ASSESSMENT OF WEB ACCESSIBILITY REGULATION ADHERENCE BY INSTITUTIONS WITH COMPLIANCE OBLIGATIONS

Web accessibility is crucial for ensuring universal access to information, a value highly regarded by the European Union and the Spanish government, which have enacted legislation mandating compliance, particularly within the public sector and to a lesser extent in the private sector. This study contrasts the commitment of private entities with that of public ones in adhering to web accessibility standards. Initially, a database of URLs, categorized for reference, was compiled. Subsequently, automated web analysis techniques were employed to produce comparative statistics by sector. The findings indicate that while the public sector has made progress in meeting the regulations, the private sector lags considerably behind. An examination of common errors on websites of private companies obligated to these standards suggests that ignorance of legal responsibilities is the primary cause of accessibility shortcomings. Keywords: Web Accessibility, Accessibility Evaluation, Regulatory Compliance, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), Digital Accessibility