Manual UAE website accessibility audits for Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE, led by founder Mohammad Shadab Saifi (CPACC, WAS, CPWA, DHS Trusted Tester, 10+ years). We test Arabic and English journeys with keyboard and NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver and TalkBack against WCAG 2.2 AA, which covers the national WCAG 2.1 AA minimum. Fixed $500 Quick or $2,000 Complete. New to UAE rules? Start with a free 30-minute call.
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New to the National Digital Accessibility Policy or Dubai Law No. 3 of 2022, preparing a federal digital accessibility statement, or need a quote? Start with the free 30-minute call. Ready for a written WCAG report on your Arabic and English pages? Order the $500 Quick Audit (up to 5 templates) or the $2,000 Complete Audit for larger sites. Already have findings to walk through with your developer? Book the $100 technical hour.
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Tell us what you’re working on and where you need support. Our accessibility specialists can help with audits, remediation, VPAT/ACR, accessible development, and ongoing compliance.
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UAE digital accessibility rests on three layers. Federal Law No. 29 of 2006 protects the rights of People of Determination (persons with disabilities). The National Digital Accessibility Policy, adopted by the UAE Cabinet in March 2024, requires public service websites and apps to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA as a minimum and requires federal entities to publish a digital accessibility statement and appoint a Digital Accessibility Officer. In Dubai, Law No. 3 of 2022 requires information and digital platforms to be accessible, its implementing bylaw makes the Dubai Digital Authority responsible for the technical standards for websites and apps, and Law No. 9 of 2022 requires digital services to be accessible to persons with disabilities without extra fees. The policy binds federal entities directly; sector regulators must check compliance by the private companies they license, and other private businesses are urged to comply. TDRA states that its own platforms are built to WCAG 2.2 AA, so testing to WCAG 2.2 AA covers the national minimum and the newer criteria. A UAE website accessibility audit tests your Arabic and English journeys by hand and shows where you stand, from $500.
Think of this audit as a health check for your website or app against the UAE's accessibility rules. We test it against WCAG 2.1 AA, the national minimum, and WCAG 2.2 AA, in Arabic and English, so you find and fix the barriers before a regulator, government partner or customer does.
Meeting the right legal standard protects your organization from enforcement risk and makes your product usable by more people.
The National Digital Accessibility Policy, adopted by the UAE Cabinet in March 2024 with TDRA as its competent authority, requires accessible digital services for People of Determination and senior citizens, with WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the minimum for public service sites.
The policy applies directly to federal entities, but sector regulators must check that the private companies they license follow it, and private firms that build or run digital services for federal entities are in scope. Health, education and ecommerce providers are named in its objectives.
Dubai Law No. 3 of 2022 requires information and digital platforms to be accessible, and its implementing bylaw makes the Dubai Digital Authority responsible for website and app standards for the public and private sectors. Law No. 9 of 2022 requires accessible digital services at no extra cost.
Every federal entity must appoint a Digital Accessibility Officer to supervise its action plan and report to the competent authority, publish a digital accessibility statement, and pass an annual compliance review.
Most UAE sites run in two languages and two reading directions. Right-to-left Arabic pages often break reading order, language settings and icons, and those barriers only show up when someone tests the Arabic version by hand.
Automated tools catch only part of WCAG. The WebAIM Million 2026 found detectable WCAG failures on 95.9% of home pages, and keyboard, focus and screen reader problems need manual testing to find and fix.
We audit public websites, authenticated applications, SaaS platforms, mobile apps, documents, and design systems.
Corporate websites, marketing sites, government websites, university websites, healthcare websites, ecommerce journeys, landing pages, blogs, resource libraries, and multilingual content experiences.
Customer portals, admin dashboards, CRMs, internal software, enterprise workflows, complex forms, authenticated user journeys, data tables, reports, notifications, and role-based interfaces.
B2B platforms, cloud software, analytics dashboards, AI applications, product onboarding flows, account settings, billing workflows, and feature-rich application screens.
Native iOS, native Android, hybrid applications, progressive web apps, orientation changes, touch targets, gestures, screen reader flows, zoom behavior, and mobile form interactions.
PDFs, Word documents, PowerPoint files, forms, reports, policy documents, financial statements, healthcare documents, education resources, and procurement documentation.
