Perhaps more so than those operating in any other industry, healthcare companies and providers need to invest heavily in ensuring they are fully accessible.
And, while some prominent healthcare organizations have taken action to ensure their digital environments welcome all existing and potential customers, including those with disabilities, many still have not.
Many of the most frequented healthcare websites in the United States suffer from accessibility issues.
If your website presents digital hurdles to members of the disability communities, you will need to take action.
Luckily, with the right tools and methods, you can fight this trend and become fully inclusive and accessible. This will result in you appealing to the widest possible audience, and see you fulfill your legal obligations under accessibility laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
In this blog:
- We will showcase why healthcare providers and companies should invest in ensuring their websites and web-based environments are accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities
- We will explain how implementing accessibility measures will not only see you complying with the ADA (and other legislation you may be beholden to), but also present you with significant business results
A quick introduction to web accessibility
It is crucial that individuals with disabilities are given equal access to digital spaces. Currently, a majority of websites and online applications pose considerable barriers for members of various disability communities, often obstructing or completely denying their ability to purchase goods and services online.
Business and website owners aiming to create a more inclusive and welcoming online presence, as well as comply with relevant web accessibility laws (which will be explained shortly), must ensure their websites align with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
Developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), WCAG is the most prominent and accepted set of web accessibility standards, and it underpins numerous international web accessibility regulations.
At their core, WCAG is based upon four guiding principles:
- Perceivable: Information and user interface components must be presented in a way that users can perceive
- Operable: User interface components and navigation must be operable via keyboard and other accessible means
- Understandable: Information and operation of the user interface must be understandable
- Robust: Content must be robust enough to work with current and future technologies
To be considered accessible, websites need to conform to WCAG.
WCAG has a deciding impact on web accessibility. Therefore, gaining a better grasp of its sections, versions, and conformance levels is key for retail businesses aiming to properly tackle this issue. We recommend you check out these articles for further information on this topic:
Why should healthcare companies invest in accessibility in 2026?
1. Web accessibility is a legal requirement
For healthcare providers, digital accessibility is no longer a vague goal; it is a strict legal mandate governed by two primary frameworks. There are two major laws you need to be aware of: the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The ADA is a broad civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. For most private healthcare providers, this falls under ADA Title III, which covers "public accommodations" like hospitals and doctor's offices. For state and local government-run healthcare facilities, ADA Title II applies.
Courts and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have clarified that these entities must make their websites and mobile apps accessible. To meet ADA requirements, platforms should align with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA.
HHS Section 504: The New Enforceable Standard
While the ADA sets the foundation for digital rights, the HHS Section 504 update (finalized May 2024) provides the specific technical "teeth" and strict timelines for healthcare. This law applies to any organization receiving federal financial assistance—including those accepting Medicare or Medicaid.
The new rule explicitly mandates WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the technical standard and sets enforceable deadlines for full compliance:
- May 11, 2026: Deadline for organizations with 15 or more employees.
- May 10, 2027: Deadline for organizations with fewer than 15 employees.
The high cost of non-compliance
Failing to meet these standards carries severe consequences that go beyond a poor user experience:
- Loss of federal funding: The HHS can terminate federal financial assistance, including Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements, for organizations that fail to provide "meaningful access".
- Legal penalties: Civil penalties for ADA violations can reach tens of thousands of dollars, excluding private legal fees and potential compensatory damages.
- Mandatory remediation: Courts often force non-compliant providers into expensive, supervised overhauls of their digital infrastructure under strict settlement terms.
Bottom line: To comply with federal law, healthcare companies must ensure their digital environments adhere to WCAG 2.1 Level AA. With the May 2026 deadline rapidly approaching, the window for proactive remediation is closing.
2. Web accessibility is smart business
The healthcare industry is experiencing rapid growth, with thousands of new companies sprouting out to address the evolving demands for digital health solutions, telemedicine, and personalized care.
In such a fiercely competitive environment, companies cannot afford to ignore a consumer group which consists of upwards of 28% of the adult American population.
