In 2023, we released the first Digital Accessibility Index and found that the average web page had 37 accessibility issues that could be detected using our automated testing technology.

Two years later, that number has skyrocketed. In Q4 2024, we analyzed 15,000 websites across industries and found an average of 297 accessibility issues per page — each a potential barrier for the 1.3 billion people globally with disabilities and a legal risk for that company.

To be clear: The internet does not have 8x more accessibility issues today than it did two years ago. What’s changed is our ability to use technology to test more parts of a website against more of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) — the accessibility standards referenced by most international accessibility laws.

The internet is broken for millions of people with disabilities. And the problem is far bigger than most realize.
Overall, our scan revealed that:

Those are staggering numbers. While automation can identify a significant number of problems, it only scratches the surface, leaving many critical issues undetected since automation alone can’t test for every WCAG criterion. That means the scale of inaccessibility is even greater than these numbers suggest.

The volume and variety of issues should concern companies. No user will encounter every issue on a page, but the more issues there are — and the more varied they are in terms of violating different WCAG requirements — the more likely they are to impact users and increase the risk of legal action.

The sheer volume of accessibility issues on most web pages highlights a common challenge for companies: managing accessibility in an ever-evolving digital landscape. Most websites change constantly, and without automation and an accessibility program, maintaining compliance becomes nearly impossible.

Companies that lack a clear plan for accessibility compliance often fall into a cycle where the volume of new issues outpaces their capacity to fix existing ones, leaving most pages riddled with accessibility barriers — and companies struggling to catch up.

Of the nearly 420,000 pages we scanned for this report, just 3% had fewer than 50 accessibility issues detected by automation.

In 2023, our inaugural Digital Accessibility Index revealed that most companies were struggling with image, link, and form accessibility.

Two years later, the same accessibility issues are slipping through the cracks. And they continue to significantly impact the user experience for people with disabilities.

Our latest scan found that:

At AudioEye, we tell customers that these are the kinds of accessibility issues that get you sued. If a user runs into a barrier that stops them in their tracks — like a product page filled with inaccessible images or a contact form that they can’t fill out — they’re much more likely to abandon a site and, potentially, take legal action.

However, we also recognize that automation has limits. To bridge the gap, our certified experts work with members of the disability community to audit key pages for our customers.

This approach aligns with a quote from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the organization responsible for WCAG:

When we talk to customers and prospects about custom accessibility testing, we recommend they prioritize a few key areas of their site. For retail brands, that might be product pages or checkout forms. For healthcare providers, that might be patient portals.

The idea is to quickly improve compliance and reduce legal risk by focusing on the most-visited areas of their website first. In this report, we’ve taken the same approach for our industry insights. Our goal? Cut through all the big-picture data and focus on some of the biggest accessibility gaps for each industry, based on how users typically interact with that type of website.

Of the 32 WCAG 2.2 Level A/AA violations that our automated technology can identify today, 11 appeared on at least two-thirds of the pages scanned. These issues, ranging from vague links to missing form labels, directly impact navigation and understanding for people with disabilities.

When accessibility barriers persist across a website, they don’t just contribute to a poor user experience — they can also increase legal risk. Many web accessibility lawsuits and demand letters stem from repeated failures of the same accessibility issue.

Here are four of the most frequent WCAG violations and why they matter:

Retailers are spending more than ever on tools to drive sales and lower customer acquisition costs, yet far too many are discounting the value of reaching people with disabilities.

Along with friends and family, people with disabilities control $13 trillion in disposable income — and they tend to be loyal customers.

“Word of mouth is the cheapest form of advertising, and people with disabilities can have some of the loudest voices when we find [companies] willing to make the effort,” said Maxwell Ivey, a member of AudioEye’s A11iance community. “Because it’s that sincere effort over time that really counts with us.”

Unfortunately, retail sites tend to be some of the least accessible across all industries, with some of the highest failure rates for multiple WCAG criteria. On average, retail sites have the second-most inaccessible images per page — a significant barrier to access for disabled shoppers.

For many travelers, booking a trip starts online — but for people with disabilities, accessibility barriers on travel and hospitality websites can make planning a frustrating, if not impossible, experience.

One major challenge is color contrast. Travel and hospitality websites had one of the highest rates of contrast violations per page, making it difficult for users with low vision to read hotel descriptions, navigate booking forms, or understand key travel details.