Reusable components, UI libraries, pattern libraries, design tokens, Figma components, interaction patterns, and documentation that affects many pages or product screens.
Marketing, ecommerce, healthcare, government, education, nonprofit, and service organizations use accessibility audits to make essential public content available to more people.
Product teams use audits to validate complex workflows, reduce accessibility debt, improve component libraries, and prepare for enterprise accessibility reviews.
Legal, compliance, procurement, and sales teams use audit evidence to answer buyer questions, support VPAT work, and document remediation commitments.
Evaluate public websites against WCAG 2.2 AA using manual testing, automated scanning, keyboard-only navigation, and assistive technologies.
Review authenticated user journeys, dashboards, complex forms, data tables, notifications, custom widgets, and enterprise workflows.
Test native and hybrid applications using VoiceOver, TalkBack, keyboard alternatives, zoom, orientation changes, touch target review, and gesture accessibility checks.
Assess PDFs and office documents for tagging, reading order, alternative text, bookmarks, form fields, headings, tables, and screen reader compatibility.
Identify accessibility issues in Figma files, design systems, and component specs before development begins, reducing rework and improving handoff quality.
Evaluate products and prepare accessibility documentation that supports enterprise and government procurement conversations.
Each issue is mapped to user impact, the relevant standard, severity, affected users, and practical remediation guidance.
Missing or inaccurate alternative text prevents screen reader users from understanding meaningful images, icons, charts, infographics, product photos, and linked graphics. We identify images that need concise alternatives, images that should be marked decorative, and complex visuals that need longer explanations.
Many users navigate with a keyboard, switch device, voice control, or assistive technology that relies on keyboard behavior. We test focus order, skip links, menus, modals, tabs, accordions, custom widgets, and form flows without a mouse.
Low contrast can make text, buttons, icons, form controls, and charts difficult or impossible to perceive. We evaluate contrast for normal text, large text, UI components, focus indicators, disabled states, links, and error messages.
Forms often block users when labels, instructions, required indicators, validation messages, and error handling are not accessible. We test forms with keyboard navigation and screen readers to confirm users can complete and submit successfully.
Headings, lists, landmarks, tables, and reading order help assistive technology users understand a page quickly. We identify skipped heading levels, missing landmarks, and reading-order mismatches.
Modern applications often update content without refreshing the page. We test status messages, ARIA live regions, notifications, and single-page app transitions to confirm important changes are announced correctly.
Arabic pages need the right language and direction settings (lang=”ar” and dir=”rtl”), a reading and focus order that follows right-to-left layout, mirrored icons and carousels, and form errors announced in Arabic. We test the Arabic and English versions separately with screen readers and a keyboard.
Service forms, policy documents and reports are often published as untagged PDFs that screen readers cannot follow. We check tags, reading order, headings, tables, form fields and alternative text, and test with NVDA.
| Feature | Automated Testing | Manual Testing |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Fast (minutes) | Slower (days) |
| Cost | Low | Higher, but more accurate |
| Manual WCAG Review | No | Yes |
| Keyboard Navigation | Limited | Complete |
| Screen Reader Compatibility | No | Yes |
| Logical Reading Order | No | Yes |
| Meaningful Alternative Text | No | Yes |
| Form Usability | Partial | Yes |
| Overall User Experience | No | Yes |
A structured process gives your team clear findings, clear priorities, and a practical path to compliance.
We review your platform, page count, Arabic and English journeys and which rules apply (the National Digital Accessibility Policy, Dubai Law No. 3 and Law No. 9, and your sector regulator) to agree the audit scope, target WCAG version and timeline.
We run automated tools across the defined scope to catch code-level issues quickly, giving us a baseline before manual review begins.
Founder Mohammad Shadab Saifi tests keyboard navigation, focus order, forms, headings, landmarks and interactive components by hand against WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 AA, in both languages.
We test with screen readers (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver, TalkBack), voice control, and switch access to confirm real-world usability, not just code compliance.
Findings are documented with severity, the WCAG success criterion, screenshots and reproduction steps, then grouped into a prioritized remediation roadmap you can use for your digital accessibility statement.
With the Complete Audit we retest the issues your team fixes to confirm they are resolved and no new barriers were introduced, then help you finish the accessibility statement draft.
The UAE's foundational disability rights law, amended in 2009. It protects the rights of People of Determination and their access to services without discrimination. Overview: Protecting the Rights of People of Determination (u.ae).
