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WCAG 2.2 for non-profit: requirements, priorities, and audit checklist

WCAG 2.2 compliance for non-profit sites requires applying Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.2 to the specific failure points typical of the non-profit industry — including donation forms with poor keyboard support, event registration timeouts without warnings, inaccessible grant-application pdfs.

Devansh Bhatia · IAAP CPACC · 5 years accessibility engineer3 min readPublished · Updated

Does WCAG 2.2 apply to non-profit sites?

WCAG 2.2 (pronounced 'wuh-cag 2.2') is the World Wide Web Consortium's globally adopted standard for web accessibility, published October 2023, defining 87 testable success criteria organised under four principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust.

Non-profit accessibility — the lay of the land

Non-profits face accessibility on three fronts: legal exposure under the ADA, grant-funding requirements (most federal grants now require digital accessibility), and mission alignment (excluding disabled donors and beneficiaries undermines mission). Donation forms and event registration are the most common failure points.

Where WCAG 2.2 bites hardest in non-profit sites

• Donation forms with poor keyboard support

• Event registration timeouts without warnings

• Inaccessible grant-application PDFs

• Programme content as image-only

• Inaccessible third-party donor platforms

Remediation priorities

• Donation flow (mobile + desktop)

• Event registration and ticketing

• Grant application forms

• Programme information pages

• Volunteer portal

How to comply with WCAG 2.2 on a Non-profit site

1. Establish scope and baseline: Inventory every public-facing digital property. Run an automated baseline scan to detect the ~25–30% of WCAG criteria that machines can reliably check.

2. Manual + assistive-technology audit: Engage IAAP-credentialed auditors to test the remaining ~70% of criteria — keyboard, screen reader (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver), zoom and cognitive criteria.

3. Remediate at source: Fix issues in source code, not via overlay widgets. Train developers; integrate axe-core into CI; track open issues in JIRA or Linear.

4. Publish an accessibility statement: Disclose conformance level, known limitations, contact for accessibility feedback, and remediation timelines. Required under EAA and best-practice under ADA.

5. Monitor and re-test: Re-audit quarterly. Re-test before every major release. Keep an internal VPAT/ACR current and post it publicly.

Sources

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Cited answers. Sourced. Updated as standards and case law change.

  • Does WCAG 2.2 apply to non-profit websites?

    WCAG 2.2 (pronounced 'wuh-cag 2.2') is the World Wide Web Consortium's globally adopted standard for web accessibility, published October 2023, defining 87 testable success criteria organised under four principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust.

  • What are the most common WCAG 2.2 failures in non-profit sites?

    Donation forms with poor keyboard support Event registration timeouts without warnings Inaccessible grant-application PDFs

  • What conformance level should a non-profit site target?

    WCAG 2.2 Level AA is the consensus target for legal compliance and the level referenced by virtually every national accessibility law.

  • Does the ADA apply to non-profits?

    Yes. ADA Title III covers any "public accommodation" — and non-profit charities, foundations, museums, religious-organisation services, social service centres, and educational programmes are typically in scope. Religious organisations themselves are partially exempt from Title III but their auxiliary programmes often are not.

  • Do grant-funded non-profits have additional obligations?

    Federal grants typically require recipients to comply with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act — which includes a digital accessibility component. Some grant terms now also reference WCAG explicitly.

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