ADA Compliance for SiteGround Websites
SiteGround is best known for WordPress hosting, so most ADA risk on a SiteGround site is WordPress risk: the theme, builder and plugins. What is different is the server side. Caching and optimization features can serve an old version of a page after you fix it, which makes a good fix look like it failed.
This SiteGround ADA compliance checker runs the same engine as the SiteGround accessibility checker with the ADA preset selected, so the results are measured against WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Paste a page address above to see the issues on your own site.
SiteGround ADA Compliance Risks to Check First
These are the barriers most often behind accessibility complaints on SiteGround sites. Each one maps to a WCAG success criterion that the scan reports.
-
Images added through the media library
Uploaded images keep empty alt text unless it is filled in at upload.
-
Optimization breaking focus styles
Minified or combined CSS from performance tools can drop or override focus styles added by a theme.
WCAG 2.4.7 Focus Visible
-
Form plugins
Contact and booking plugins often rely on placeholders and unannounced errors.
-
No way to skip repeated navigation
Themes without a skip link force keyboard users to tab through the whole menu on every page.
WCAG 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks
How the ADA Applies to Your SiteGround Site
Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act requires businesses open to the public to give people with disabilities equal access to their goods and services. The Department of Justice states that this covers a business's web content as well as its physical locations ({ADA.gov web guidance (opens in a new tab)}). The law does not name a technical standard for private websites, so courts, settlements and demand letters tend to point to WCAG 2.1 Level AA, which is why this checker uses it.
- 3,117 website accessibility lawsuits filed in U.S. federal court in 2025, up 27% from 2024 Seyfarth Shaw, ADA Title III blog (opens in a new tab)
- 5,000+ digital accessibility lawsuits filed across federal and state courts in 2025 UsableNet 2025 year-end report (opens in a new tab)
- 1,427 of those 2025 lawsuits were against companies that had already been sued UsableNet 2025 year-end report (opens in a new tab)
- 64% of companies sued in the first half of 2025 had annual revenue under $25 million UsableNet 2025 midyear report (opens in a new tab)
None of this depends on which platform you use: a claim names the barrier on the page, not the software behind it. Read more in our ADA website compliance guide and the general ADA compliance checker.
SiteGround ADA Compliance Steps
- Run the ADA check above on your homepage, and then on a page of each type you publish.
- Scan the live page after clearing the SiteGround caching you use, so you test the version visitors get.
- After enabling any minification or combine feature, rescan to make sure styles and scripts still work for keyboard users.
- Use the staging tool for theme and plugin changes, scan the staging copy, and push to the live site only when it passes.
- Rescan to confirm each fix, and keep dated records. AccessBell Pro monitors up to 500 URLs per domain every day and emails you when something new fails.
What an Automated SiteGround ADA Check Can and Cannot Do
Automated testing finds a large share of the machine-detectable WCAG failures, such as missing alt text, unlabeled fields, low contrast and broken ARIA. It cannot judge whether alt text is accurate, whether a keyboard path makes sense or whether a screen reader user can complete a purchase. Test your key journeys by hand as well, and read our methodology for exactly what runs.
No tool, including this one, can certify that a SiteGround site is ADA compliant or protect you from a claim. Treat a scan as evidence of ongoing effort, and speak to a lawyer if you receive a demand letter.
Free scan and 3-day free trial
- Free, with no account: every issue found on the page, ranked by severity, with the WCAG criteria each one fails.
- With the trial: the failing HTML, how to fix each issue, scans of up to 500 pages per domain, daily monitoring and a dated record of your fixes.
Publishing an Accessibility Statement on SiteGround
Add your accessibility statement as a WordPress page linked from the footer menu, and update it after each round of fixes. Our free accessibility statement generator writes the text, and it should name the standard you follow, any known gaps and a way to contact you.
SiteGround ADA Compliance: Frequently Asked Questions
Is a SiteGround site ADA compliant?
The host does not decide this. SiteGround runs your WordPress site, and compliance depends on the theme, plugins and content you put on it.
Why does my fix not show in the scan?
Cached pages can serve the old version. Clear the site and plugin caches, then rescan the live page.
Can I scan the staging site first?
Yes, if the staging site is reachable from the internet. AccessBell Pro supports staging scans, including ones behind custom headers.
What standard does the SiteGround ADA compliance check use?
WCAG 2.1 Level AA, the technical standard the Department of Justice has adopted for state and local government websites and the one courts and settlements most often cite for businesses. The ADA itself does not name a technical standard for private business websites.
Sources
- ADA.gov: Guidance on Web Accessibility and the ADA (opens in a new tab)
- W3C: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 (opens in a new tab)
- Seyfarth Shaw, ADA Title III blog (opens in a new tab)
- UsableNet 2025 year-end report (opens in a new tab)
- UsableNet 2025 midyear report (opens in a new tab)
This page explains general ADA and accessibility patterns for SiteGround sites and is not legal advice. AccessBell is not affiliated with SiteGround. SiteGround and its logo are trademarks of their owners and are used only to identify the platform. See our disclaimer.
