The verdict in three sentences
With the European Accessibility Act in force (2025), a non-accessible institutional site risks sanctions and exclusion from public tenders. Getting compliant with WCAG 2.1 level AA is not just a constraint: it unlocks roughly 15% more audience (people with disabilities) and improves SEO. Budget an audit at 3,000–8,000 €, remediation at 5,000–20,000 €, and a timeline of 8 to 14 weeks.
Accessibility criteria and their priorities
WCAG 2.1 AA breaks down into testable criteria. Here are the families to prioritise for an institutional site.
| Criteria family | Concrete example | Priority | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colour contrast | Ratio ≥ 4.5:1 text/background | Critical | Low |
| Text alternatives | Alt on informative images | Critical | Medium |
| Keyboard navigation | Everything usable without a mouse | Critical | High |
| Heading structure | Correct h1-h6 hierarchy | High | Medium |
| Labelled forms | Labels tied to fields | High | Medium |
| Video captions | Multimedia content | Medium | High |
| Visible focus | Focus indicator | High | Low |
| Screen-reader compatibility | Correct ARIA | Critical | High |
Contrasts and text alternatives often account for 40% of the non-conformities found, at a low correction effort: these are the quick wins to tackle first.
2026 costs and sanctions
The budget depends on the site's size and starting state. Here are the 2026 orders of magnitude.
| Service | Indicative cost | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Full accessibility audit | 3,000–8,000 € | 2–3 weeks |
| Remediation (small site) | 5,000–10,000 € | 6–8 weeks |
| Remediation (large site) | 12,000–20,000 € | 10–14 weeks |
| Accessibility statement | included | — |
| Annual monitoring/maintenance | 1,500–4,000 €/yr | ongoing |
| Non-compliance sanction | up to tens of k€ | — |
Beyond the fine, a non-compliant organisation risks exclusion from public tenders and damage to its inclusion image — a reputational cost hard to quantify but real.
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Mini case study
Nadia, communications director of a 400-staff local authority, must bring its citizen portal up to standard before a tender. The site has 250 pages and a 42% initial compliance rate. She orders a 6,000 € audit then 15,000 € of remediation, 12-week timeline.
Math: total investment 21,000 €. Against that, non-compliance would have excluded the authority from a digital-services contract and exposed it to a sanction. By fixing contrasts, keyboard navigation and text alternatives, the rate climbs to 96% (AA), and the portal becomes usable by the ~15% of users with disabilities — about 60 staff and thousands of citizens.
FAQ
Who is subject to accessibility obligations in 2026? Public bodies, but also, since the European Accessibility Act, many private players (banks, e-commerce, transport). An institutional site is almost always covered.
How much does an accessibility audit cost? Budget 3,000 to 8,000 € for a full audit depending on site size. It produces a prioritised list of non-conformities and a remediation roadmap.
What is the difference between WCAG and national standards? WCAG 2.1 is the international standard; national frameworks (like France's RGAA) are official adaptations with a test methodology. Targeting WCAG level AA satisfies both.
What are the accessibility quick wins? Colour contrasts, visible focus and text alternatives on images. They represent a large share of non-conformities for a low correction effort.
Does accessibility improve SEO? Yes, indirectly: a clean heading structure, text alternatives and clear navigation are also read by search engines. Accessibility and SEO reinforce each other.
Let's scope your project. Send us your page count, your current compliance rate and your deadline (tender, EAA): we audit and deliver a WCAG 2.1 AA-compliant site. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
