Accessibility law · Asia-Pacific

Australia WCAG 2.2 AA for government — the DDA names no standard

In Australia, the standard to meet is WCAG 2.2 AA for government — the DDA names no standard. It binds Australian Government agencies by policy, and, through the DDA, anyone who provides goods, services or facilities. This page was reviewed against primary sources on 30 September 2026.

Standard
WCAG 2.2 AA for government — the DDA names no standard
Private sector
Covered
Accessibility statement
Not required
Latest
Jul 2024 · Jan 2025
Reviewed
30 September 2026
The 55 criteria All jurisdictions Checklist

Scope

Who it applies to

The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 makes it unlawful to discriminate in providing goods, services and facilities, which reaches websites and apps, but it names no technical standard; unjustifiable hardship is the main defense. Australian Government digital services must meet the Digital Service Standard under the Digital Experience Policy, which point to the latest WCAG, and the Style Manual sets level AA as the baseline. There are no fines: people complain to the Australian Human Rights Commission and, if that fails, go to the federal courts.

  • Public sector

    Commonwealth agencies are bound by the DDA, including s. 29 on administering Commonwealth laws and programs, and by the Digital Experience Policy and Digital Service Standard for their digital services. States and territories have their own policies, which are not covered here.

  • Private sector

    Covered

    Every person or business that provides goods, services or facilities to the public, with no size threshold (DDA s. 24). No binding technical standard applies; the Australian Human Rights Commission's 2025 guidelines recommend WCAG 2.2 AA.

Coverage

What it covers

Websites are only part of it. Each tile says whether these rules reach that kind of product, with the detail.

  • Websites

    Covered

    Online goods and services fall under the DDA; Maguire v SOCOG (2000) found an inaccessible website unlawful

  • Mobile apps

    Covered

    Covered as a way of providing services under the DDA and as government digital services under the Digital Service Standard

  • Documents

    Partly

    No specific rule; government content must meet WCAG level AA under the Style Manual

  • Software

    Partly

    AS EN 301 549 covers software for procurement; no binding rule for private software

  • Kiosks and terminals

    Partly

    AS EN 301 549 has hardware requirements; self-service facilities are services under the DDA

  • Public procurement

    Partly

    Government guidance tells buyers to check AS EN 301 549 (now the 2024 edition); no binding Commonwealth rule confirmed

Timeline

Deadlines

Every date here is already in force.

Dates move, so check the linked source before you plan around one.

  1. 24 Aug 2000 In force

    Maguire v SOCOG: the Sydney Olympics website is found to breach the DDA and must be fixed by September 15, 2000.

    Source

  2. 2024 In force

    Standards Australia publishes AS EN 301 549:2024, an identical adoption of EN 301 549:2021 (WCAG 2.1 for web), superseding the 2020 edition.

    Source

  3. 1 Jul 2024 In force

    Digital Service Standard 2.0 applies to new and replacement public-facing services and new staff-facing services.

    Source

  4. 1 Jan 2025 In force

    The Digital Experience Policy and its four standards come into effect for Australian Government agencies.

    Source

  5. Apr 2025 In force

    The Australian Human Rights Commission releases new DDA guidelines on equal access to digital goods and services, recommending WCAG 2.2 AA.

    Source

  6. 1 Jul 2025 In force

    Digital Service Standard 2.0 applies to all existing public-facing government services.

    Source

Instruments

The law in Australia

6 laws, rules and rulings, oldest first. Each links to its primary source.

Every fact points at a primary source. Dates move, and several moved in 2025 and 2026, so check the source before you rely on one.

  1. 1992

    Disability Discrimination Act 1992

    Cth — ss. 24, 29 and 11

    Unlawful to discriminate on the ground of disability in providing goods, services or facilities (s. 24) or in administering Commonwealth laws and programs (s. 29), unless the change would impose unjustifiable hardship. Names no web standard.

    Primary source

  2. 24 Aug 2000

    Maguire v Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games

    Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, Inquiry Commissioner William Carter QC

    An early web accessibility ruling. The Olympics website was found to discriminate against a blind user under s. 24 (no alt text, no access to the sports index or results tables), and SOCOG's claimed cost of about $2.2 million was rejected on expert evidence.

    Primary source

  3. Dec 2023

    Australian Government Style Manual — accessibility

    Agency responsibilities and commitments

    Calls accessibility a mandatory standard for government agencies: meet WCAG level AA, and aim higher. Names WCAG 2.2 as the current version and points buyers to AS EN 301 549 for procurement.

