Plain-English definitions of the terms used in accessibility audits and in US and EU accessibility law.
Last updated October 4, 2026
A structured review of a website, app or document against an accessibility standard such as WCAG. A manual audit uses a keyboard and assistive technologies like screen readers, and produces a list of issues with their severity, the WCAG criterion each breaks, and how to fix it.
The international technical guidelines for accessible web content, published by the W3C. Versions 2.0 (2008), 2.1 (2018) and 2.2 (2023) exist. Each criterion has a level: A, AA or AAA. Most laws and contracts ask for Level AA.
A US civil rights law from 1990. Title III covers businesses open to the public, which courts have applied to websites, and Title II covers state and local governments. Title III names no technical standard, so WCAG is what settlements usually use.
A US law, part of the Rehabilitation Act, that requires federal agencies to make their information and communication technology accessible. The Revised Section 508 standards reference WCAG 2.0 AA. Vendors selling to federal agencies are often asked for a VPAT or ACR.
The European standard for ICT accessibility. For web content it builds on WCAG: version 3.2.1 is based on WCAG 2.1 AA, and version 4.1.1 (published September 2026) is based on WCAG 2.2 AA. It is the technical benchmark behind the European Accessibility Act and the Web Accessibility Directive.
EU Directive 2019/882. It has applied since 28 June 2025 to consumer products and services, including e-commerce, consumer banking, e-books and passenger transport booking. Microenterprises that provide services are exempt. Each EU country enforces it under its own law.
EU Directive 2016/2102, which requires public sector websites and mobile apps to be accessible and to publish an accessibility statement. It uses EN 301 549 as its technical standard.
A VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) is a blank template from the Information Technology Industry Council. An ACR (Accessibility Conformance Report) is the completed VPAT for a specific product. Editions exist for WCAG, Revised Section 508, EN 301 549 and International use.
A certification from the US Department of Homeland Security's Trusted Tester program, which trains testers to evaluate ICT for Section 508 conformance using a standard test process.
Software that reads on-screen content aloud or outputs it to a braille display. Common ones are NVDA and JAWS on Windows, VoiceOver on Apple devices and TalkBack on Android.
A script added to a website that claims to fix accessibility problems automatically, usually through a toolbar icon. Overlays don't change the underlying code, and many companies using them have still been sued.
Fixing accessibility issues, usually in the code, templates and content of a website, after an audit has found them.
A public page that describes how accessible a website is, which standard it aims to meet, known limitations, and how to report a barrier. Public sector sites in the EU must publish one, and many countries expect one from other providers.
Automated tools scan code and catch only a portion of accessibility problems. Manual testing, with a keyboard and screen readers, finds issues like silent cart updates or keyboard traps that scans miss.
For how these fit together, see US and EU accessibility laws compared, or ADA, Section 508, the EAA and EN 301 549: what is the difference?
General information, not legal advice.