Other barriers, like missing alt text on images, vague links, and inaccessible forms, can make it harder for travelers to compare accommodations, book reservations, or contact customer service. When accessibility isn’t prioritized, people with disabilities are left with fewer travel options and a less seamless experience.

If you asked any hospital, medical clinic, or healthcare provider if the patient experience is a top priority, they’d almost certainly say yes.

But if you asked people with disabilities that same question, they’d probably say that accessibility is seldom considered.

“I’ve had to tell doctors, ‘Your web portal is not accessible. You need to figure out something else.’” said Empish Thomas, a member of AudioEye’s A11iance community.

Even though healthcare sites were, on average, more accessible than other industries, it’s important to remember that any measure of accessibility is relative: The average healthcare page still had 272 accessibility issues.

Plus, one could argue that healthcare sites should be held to a higher standard. Whether it’s accessing test results or scheduling appointments, any barrier can make it harder for people with disabilities to manage their healthcare independently.

When we talked to people with disabilities about the accessibility of government websites, an interesting theme emerged.

According to members of our AudioEye A11iance community, many government home pages are relatively accessible. However, things quickly go downhill the deeper they go into a site.

One of the biggest culprits? Keyboard accessibility issues. Our scan found that government sites have the highest rate of keyboard accessibility issues across all industries, making it difficult for users who rely on keyboards or assistive technology to move between pages, complete forms, or even submit applications.

​​When these barriers exist, people with disabilities are left struggling to access vital public services — sometimes with no workaround. Overall, more than half of the testable elements on government websites were inaccessible to users who rely on a keyboard for navigation.

For software companies, user experience is everything — but many platforms still struggle with fundamental accessibility issues that make it difficult for people with disabilities to navigate dashboards, configure settings, or use key features.

One major challenge is poor color contrast. Software sites had the highest number of color contrast violations per page of any industry, making it harder for people with low vision to read notifications, follow menus, or interact with critical elements.

For students and educators, digital platforms are essential tools—but many education websites still fall short on accessibility, creating barriers to learning, coursework, and academic resources.

One of the biggest challenges is poor color contrast. Education websites had one of the highest rates of contrast violations per page, making it difficult for students with low vision to read course materials, access schedules, or complete assignments.

Navigation is another key issue. Ambiguous links, inaccessible forms, and keyboard barriers can make it harder for students to register for courses, access learning materials, or submit assignments. When educational platforms lack accessibility, they limit opportunities for students with disabilities and create unnecessary obstacles to success.

On average, education sites had the second-highest rate of page elements that failed minimum color contrast requirements

Financial institutions are investing heavily in digital banking tools, yet many still overlook the importance of accessibility — making it difficult for people with disabilities to enjoy financial privacy and independence.

“A lot of times, there aren’t any steps to take to [maintain financial privacy],” said Chris Preiman. “You just have to accept that you’re about to give it up because something you need to do isn’t optional.”

Just 37% of households with a disability rely on online or mobile banking as their primary method, compared to 62% of households without a disability (National Disability Institute).

Despite the demand for accessible digital banking experiences, financial services websites present significant accessibility challenges, with keyboard accessibility barriers, missing image alt text, and inaccessible forms making it hard for people to manage their finances independently.

On average, financial services sites had one of the highest rates of inaccessible forms.

The digital accessibility landscape is at a breaking point. On one side, millions of unresolved accessibility issues continue to pile up. On the other, new and evolving regulations — including the ADA and EAA — are setting strict requirements and deadlines for compliance. Companies that don’t take a proactive approach risk legal exposure, reputational harm, and lost business opportunities.

Our latest scan revealed that most websites have hundreds of pages, each with hundreds of accessibility violations. Addressing these issues at scale requires more than a quick fix — it demands a strategy that blends automation for efficiency and expert custom testing for accuracy. Relying solely on one or the other is a losing game.

For industries like retail, healthcare, government, and finance, the stakes are even higher. Accessibility barriers don’t just cause frustration — they block access to essential services, from online banking to healthcare portals. That’s why we stress the importance of prioritizing key user flows — such as checkout processes, patient portals, and tax payment systems — for expert testing while using automation to continuously scan, monitor, and fix issues across the entire site.

Companies that fail to act now will soon find themselves scrambling to catch up — reacting to lawsuits, compliance violations, and customer frustration. The companies that build accessibility into their strategy today will be the ones that thrive tomorrow, reducing risk while creating accessible, seamless digital experiences for all users.