Adopted by the Cabinet in March 2024, with TDRA as the competent authority. Public service websites and apps must meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA as a minimum, and federal entities must publish a digital accessibility statement and appoint a Digital Accessibility Officer. See the National Digital Accessibility Policy (u.ae).
Law No. 3 of 2022 on the rights of persons with disabilities requires information and digital platforms in Dubai to be accessible. Under its implementing bylaw, the Dubai Digital Authority sets the standards for websites and smart apps and supervises public and private sector compliance.
Law No. 9 of 2022 regulates digital services in Dubai and requires them to be conveniently accessible to all customers, including persons with disabilities, without additional fees or financial burden.
WCAG 2.1 AA is the national minimum. TDRA's digital accessibility statement says its own platforms comply with WCAG 2.2 AA, so we test to WCAG 2.2 AA, which also covers every WCAG 2.1 criterion.
Dubai's Universal Design Code is mainly a built-environment code, but its information and communication chapter requires websites and apps that give traveller information to meet W3C Level AA. We include those pages when they are in scope.
A clear summary of audit scope, key risks, priority themes, and recommended next steps for stakeholders.
A practical status snapshot that helps teams understand current accessibility maturity and remediation priorities.
Issue-by-issue findings with screenshots, affected URLs or screens, severity ratings, standard references, and reproduction steps.
Practical remediation guidance, code-level notes, component recommendations, and examples your developers can act on.
Findings organized to support a digital accessibility statement, VPAT and ACR documentation, and procurement or regulator review.
With the Complete Audit, validation evidence after remediation showing which issues were fixed and what remains open.
Founder Mohammad Shadab Saifi (CPACC, WAS, CPWA, 10+ years) leads UAE audits, remediation support, accessibility statement drafts and product guidance for National Digital Accessibility Policy and Dubai work.
Reports are written for action. Developers receive clear reproduction steps, expected behavior, affected users, standard mapping, and remediation guidance.
One audit benchmarked to WCAG 2.2 AA gives UAE teams evidence for the national policy and Dubai laws, and maps to EN 301 549 for customers in the EU and to Section 508 for US procurement.
Audit scope is tailored to your product and priorities so your team receives useful findings without unnecessary reporting overhead.
Whether you are a federal entity preparing your digital accessibility statement, a licensed company in health, education, finance or ecommerce, or a Dubai business offering digital services, our founder-led audit tests your Arabic and English journeys by hand and gives your team a prioritized, developer-ready roadmap. Start with the $500 Quick Audit, or ask for a free needs assessment and we will scope a $2,000 Complete Audit with a retest and an accessibility statement draft. Not sure which rules apply yet? Book a free 30-minute call to talk through where you stand and get a quote. If you need hands-on technical answers now, such as reviewing audit findings with your developer, book the $100 one-hour technical consultation.
Start My $500 UAE Accessibility AuditAnswers to common questions about UAE website accessibility audits, the National Digital Accessibility Policy, Dubai law and WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 AA.
Both, in different ways. The National Digital Accessibility Policy (March 2024) applies directly to federal government entities. It also covers semi-government entities and private companies involved in digital transactions with federal entities, plus their contractors, and it requires each sector regulator to check compliance by the private companies it licenses. Other local government and private entities are urged to make their best efforts to comply. In Dubai, the implementing bylaw of Law No. 3 of 2022 lets the Dubai Digital Authority supervise both public and private sector compliance.
WCAG 2.1 Level AA is the national minimum: the policy says all public service sites must comply with Level AA of WCAG 2.1. TDRA’s own platforms go further and comply with WCAG 2.2 AA, according to its digital accessibility statement. We test to WCAG 2.2 AA, which covers every WCAG 2.1 criterion and the newer ones such as focus not obscured, target size and accessible authentication.
Enforcement runs mainly through regulators, procurement and complaints. In Dubai, Article 11 of Law No. 3 of 2022 allows fines of up to AED 100,000 for violations such as disability discrimination (doubled for a repeat within a year, within that cap), and the Community Development Authority can suspend the violator’s activity for up to six months or have its licence revoked. Federal law sets no fine for an inaccessible website, so be wary of guides that quote AED 200,000 or AED 1,000,000 figures. For federal entities, TDRA reviews compliance every year through the Digital Government Enablers Indicators, and each entity’s Digital Accessibility Officer reports on its action plan. Sector regulators check the private companies they license, and in Dubai the Dubai Digital Authority supervises public and private compliance. The practical risks are regulator findings, failed government or partner procurement reviews, and complaints from customers who cannot use your service.
