Website Accessibility in Australia: What the DDA Means for Your Business Website

In Australia, the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) makes it unlawful to discriminate against people with disability when you provide goods or services, and that includes doing it through a website. The law doesn’t name a technical standard, but the accepted benchmark is WCAG 2.2 at Level AA. Most small business sites can fix their biggest barriers with a handful of practical changes.

Does the DDA apply to my business website?

Very likely, yes. Section 24 of the DDA makes it unlawful for anyone who “provides goods or services, or makes facilities available” to discriminate on the ground of disability, “whether for payment or not” (Disability Discrimination Act 1992). That includes refusing a service, and the terms or the manner in which you provide it.

If customers book, buy, enquire or find essential information through your website, the website is part of how you provide your service. A booking form a blind customer can’t use is a barrier, in the same way a step at the shop door is.

This was tested early. In Maguire v SOCOG (2000), a blind man complained that the Sydney Olympics website wasn’t accessible to him, and the DDA was found to apply. Since then, Coles agreed to make its online shopping site more accessible in 2015 after legal action (Deque, March 2026).

What standard should an Australian website meet?

The DDA itself doesn’t mention any technical standard. In April 2025 the Australian Human Rights Commission published new Guidelines on equal access to digital goods and services. According to Deque’s summary, they affirm WCAG 2.2 Level AA as the minimum, cover private as well as public organisations, and make clear you “cannot contract out your equal access responsibilities”.

That last point matters for small businesses. If your web designer built an inaccessible site, the responsibility for the service is still yours.

The guidelines aren’t law in themselves. They show how the Commission reads the DDA, which is a strong hint about what a complaint would be measured against.

What is WCAG 2.2, in plain English?

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the international standard from the W3C. Version 2.2 became a W3C Recommendation on 5 October 2023 and added nine new success criteria (W3C).

WCAG is built on four principles. Content must be perceivable, operable and understandable, and built well enough to work with assistive technology such as screen readers. Each requirement has a level: A (lowest), AA and AAA (highest) (W3C, WCAG 2.2). Level AA includes all of A plus more, and is the usual target.

A few of the new 2.2 requirements that affect everyday business sites:

• Target size: buttons and links need to be at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels, or have enough space around them.
• Focus not obscured: when someone tabs through a page, the highlighted item can’t be hidden behind a sticky header or cookie banner.
• Accessible authentication: don’t make people solve puzzles or recall something to log in, without an alternative.
• Consistent help: put contact details or help links in the same place on every page.
• Redundant entry: don’t ask for the same information twice in one process, such as a checkout.

Why does accessibility matter beyond the law?

Because it’s a lot of customers. The ABS found that 5.5 million Australians, or 21.4%, had disability in 2022 (ABS). Many more have temporary injuries, ageing eyes or a phone in one hand while they hold a child in the other.

Accessible sites also tend to be better sites. Clear headings, descriptive links, readable text and forms that explain errors help every visitor. Many of the same fixes also help search engines understand your pages.

What are the quick wins for a small business website?

You don’t need to fix everything at once. These changes remove the barriers we see most often on small business sites:

1. Add alt text to meaningful images. Describe what the image shows or does in a short phrase. Decorative images can have empty alt text so screen readers skip them.
2. Fix colour contrast. WCAG asks for a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. Pale grey text on white usually fails.
3. Check the keyboard. Put your mouse aside and press Tab through the page. You should see where you are, reach every link and button, and never get stuck.
4. Label every form field. Each field needs a visible label, not just placeholder text that vanishes when you type. Error messages should say what went wrong.
5. Write clear link text. “Download our price list” works out of context. “Click here” doesn’t.
6. Use real headings in order. Screen reader users jump between headings to scan a page, just as sighted readers skim.
7. Caption your videos. Auto-captions are a start, but check them for errors.
8. Make buttons big enough. Especially on phones, where small icons sit close together.

How do I check my website’s accessibility?

Start with free tools, then test by hand. Automated checkers find missing alt text, low contrast and empty links quickly. They can’t tell whether alt text makes sense or whether a form is confusing, so they only show part of the picture.

• Automated: run a page through an accessibility checker or your browser’s built-in audit.
• Keyboard: tab through your home page, contact form and checkout.
• Zoom: zoom the browser to 200% and check nothing overlaps or disappears.
• Screen reader: try the one built into your phone (VoiceOver on iPhone, TalkBack on Android) on your key pages.

Accessibility checks pair well with performance work, because both look at how real people use the page. Our guide to speed up WordPress covers the speed side.

Can I fix my current site, or do I need a new one?

Most fixes can be made to an existing site: alt text, link wording, labels and contrast tweaks are content and styling changes. Structural problems are harder. An old theme that ignores the keyboard, or a page builder that outputs messy code, may cost more to patch than to replace.

If you’re weighing that up, our article on website redesign vs refresh helps you decide. If you do rebuild, ask your designer to commit to WCAG 2.2 AA in writing. Our sister studio 21 Designs builds new sites.

How do I keep a site accessible over time?

Accessibility slips as content changes. A new staff member uploads images without alt text, a plugin update adds a pop-up that traps keyboard users, or a new brand colour fails contrast. Build a few checks into your routine:

• Make alt text and headings part of how you publish every page and post.
• Re-test forms and checkout after major updates.
• Choose plugins and themes that state their accessibility support.
• Keep the site on current, well-supported WordPress hosting in Australia, so modern themes and plugins run properly.

Our website speed and improvement work can take on larger fixes. Day-to-day, the Advantage and Elite levels of our website maintenance plans include visual and form checks after updates, plus minor content changes such as alt text and link wording (fair use).

Frequently asked questions

Is WCAG compliance legally required in Australia?

Not by name for private businesses. The DDA requires you not to discriminate when providing goods and services, and doesn’t mention WCAG. In practice, WCAG 2.2 Level AA is the benchmark the Australian Human Rights Commission points to, so meeting it is the clearest way to show you’ve taken reasonable steps.

Can someone make a complaint about my website?

Yes. A person who believes they’ve been discriminated against under the DDA can complain to the Australian Human Rights Commission, which usually tries to resolve it through conciliation. Complaints that aren’t resolved can go to court. Fixing problems quickly when someone raises them is the best response.

What is unjustifiable hardship?

It’s a defence in the DDA. Avoiding discrimination isn’t required if it would cause unjustifiable hardship, judged on all the circumstances, including the benefit to people with disability and the cost to the business. The business must prove it. For most website fixes, which are modest in cost, it’s a weak argument.

Will an accessibility overlay plugin make my site compliant?

Don’t rely on one. Overlays add a toolbar that changes how the page looks, but they can’t fix problems in the underlying code, such as unlabelled forms or keyboard traps. Fixing the site itself is more reliable and usually helps screen reader users far more.

Does accessibility help SEO?

Often, yes. Descriptive headings, alt text and clear link text help search engines understand a page, just as they help screen readers. Accessible sites also tend to be faster and easier to use on phones. Treat SEO as a bonus, though: the main reason is serving every customer.

Sources

1. Disability Discrimination Act 1992, Compilation No. 34, Federal Register of Legislation, February 2022
2. Three major accessibility updates in Australia, and what they mean for your organization in 2026, Deque, 15 March 2026
3. What’s New in WCAG 2.2, W3C Web Accessibility Initiative, accessed 13 November 2026
4. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2, W3C Recommendation, 12 December 2024 edition
5. Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia: Summary of Findings, 2022, Australian Bureau of Statistics, July 2024