WebAIM Million - Navigating Accessibility on the Web in 2024

Today’s post is all about the insights from the latest WebAIM Million, shedding light on the accessibility landscape of the web in 2024.

Video Guide

For the sixth consecutive year, WebAIM conducted an accessibility evaluation of the net’s top 1,000,000 website home pages. Let’s take a look!

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Highlighting Accessibility Challenges

This year’s report uncovered a staggering 56.8 million distinct accessibility errors, averaging 56 errors per page. These errors predominantly fell between Level A and AA compliance standards, highlighting the persistent challenges in ensuring accessibility.

Notably, the complexity of homepages has significantly increased in 2024. The number of detected homepage elements has reached unprecedented levels. Additionally, users with disabilities can expect to encounter errors on one in every 21 homepage elements. Despite efforts to improve, 95.9% of all homepages still had WCAG 2 failures, albeit a slight improvement from the previous year.

The prevalence of errors, particularly low-contrast text instances, has seen a concerning rise. Each homepage has had almost 35 instances of low-contrast text, reflecting a 13% increase from 2023. Moreover, 21% of all homepage images lacked alternate text, hindering accessibility for users who rely on screen readers.

Home pages with most common WCAG Failures (% of home pages). Low contrast 81%, Missing alt text 55%, Missing form labels 49%, Empty links 45%, Empty buttons 28%, Missing document language 17%

While there’s been a decrease in ambiguous link text instances, challenges persist across various site categories. From document languages to JavaScript libraries, e-commerce platforms to advertising networks, accessibility remains a pervasive issue.

Recognizing Progress Amidst Challenges

Despite the concerning rise in errors, there are glimmers of progress. Pages with historically fewer errors demonstrated improvement, underscoring the impact of heightened accessibility focus. Certain sectors, notably government and education, showcased better accessibility performance, suggesting the positive influence of regulations and support frameworks.

Accessibility isn’t just a checkbox—it’s a fundamental aspect of inclusive design that impacts millions worldwide. By embracing accessibility, we enhance user experiences and foster a more equitable digital environment. Thank you for joining me on this journey through the web’s accessibility landscape. Let’s continue championing accessibility and pave the way for a more inclusive digital future.

Let me be your champion for inclusion. I offer tailored solutions (and self-paced courses!) to ensure your documents meet and exceed compliance expectations. For more detailed insights, tutorials, and in-depth discussions on accessibility and related topics, don’t forget to check out my YouTube channel: The Accessibility Guy on YouTube. Subscribe for regular updates!