Does website accessibility law apply to my business in Australia?

Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (s. 24) applies to: Anyone providing goods or services in Australia.

What accessibility standard must a website meet in Australia?

No fixed standard in the Act; WCAG is the accepted benchmark.

How is website accessibility enforced in Australia?

Complaints to the Australian Human Rights Commission, then the Federal Court.

What are the penalties for an inaccessible website in Australia?

Damages and orders decided case by case; no fixed fines.

Website accessibility law

Website accessibility law in Australia

The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 makes it unlawful to discriminate in providing goods and services, which includes websites. Complaints go to the Australian Human Rights Commission for conciliation, then to the Federal Court.

Low to moderate exposure for private websites. Complaints go to the Human Rights Commission first; court cases are rare but have covered websites.

Quick answers

Does website accessibility law apply to my business in Australia?: Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (s. 24) applies to: Anyone providing goods or services in Australia.
What accessibility standard must a website meet in Australia?: No fixed standard in the Act; WCAG is the accepted benchmark.
How is website accessibility enforced in Australia?: Complaints to the Australian Human Rights Commission, then the Federal Court.
What are the penalties for an inaccessible website in Australia?: Damages and orders decided case by case; no fixed fines.

The laws

Disability Discrimination Act 1992

s. 24

Who is covered: Anyone providing goods or services in Australia.
Standard: No fixed standard in the Act; WCAG is the accepted benchmark.
Enforcement: Complaints to the Australian Human Rights Commission, then the Federal Court.
What it can cost: Damages and orders decided case by case; no fixed fines.
Key dates: In force since 1993.
Impact on your website: An inaccessible site can lead to a discrimination complaint.

What it means for your website

Most complaints are settled through conciliation.

Key cases

2000
Maguire v Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games
HREOC, 2000
The Olympic Games website was found to discriminate against a blind user.

How Jralo helps in Australia

Daily checks against WCAG 2.2 A and AA with axe-core. Automated testing finds many, not all, problems.
A dated, independently timestamped record of what was checked and fixed, so you can show what you did and when.
Website Mechanic fixes problems in your code and opens a pull request for you to review.

Start free

Sources

General information, checked 9 October 2026. Not legal advice. Laws, guidance and enforcement change; speak to a qualified lawyer about your situation.