Yes. Website accessibility is still widely overlooked: WebAIM’s 2026 scan detected at least one WCAG 2 failure on 95.9% of one million popular home pages. The result points to persistent, common barriers, but it is not a census of every site or a complete assessment of accessibility.
What the latest scan found
WebAIM analyzed rendered home pages drawn from the Tranco ranking using WAVE, its automated evaluation tool. In results from February 2026, it counted 56.1 detected accessibility errors per page on average—56,114,377 across the million-page sample, a 10.1% increase over the 2025 average of 51. The mean page contained 1,437 elements, up 14.3% year over year; 3.9% of elements had a detected error. WebAIM cautions that error density alone is not a reliable measure of accessibility.
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Only 4.1% of pages had no detected errors, and even that does not establish conformance. WebAIM writes, “Absence of detected errors does not indicate that a page is accessible or conformant.” Because automated scans identify only some failures, the share of pages fully conforming to WCAG 2 A/AA was certainly lower than 4.1%.
The sample covers popular home pages, not every page on those sites, all websites, or the full experience of people using assistive technology. WebAIM also excludes certain invalid, very small, or unusual pages. Read its figures as evidence of recurring problems in this measured sample, not a verdict on a specific site.
#1 Best Overall
Which problems keep appearing?
Six automated error categories accounted for 96% of detected errors and have been the most common categories in WebAIM’s report for seven years.
| Detected issue | Share of home pages | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Low-contrast text | 83.9% | Ensure text remains distinguishable from its background. |
| Images missing alternative text | 53.1% | Give informative images meaningful text alternatives; mark decorative images appropriately. |
| Form inputs missing labels | 51% | Give each field a clear, programmatically associated name. |
| Empty links | 46.3% | Make the link’s accessible name explain its destination or purpose. |
| Empty buttons | 30.6% | Give each button an accessible name that describes its action. |
| Missing document language | 13.5% | Identify the page’s primary language in the document markup. |
These are page-level percentages: a page can have more than one issue, and the figures do not mean that the same share of all individual elements is affected.
Contrast and images need more than a quick visual check
Low-contrast text was the most frequent finding: 83.9% of pages had it, with an average of 34 distinct instances per page. Check text in its actual design contexts, including small text and text placed over images or colored surfaces.
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WebAIM also found missing alternative text on 16.2% of images in the sample. Another 10.8% of images that had alt text carried questionable or repetitive text. An alt attribute is not useful merely because it exists: a filename or the word “image” may fail to convey the image’s purpose. For an image that functions as a link, its alternative text should communicate the link’s meaning when the image supplies that meaning.
Forms and controls need clear names
Sample home pages averaged 6.9 form inputs, and roughly one third of inputs were not properly labeled through a label or another supported accessible-name mechanism. A field’s name should be available to users of assistive technology and make its purpose understandable. Visual proximity alone, or placeholder text that disappears as someone types, is not a substitute for a properly named field.
Empty links appeared on 46.3% of pages and empty buttons on 30.6%. Check that every interactive control exposes a meaningful accessible name—not just a visible icon whose purpose may be unclear to someone who cannot see it.
Rank #4
Headings provide a navigation structure
WebAIM found skipped heading levels on 41.8% of pages. Headings are a key way for screen-reader users to navigate and understand a page’s outline. Use heading elements to represent the content hierarchy, rather than choosing them only for their visual size.
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Automated scanning is useful for finding recurring, machine-detectable failures across many pages. It cannot reliably decide whether every image description is appropriate, whether a process makes sense to users, or whether all interactive behavior works in practice. A low detected-error count is a starting point for investigation, not proof that people can use the site.
Best Value
WebAIM observed that more complex pages and pages with more ARIA code tended to have more detected errors. That is an association, not proof that ARIA causes accessibility problems. ARIA can support accessible interfaces when used correctly; the important test is whether the resulting interaction works and communicates properly.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A practical workflow for building and checking accessibility
- Build a sound structure. Use semantic HTML, meaningful headings, clear labels, and appropriate language metadata as part of design and development—not as a final patch.
- Review recurring barriers. Check text contrast, image alternatives, form labels, link and button names, and document language. Examine meaning and behavior, not just whether a field or attribute is present.
- Run automated scans. Use a scanner on rendered pages to catch detectable issues, then fix and retest. Treat the results as a partial list of problems rather than a pass certificate.
- Manually test the experience. Check keyboard operation, focus and interaction behavior, and relevant assistive-technology use. Include important tasks and states, not only the home page’s initial appearance.
- Involve disabled people where possible. Their evaluation can reveal practical barriers that a checklist or automated tool will not expose. Fold findings into ongoing design, development, and regression checks.
- Confirm the applicable requirements. Identify the jurisdiction, organization type, contract, or procurement rules that apply before deciding which conformance target is required.
Which accessibility standard should a team use?
WCAG 2.2 is the latest version in the WCAG 2 series identified by the W3C overview. It was published October 5, 2023, and updated December 12, 2024; it adds nine success criteria and is backward compatible with WCAG 2.1 and 2.0. Content conforming to WCAG 2.2 also conforms to those earlier versions. The W3C says WCAG 2.2 is ISO/IEC 40500:2025 and notes that the 2026 version of European Standard EN 301 549 uses WCAG 2.2. The W3C encourages teams to use the latest version: WCAG 2 Overview.
The technical reference point does not by itself settle what a particular organization must do under law. Requirements vary by jurisdiction, sector, and scope. The W3C’s policy index covers public-sector and private-sector rules, procurement provisions, and non-discrimination law; its U.S. entries include Section 508, the ADA, and a 2024 rule for state and local government web information and services based on WCAG 2.1. Check the rules that apply to your organization rather than assuming one version or deadline covers every site: Web Accessibility Laws & Policies.
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