AR
Argentina Law 26,653 on Web Accessibility
Overview
Argentina's Law 26,653, enacted in 2010 and regulated through Decree 656/2019, promotes the accessibility of public websites to guarantee equality of opportunity and treatment for people with disabilities. It mandates that national government websites and affiliated entities provide accessible digital content and services.
Regulation Summary
- November 3, 2010: Law 26,653 passed by Congress
- November 26, 2010: Law takes effect
- April 4, 2013: Initial regulation issued via Decree 355/2013
- September 19, 2019: Regulation updated through Decree 656/2019
- National public agencies across all three branches of government
- Decentralized/autarchic state bodies
- State-owned enterprises and private companies providing public services or goods
- Organizations receiving public funds, contracts, or concessions
- Entities demonstrating inability to comply can request technical assistance via affidavit
- Private sector institutions not receiving state benefits are encouraged but not mandated to comply
- Design websites that follow official accessibility standards
- Provide digital services usable by people with disabilities
- Integrate accessibility into all new IT procurements, training, and digital service development
- Ensure equal access to public-facing web services and internal digital services for employees
- While Law 26,653 does not explicitly name WCAG, Argentina is listed by the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative as using WCAG 2.0 Level A as a reference point for implementation.
- Design websites that follow official accessibility standards
- Provide digital services usable by people with disabilities
- Integrate accessibility into all new IT procurements, training, and digital service development
- Ensure equal access to public-facing web services and internal digital services for employees
- Website owners should follow accessibility criteria aligned with WCAG 2.0 Level A, as recognized by international standards organizations like the W3C. Technical guidance from ONTI and related authorities increasingly reflects Level AA expectations, even though not mandated by the legal text itself.
- Public and informative pages must be prioritized in accessibility implementation
- Web accessibility must be implemented within:
- 24 months from the effective date for existing websites (i.e., by November 26, 2012)
- 12 months for new or under-construction websites (i.e., by November 26, 2011)
- Entities must provide data (e.g., URLs, contacts) for compliance monitoring
- Equal access to information and digital services
- Non-discrimination in accessing public digital content
- Protection aligned with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Law 26.378)
- Regulatory Body: National Office of Information Technologies (ONTI)
- Oversight: Compliance monitored and reported to the National Disability Agency
- Penalties:
- Public officials face administrative investigations for violations
- Non-compliant entities may lose eligibility for government benefits or contracts
- Sanctions applied by the National Disability Agency following review by ONTI