ADA Compliance for Dental Websites
ADA compliance isn't just about avoiding lawsuits, it's about serving all patients. Here's what dental practices need to know.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Accessibility law is changing, and how it applies to your practice depends on facts only you and your attorney know.
A patient who is blind, deaf, has low vision, can't use a mouse or has a cognitive disability needs to be able to find your hours, read about treatments, fill in forms and book. Making your website accessible is good care, and it is also a legal and reputational issue. Law firm Seyfarth Shaw's ADA Title III blog counted 2,452 federal website-accessibility lawsuits in 2024, down 13% from 2023, and 3,117 in 2025, up 27%. This guide explains where the rules come from and what to fix first.
TL;DR
- The ADA covers dental offices as public accommodations, and the Department of Justice has long said that includes web content. No specific web standard is written into the rules for private businesses.
- WCAG 2.1 AA is the benchmark most often used. WCAG 2.2 is the current version.
- If your practice receives HHS federal financial assistance, such as through Medicaid, Section 504 requires WCAG 2.1 AA, with deadlines now in May 2027 or May 2028 depending on size.
- Fix the basics: alt text, contrast, keyboard access, form labels and captions.
- An overlay isn't a fix. Fix the site itself and keep records.
Which rules apply
ADA Title III
Title III covers places of public accommodation, including a dentist's office. The Department of Justice has said that web content is covered, but there is no technical standard for private businesses in the regulations, and courts have treated cases differently. In practice, WCAG 2.1 AA is the standard most often cited.
ADA Title II
In April 2024 the Department of Justice adopted a rule that requires state and local government websites to meet WCAG 2.1 AA. It applies to government entities, such as a public dental clinic, and not to a private practice.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
Recipients of HHS financial assistance must make web content and mobile apps accessible under the 2024 rule, which adopts WCAG 2.1 AA. Medicaid payments can count as federal financial assistance. On May 7, 2026, HHS announced an extension: recipients with 15 or more employees have until May 11, 2027, and those with fewer than 15 have until May 10, 2028. HHS also reminded recipients that they must already ensure their programs are accessible. Whether you are covered depends on your payer mix and structure. Ask your attorney.
WCAG in plain language
WCAG is organized around four principles.
Perceivable
- Every informative image has useful alt text, and decorative images have empty alt text.
- Videos have captions, and audio has a transcript.
- Text has a contrast ratio of at least 4.5 to 1 against its background, and 3 to 1 for large text.
- Text can be enlarged to 200% without breaking the page.
Operable
- Everything works from a keyboard, with a visible focus indicator.
- There are no keyboard traps, and no moving content that can't be paused.
- Nothing flashes more than three times a second.
- A "skip to content" link lets keyboard users bypass the menu.
Understandable
- Plain language, consistent navigation and clear error messages.
- Every form field has a visible label, not only placeholder text.
- Link text says where it goes: "View our implant services," not "click here."
Robust
- Clean HTML and proper headings, so assistive technology can read the page.
- Custom widgets, such as date pickers and menus, work with a screen reader.
What dental sites commonly miss
- Photos of smiles and team members with no alt text.
- Low-contrast text on photo backgrounds, and light grey text on white.
- Forms with only placeholder text, and error messages shown only in red.
- PDF patient forms that can't be read by a screen reader. A properly built web form is easier to make accessible.
- Chat, booking and review widgets that you didn't build but that appear on your site. Ask each vendor about its accessibility, and ask for it in writing.
- Videos with no captions.
How to check your site
- Run WAVE, the axe browser extension and Lighthouse. They catch only some problems, so treat a clean scan as the start.
- Try the site with a keyboard alone: Tab through the menu, a form and the booking flow.
- Try a screen reader on the main pages: NVDA on Windows is free, and VoiceOver is built into Mac and iPhone.
- Zoom the page to 200% and check that nothing is cut off.
- Write down what you found, what you fixed and when. A record of good-faith work matters.
Overlays and "one-line fixes"
Some vendors sell a script that promises to make a site compliant. It can't guarantee that, and the FTC ordered accessiBe in January 2025 to pay $1 million over claims that its AI tool could make any website WCAG compliant. Treat these tools as a supplement at best, and fix the underlying design and code.
If you get a demand letter
Don't ignore it, and don't pay it without advice. Contact your attorney and your insurance carrier, and keep a record of the accessibility work you have done.
Add an accessibility statement
A short page that states your goal, the standard you aim for, and how to ask for help with a phone number and email address a person monitors. Keep it accurate. Don't claim full conformance unless it has been audited.
Frequently asked questions
Does the ADA apply to my dental practice website?
The ADA's Title III covers public accommodations, which include dental offices, and the Department of Justice has long taken the position that it covers web content too. The law doesn't set a specific technical standard for private businesses, so WCAG 2.1 AA is the benchmark most often used. Ask an attorney how it applies to you.
What is Section 504, and does it apply to me?
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act applies to recipients of federal financial assistance from HHS, which can include practices that take Medicaid or CHIP. HHS's 2024 rule requires WCAG 2.1 AA for web content and apps. In May 2026 HHS extended the deadlines to May 11, 2027 for recipients with 15 or more employees and May 10, 2028 for fewer than 15. Confirm with your attorney whether you are covered.
What is WCAG?
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, published by the W3C, are the main technical standard for accessible websites. WCAG 2.2 is the current version. The standards are organized under four principles: perceivable, operable, understandable and robust.
Will an accessibility overlay or plug-in make my site compliant?
No tool can guarantee compliance. In January 2025 the Federal Trade Commission ordered the overlay vendor accessiBe to pay $1 million over claims that its AI tool could make any website WCAG compliant. Fix the underlying site, and use automated tools only to find problems.
What is the quickest way to start?
Run a free scan with WAVE, axe or Lighthouse, then try your site with only a keyboard and with a screen reader. Fix the highest-impact issues first: alt text, contrast, form labels and keyboard access.
Should my website have an accessibility statement?
It is a good practice. Say what standard you aim for, how patients can ask for help, and give a phone number and email address that reach a person.
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