It goes without saying that extending equal access to online treatment and services to all customers and patients should be standard practice for all organizations, within any industry. This is especially true for those operating within the healthcare ecosystem, as members of the various disability communities often encounter significant barriers when pursuing healthcare services and treatment.
When treated with the respect they deserve, people with disabilities are able to spend their hard earned income on your products and services. Given that members of the various disability communities command more than $13 trillion in expendable income, there is much to be gained by creating accessible digital environments.
Bottom line: Members of the various disability communities wield immense spending power. When healthcare companies ensure their websites and digital environments accommodate people with disabilities, they allow them to spend their hard earned income on their treatments, services, and goods.
3. Consumers today expect the brands they support to be inclusive and accessible
Recent research from Harvard Business School offers meaningful insights into the priorities of today’s consumers.
No longer guided purely by price, people now carefully choose the brands they support and are more inclined to change loyalties if they feel their values are misaligned with a company’s.
The study reveals that 72% of consumers believe companies need to exhibit a high level of social responsibility. A majority of respondents (66%) also stated their preference of supporting socially-conscious brands.
When you ensure people with disabilities can access your website (as well as other digital assets), you clearly showcase a high level of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
Healthcare companies should be aware that their industry suffers from less than ideal reputation. As recently as a year ago, more than 70% of Americans felt that current health care systems had failed them. Sentiment surrounding major retailers in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry is similarly less than positive.
Investing in accessibility can go a long way in combating these prevailing notions, and help position your company so that it appeals to modern consumers.
Bottom line: Investing in accessibility underscores your commitment to CSR. As consumers increasingly show loyalty to brands with strong CSR values, an accessible website can help attract new audiences and retain socially-conscious customers and clients.
Take the next step
Web accessibility requires tackling specific areas of your website and web-based applications, using a variety of tools and approaches.
Healthcare companies often have complex websites; the kind that feature dynamic content which requires significant tweaking and remediation.
You are therefore best-suited to rely on dynamic accessibility solutions built with your use-case in mind.
Solutions like accessiBe offer a number of tools and services designed to solve problems within individual stages of the accessibility journey, as well as various digital platforms and assets (e.g., online document remediation and mobile adaptation).
If you’re interested in learning more about the ways in which accessiBe can help you on your journey toward accessibility, press here.
Frequently asked questions regarding accessibilty for healthcare providers:
Q1: What accessibility standards do healthcare websites need to comply with?
A1: Healthcare websites in the U.S. are generally expected to meet WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 Level AA, which has become the de facto standard under laws such as the ADA, Section 508, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently updated Section 504 to require that all public-facing web content and mobile apps conform to WCAG 2.1 AA by May 11, 2026.
Q2. Why is accessibility especially critical for healthcare websites?
A2. Accessible healthcare sites ensure equitable access to vital services - from booking appointments to reading medical results - for individuals with disabilities. Beyond inclusivity, non-compliance can result in legal risks, as healthcare organizations have faced significant lawsuits and settlements tied to inaccessible websites.
Q3. What legal requirements should healthcare organizations be aware of?
A3. Key U.S. legal frameworks include:
- ADA Titles II & III, which require accessible digital services for both public institutions and private healthcare entities
- Section 508, applying to federal agencies and contractors
- Section 504, now explicitly covering digital accessibility, with new enforceable requirements
Non-compliance can lead to lawsuits, regulatory enforcement, and financial penalties - especially for organizations receiving federal funding.
Q4. How can healthcare websites balance accessibility with patient privacy?
A4. Healthcare websites often host patient portals with sensitive data, so they must ensure secure yet accessible interfaces. Even password-protected areas must be navigable via screen readers, keyboard input, and other assistive technologies, ensuring both accessibility and confidentiality.
Q5. What are effective ways to test web accessibility in healthcare contexts?
A5. Robust testing combines multiple approaches:
Q6. What common accessibility barriers affect healthcare sites?
A6. Some of the most frequent issues include:
- Missing alt text on images and infographics
- Poor keyboard navigation, making it difficult for non-mouse users to interact fully
- Lack of captions or subtitles on video content, limiting access for people with hearing impairments
