SaaS products are central to work, education, and commerce—so if they aren’t accessible, they effectively exclude millions of users and expose organizations to legal and contractual risk. In 2025, regulations and buyer expectations have tightened: WCAG 2.2 is now the reference standard across major jurisdictions, accessibility is increasingly mandated in contracts, and automated scans alone are not sufficient to prove conformance. Beyond compliance, inclusive design expands market reach, strengthens brand trust, and improves overall UX for everyone.
The compliance reality (and why it matters now)
- WCAG 2.2 AA is the prevailing bar: New criteria emphasize focus visibility, simpler authentication, larger touch targets, and keyboard alternatives for drag‑and‑drop, addressing low vision, motor, and cognitive needs.
- Laws and mandates point to WCAG: ADA (US), Section 508, EN 301 549/EAA (EU), AODA (Canada), and other regional rules reference WCAG for digital services—including SaaS apps.
- Proof is expected: Enterprises increasingly require VPAT/ACR documentation and human-led audits; automated tools catch only a fraction of real issues, especially for assistive-tech workflows.
The inclusivity upside
- Bigger, more loyal user base: Inclusive design reaches people across abilities, ages, languages, and contexts, broadening addressable markets and improving satisfaction.
- Competitive advantage: Accessibility has become a differentiator in RFPs; brands gain reputation and trust when they prioritize it proactively.
- Better UX for everyone: Clear focus states, larger targets, captions, and simpler flows reduce errors and speed tasks for all users—not just those with disabilities.
What “good” looks like in a SaaS product (practical checklist)
- Perceivable: Alt text for images, captions/transcripts for media, sufficient color contrast, and support for zoom/reflow without loss of content.
- Operable: Full keyboard access (no traps), visible focus indicators, skip links, and non‑drag alternatives; avoid motion/flash hazards.
- Understandable: Clear labels/instructions, consistent navigation, error prevention with helpful messages, and reduced memory load in auth (copy/paste and password managers allowed).
- Robust: Semantic HTML, proper ARIA, and compatibility with screen readers and other assistive tech across browsers/devices.
WCAG’s POUR principles (Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust) provide the north star for implementation and testing.
High‑impact updates for WCAG 2.2 in SaaS
- Focus not lost under overlays; clear focus visibility throughout complex apps.
- Pointer target size: minimum 24×24 CSS px for actionable elements.
- Accessible authentication: no cognitive memory tests; support password managers and copy/paste.
- Keyboard equivalents for drag‑and‑drop and complex widgets.
How to operationalize accessibility (90‑day plan)
- Weeks 1–2: Run a baseline audit against WCAG 2.2 AA with automated scans plus expert manual testing; prioritize blockers on critical journeys (signup, auth, nav, forms).
- Weeks 3–4: Ship quick wins (color contrast, focus outlines, form labels/associations, alt text, heading order); draft or update your VPAT/ACR.
- Weeks 5–6: Fix structural issues: keyboard access for components, ARIA roles/states, skip links, error handling; enable accessible auth flows (copy/paste, managers).
- Weeks 7–8: Add captions/transcripts and media controls; ensure pointer targets meet size requirements; test with screen readers and keyboard-only users; publish an accessibility statement.
- Weeks 9–12: Bake accessibility into CI/CD (linters, unit tests for focus/labels, visual contrast checks) and launch a periodic manual audit cadence; train designers/devs on inclusive patterns.
Governance and proof for enterprise buyers
- Provide a current VPAT/ACR mapped to WCAG 2.2 AA; list known exceptions and remediation timelines.
- Maintain an accessibility statement and contact path for issues; respond with documented fixes and target dates.
- Include accessibility acceptance criteria in design/dev tickets; track defects as first‑class quality issues in sprints.
Common pitfalls (and how to avoid them)
- Overreliance on automation: Scanners miss most issues involving semantics, keyboard flow, and screen‑reader behavior; include human testing with AT users.
- Retrofits only: Treat accessibility as a design/development requirement from the start to avoid costly rework; use component libraries with accessible primitives.
- Fancy UI that breaks basics: Custom widgets without keyboard/ARIA support or low‑contrast “on‑brand” palettes harm both accessibility and conversion; favor accessible defaults and theming.
- Ignoring cognitive load: Avoid multi‑step memory tests, hidden instructions, and unclear errors—these fail both WCAG and real users; simplify and provide persistent help.
Metrics to monitor
- Compliance: % of critical flows passing WCAG 2.2 AA checks; open vs resolved accessibility issues; VPAT freshness.
- Usability: Task success rate for keyboard and screen‑reader users; time‑to‑complete forms; error rates on auth and checkout.
- Engagement: Bounce and completion rates for key flows pre/post fixes; support tickets related to accessibility decrease over time.
SaaS needs more focus on accessibility and inclusivity because it’s now a legal, contractual, and ethical baseline—and a growth opportunity. Building to WCAG 2.2 AA with human-led audits, documenting conformance (VPAT), and embedding POUR principles into design and engineering yields products that more people can use, trust, and recommend—while reducing risk and elevating overall user experience.