AcceGuru scans your WordPress pages for WCAG issues, fixes common ones and lists what a person still has to check. The U.S. Department of Justice points to WCAG in its ADA web guidance and uses WCAG 2.1 Level AA in its rule for state and local governments.
No plugin can make a site ADA compliant by itself. AcceGuru shows where you stand and what to fix next.
What the ADA says about websites
The ADA applies to state and local governments (Title II) and to businesses open to the public (Title III). Federal agencies follow Section 508, which is part of the Rehabilitation Act, not the ADA. What applies to your website depends on who runs it.
| Who | Rule | Technical standard | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Businesses open to the public (ADA Title III) | The ADA itself. The Justice Department has no detailed web regulation for businesses. | Justice Department guidance names WCAG and the Section 508 Standards as helpful guidance. | Applies now |
| State and local governments (ADA Title II) | Justice Department web rule, April 2024 | WCAG 2.1 Level AA | After the 2026 extension: April 26, 2027 for a population of 50,000 or more. April 26, 2028 for smaller entities and special district governments. |
| Federal agencies (Section 508) | Revised 508 Standards | WCAG 2.0 Level AA | Applies now |
The Title II rule has exceptions for some content. Check the fact sheet for the details that apply to your organization. Do not treat a plugin score or a WCAG scan as a legal determination.
Sources: ADA.gov web guidance (opens in a new tab), ADA.gov fact sheet on the Title II rule (opens in a new tab), Section508.gov (opens in a new tab). Checked November 11, 2026. This page is not legal advice.
Businesses do get sued over websites that people with disabilities cannot use. In 2025, plaintiffs filed 3,117 website accessibility lawsuits in federal court, 27% more than in 2024. That count does not include lawsuits filed in state courts. Source: Seyfarth Shaw, March 2026 (opens in a new tab).
What WCAG is
WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is the W3C standard for making web content accessible to people with disabilities. Version 2.0 came out in 2008, 2.1 in 2018 and 2.2 in 2023. Its rules are grouped under four principles: content must be perceivable, operable, understandable and robust.
Each rule has a level. A is the minimum, AA means meeting all A and AA rules, and AAA is the strictest. The W3C does not recommend requiring AAA for a whole site, because some content cannot meet it. The Title II rule and the Section 508 Standards both use Level AA.
Sources: W3C WCAG overview (opens in a new tab), W3C on conformance levels (opens in a new tab).
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How AcceGuru helps with ADA work
Scan against WCAG
Pick level A, AA or AAA. Each scan runs axe-core rules for WCAG 2.0, 2.1 and 2.2 at that level, plus AcceGuru’s own checks. You can add rules tagged for Section 508. The free plugin scans posts, pages and public custom post types.
See each issue in place
Results appear on the AcceGuru dashboard, in the block editor sidebar, in an A11y column in your post lists and as highlights on the live page. The dashboard also counts items that need a manual check.
Fix common problems
13 free fixes cover skip links, focus outlines, page language, search and comment form labels, link labels, video controls, tabindex, redundant titles and zoom. Nine are on after install. Four change how the site looks and stay off until you turn them on. Review the site after you turn on a fix, especially one that changes appearance or behavior.
Write alt text
Generate alt text for one image, in bulk or on upload, with your own OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini or Mistral key. The provider may charge you for usage. Check that each description conveys why the image is on the page.
Publish an accessibility statement
AcceGuru builds a statement page and can add a link to it in your footer.
Go further with Pro
Pro adds parallel scans and five more fixes: headings, form labels, landmarks, empty controls and duplicate IDs. It keeps issue history, sends scheduled email reports, exports results to CSV and JSON, and logs dismissed issues with reasons. The free scanner and its results do not require Pro.
What no plugin can do
Automated checks find only part of the problems. A clean scan does not establish legal compliance or complete WCAG conformance. A person still has to test the site with a keyboard and a screen reader, judge whether alt text and link text make sense, and fix issues that come from the theme or the content.
In April 2025 the FTC finalized an order requiring accessiBe to pay $1 million. The FTC’s complaint alleged that the company’s claims that its widget could make any website WCAG compliant were false, misleading or unsubstantiated. Read the FTC announcement (opens in a new tab).
AcceGuru makes no such promise. For a legal opinion on your site, ask a lawyer.
Section 508 and WordPress
The federal government uses the Section 508 Standards for its own websites. The Revised 508 Standards apply WCAG 2.0 Level AA to web content.
If you build or manage a WordPress site for a federal agency, read the Section 508 applicability and conformance guidance (opens in a new tab) and your project’s requirements. In AcceGuru, turn on “Include Section 508 rules” in the scanner settings and scan at level AA.
A practical review workflow
- Choose the standard. For the Title II web rule, use WCAG 2.1 Level AA. For a Section 508 project, add its tagged rules. If you are unsure which law applies, get legal advice before you make a compliance claim.
- Run a baseline scan. Install AcceGuru Free, scan the site at level AA and review failures by page and rule. A scan reports detectable issues, not every barrier.
- Fix and retest. Correct problems in the theme, templates or page content. Turn on the fixes that fit your site, then scan again and look at the affected pages.
- Test manually. Go through key tasks with a keyboard and a screen reader. Check forms, menus, media, the meaning of alt text and the items AcceGuru marks for manual review.
- Keep reviewing. New content and theme updates can bring new problems. Record what you tested and what remains open, and publish your accessibility statement.
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Questions about ADA and AcceGuru
Does AcceGuru make my WordPress site ADA compliant?
No. No automated tool can guarantee that. AcceGuru finds machine-detectable issues, fixes common ones and shows what a person needs to check. A complete review also needs human testing and an assessment of the requirements that apply to your site.
Which WCAG level should I scan for?
Level AA is a sensible starting point. The Title II web rule uses WCAG 2.1 Level AA, and the Revised 508 Standards use WCAG 2.0 Level AA. An AA scan in AcceGuru runs rules for WCAG 2.0, 2.1 and 2.2. The scan setting does not by itself establish conformance with any of these standards.
Is AcceGuru an overlay?
No. Visitors don’t get a widget or toolbar. AcceGuru reports issues in your WordPress admin and applies the fixes you enable through WordPress, CSS and JavaScript. You can turn off any fix.
What is free and what is in Pro?
The scanner, 13 fixes, AI alt text and the statement generator are free. Pro adds parallel scans, five more fixes, issue history, email reports and export. Pro has a 14-day free trial.