Website accessibility: why WCAG is not only a public-sector topic

An accessible website is not only about screen readers. It means that people can navigate, read, complete forms, finish purchases and ask for help.

Accessibility is often invisible until someone cannot use the page. A button cannot be opened with a keyboard. A form does not explain what went wrong. Contrast is too weak. Checkout works with a mouse but not with assistive technology. Headings look correct visually, but the actual structure is broken.

These problems do not affect only people with permanent disabilities. The same website must work for a person with an injured hand, reduced vision, a phone used in bright light, no ability to listen to audio or a form that is simply too hard to understand.

Who should care

Accessibility matters to public sector organisations, healthcare, education, online stores, banks, transport companies, service providers and any organisation whose website is used to complete a real task.

It is especially important where a broken journey creates direct harm:

checkout and payment;
registration, booking or applications;
self-service login;
forms that collect important information;
file uploads;
support or critical-help contact paths.

If a person cannot complete these actions, the issue is not only accessibility. It is a sales, service and trust problem.

Requirements are more concrete now

W3C published WCAG 2.2 as a Recommendation on 5 October 2023. WCAG 2.2 adds criteria to 2.1, including focus visibility, dragging movements, target size, redundant entry and accessible authentication: what is new in WCAG 2.2.

The European Accessibility Act has made accessibility more important for private-sector digital services as well. The Estonian Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority explains that service accessibility requirements come from Estonian law transposing the European Accessibility Act, and that e-commerce services are included: TTJA service accessibility. According to the European Commission, the European Accessibility Act started applying in the EU on 28 June 2025: The EU becomes more accessible for all.

What happens if it is ignored

The direct consequence is that some people cannot use the service. In an online store that means abandoned purchases. In a self-service portal it means support calls. In a public service it may mean that a person cannot access information or complete an essential task.

The second consequence is the cost of fixing issues later. Accessibility is cheaper when it is considered in design, content and development from the start. If it is discovered after launch, teams may need to change components, forms, colours, HTML structure, focus handling, error messages and editorial habits.

The third consequence is compliance risk. If the service is within scope, poor accessibility may lead to complaints, supervision and a requirement to fix the issues. Even when a fine is not the first risk, rushed remediation is more expensive and disruptive than planned work.

Automated testing is not enough

Automated checks find some problems: missing labels, contrast issues, broken ARIA relationships and heading errors. That is useful, but it is not enough. WCAG conformance also needs manual review: keyboard navigation, visible focus, screen-reader checks, form errors, content logic and real user journeys.

In Drupal projects, the best approach is systematic: fix components, forms, menus, views, content types and tests. Playwright and accessibility checks can help prevent the same issues from returning with every future change.

The Drupal platform assessment shows initial public signals, but a final accessibility assessment cannot be made only from public HTML. Real review must include user journeys, content, forms, components and how the website works with keyboard and assistive technologies. A structured review is available through our audit and testing service.

Kaido Toomingas WebPro Company OÜ

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