedback. That’s how you catch what tools and checklists miss. - Following WCAG 2.2
Good agencies work to meet WCAG 2.2 which are not just general guidelines but specific standards that help make content perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. ADA compliance is about making your site usable for as many people as possible.
The Agencies That Get It
Accessibility isn’t a trend or a checklist: it’s essentially a baseline requirement. The best agencies are already building for users most others overlook.
Need help building an ADA-compliant website? Check out our list of verified Web Design agencies that build accessible sites from the ground up. No gimmicks. No shortcuts. Just work that actually works.