    Primary source

  4. Jul 2024 · Jan 2025 Latest

    Digital Service Standard 2.0 and Digital Experience Policy

    Digital Transformation Agency

    Mandatory for Australian Government digital services: criterion 3 requires compliance with the DDA and the latest version of WCAG, plus a feedback mechanism. Applies to new services from July 1, 2024 and existing public-facing services from July 1, 2025; the policy took effect on January 1, 2025.

    Primary source

  5. 2024

    AS EN 301 549:2024

    Standards Australia, committee IT-040 — identical adoption of EN 301 549:2021

    Accessibility requirements for ICT products and services, covering web (WCAG 2.1), software, documents and hardware, used in procurement. Supersedes AS EN 301 549:2020.

    Primary source

  6. Apr 2025

    Guidelines on equal access to digital goods and services

    Australian Human Rights Commission — replaces the 2014 World Wide Web Access advisory notes

    Guidance on meeting DDA obligations online, recommending WCAG 2.2 Level AA. Not binding, but the Commission's view of what the DDA expects.

    Primary source

Enforcement

Enforcement and penalties

  • Who enforces

    Australian Human Rights Commission (complaints and conciliation); the Federal Court and the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia; the Digital Transformation Agency for government digital policy.

  • How

    A person complains to the Commission, which tries to resolve it by conciliation; if the complaint is terminated, the person can apply to the federal courts. The DTA tracks agency compliance with the Digital Experience Policy, including through the Investment Oversight Framework.

  • Penalties

    The DDA sets no fines or penalty amounts. Remedies come from conciliated agreements and court or Commission orders; in Maguire v SOCOG the Commission ordered the Olympics website fixed within about three weeks.

  • Individuals

    Yes. Anyone affected can complain to the Australian Human Rights Commission; complaints that are not resolved can go to the Federal Court or the Federal Circuit and Family Court.

Accessibility statement

No statement is required

Not required

No law requires one. The Australian Government Style Manual tells agencies to include a page explaining how far a service meets WCAG, which standards were tested and the agency's commitment, and the Digital Service Standard requires a feedback mechanism. Organizations can also prepare a voluntary action plan under the DDA.

Exemptions

What is exempt

Exemptions are narrow and usually have to be claimed and explained, not assumed.

  • Unjustifiable hardship: weighed on factors such as the cost of the change, the benefit or detriment to the people involved, and the provider's financial circumstances (DDA s. 11)
  • Digital Experience Policy: agencies can seek an exemption through the DTA's exemption process

The standard

What WCAG 2.2 Level AA asks for

55 success criteria: 31 at Level A and 24 at Level AA.

1. Perceivable

2. Operable

3. Understandable

4. Robust

Meeting it

Where to start

The standard named here is WCAG 2.2 Level AA.

  1. Audit your pages against WCAG 2.2 Level AA: 55 success criteria at Level A and AA.
  2. Check text and control contrast in the Contrast Checker.
  3. Run the URL Analyzer for the problems a machine can find, then test with a keyboard and a screen reader.
  4. If you sell to the public sector, document conformance in an accessibility conformance report, such as a VPAT or an EN 301 549 statement.
  5. Work through the Accessibility Checklist and keep a record of what you tested.

This is a summary to orient you, not legal advice. For a decision that matters, read the primary sources and ask a lawyer who practices there.

Questions

Common questions

  • Does the DDA apply to private websites?

    Yes. Anyone who provides goods, services or facilities to the public must not discriminate, and that includes doing so online. The Act names no technical standard; the Australian Human Rights Commission's 2025 guidelines recommend WCAG 2.2 AA, and that is the practical measure.

  • Which WCAG version must government services meet?

    The Digital Service Standard requires the latest version of WCAG, and the Style Manual names WCAG 2.2 as current and level AA as the baseline. In practice that means WCAG 2.2 AA.

  • Can we be fined?

    No. The DDA has no fines. People complain to the Australian Human Rights Commission, which tries conciliation; unresolved complaints can go to the Federal Court or the Federal Circuit and Family Court, which can make orders against you.

  • Is AS EN 301 549 mandatory for government ICT purchases?

    Government guidance tells buyers to check it, and the current edition is AS EN 301 549:2024. I could not confirm a binding Commonwealth procurement rule that requires it.

Sources

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these; the few secondary sources are marked. Reviewed 30 September 2026.

Elsewhere

Also in Asia-Pacific

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