It is Dubai’s code for accessible buildings, transport and public spaces. Most of it covers the built environment, but its information and communication chapter requires websites and apps that provide traveller information to meet W3C Level AA. For digital services more broadly, the main Dubai rules are Law No. 3 of 2022, its implementing bylaw and Law No. 9 of 2022.
Yes. The National Digital Accessibility Policy requires every federal entity to publish a digital accessibility statement on its website and apps. The statement must describe the level of accessibility, name WCAG 2.1 as the minimum standard, list known inaccessible content and explain how to get support. Private companies are not required to publish one, but a statement based on a real audit is good practice, and the $2,000 Complete Audit includes a draft.
It is the UAE official and preferred term for persons with disabilities, reflecting a national philosophy that reframes disability around determination and capability rather than limitation. See the official overview on u.ae: Protecting the Rights of People of Determination.
HalfAccessible publishes fixed prices: the $500 Quick Audit covers up to 5 page templates with a top-10 issues report, and the $2,000 Complete Audit covers up to 25 templates or key user flows with a retest of fixed issues, an accessibility statement draft and 90-day support. Not sure which fits? Start with a free 30-minute call to talk through where you stand and get a quote, or use the free needs assessment. If you already have findings and need a hands-on technical session with a developer, book the $100 one-hour consultation. See the pricing page for details.
Have a short list of the templates and journeys that matter most in both Arabic and English (for example a homepage, a service application or checkout form, a login flow and any PDF people need to use your service), plus any existing digital accessibility statement or prior scan. A free automated pass on AccessibilityScore.in is a useful starting point that complements a manual audit; bring those results if you have them. If you are a federal entity with a statement to publish, or your sector regulator or the Dubai Digital Authority has raised accessibility, tell us so we can prioritise those journeys.
You receive a prioritized, developer-ready report mapped to WCAG 2.2 AA, which also covers the WCAG 2.1 AA national minimum. We walk through the findings on a call, help you plan remediation for your Arabic and English pages, and for Complete Audits we retest fixed issues and draft a digital accessibility statement. If you prefer to start with discovery only, book a free 30-minute call; if you need to review findings live with your developer, book the $100 technical hour.
We scope the templates and journeys that matter most, run automated scans, then test by hand with a keyboard and with NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver and TalkBack against WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 AA, in Arabic and English. You get a report with each issue’s severity, WCAG success criterion, screenshots, reproduction steps and fix guidance, organized so it can feed your digital accessibility statement. See a sample audit report.
Yes. We test the Arabic version as its own journey, not as a copy of the English one. We check that the page language and direction are set correctly, that reading and focus order follow the right-to-left layout, that icons, carousels and progress indicators are mirrored, and that labels, error messages and screen reader announcements make sense in Arabic.
No. The policy’s guidance asks public service sites to offer a text reader feature, but it also requires WCAG 2.1 AA conformance, and a widget cannot fix the underlying code that keyboard and screen reader users depend on. In 2025 the US Federal Trade Commission ordered accessiBe to pay $1 million over claims that its overlay could make any website compliant. Read more in accessibility overlays and lawsuits.
The Dubai Digital Authority. Under the implementing bylaw of Law No. 3 of 2022, it develops the policies and technical standards for websites, smart apps and other digital channels and supervises compliance by the public and private sectors. Law No. 9 of 2022 adds that digital services must be accessible to persons with disabilities without extra fees, which applies to government and private providers of digital services in the emirate.
Yes. The policy covers websites, mobile apps, software and digital interfaces, so we test native iOS and Android apps with VoiceOver and TalkBack, and check PDFs and office documents for tags, reading order and form fields with NVDA. See mobile accessibility testing, and our PDF document remediation service fixes the files we flag.
Often, yes. The European Accessibility Act has applied since June 28, 2025 to covered products and services offered to consumers in the EU, such as ecommerce, consumer banking, e-books and electronic communications, wherever the business is based. Microenterprises providing services are exempt. A WCAG 2.2 AA audit gives evidence for both; see our EU accessibility compliance audit.