If your website is available to users in Israel—and especially if you’re serving the general public—it needs to meet IS 5568. Whether you’re on a product team, working in UX, or leading development, this accessibility standard isn’t something to ignore.
But let’s be honest: trying to decode legal standards in multiple languages, cross-matched with WCAG, isn’t the most straightforward part of your job. So, this guide is here to break IS 5568 down into practical terms: what it is, where it came from, who it applies to, and what you actually need to do to comply.
Let’s start at the top.
What IS IS 5568?
IS 5568 is Israel’s national standard for digital accessibility. It’s based almost entirely on WCAG 2.0 Level AA—so if you’ve built for WCAG before, you’re already halfway there. The standard applies to websites, mobile apps, digital forms, and documents used by the public.
IS 5568 officially came into force in October 2017, but its origin goes back much further.
The Legal Backdrop: How IS 5568 Came to Be
In 1998, Israel passed the Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities Law (ERPD). This landmark legislation aimed to promote equal participation in society, including for people with physical, sensory, cognitive, and mental impairments—whether permanent or temporary.
The Commission for Equal Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CERPD) was established shortly after to enforce the law and help guide implementation. Over the years, digital access became a growing area of focus, especially after Israel adopted the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2012. That convention pushed member countries to make digital content—including websites and mobile apps—accessible to all.
With growing international and domestic pressure, Israel created a new committee that included accessibility experts, government officials, and advocacy groups. The result: IS 5568, a web accessibility standard aligned with WCAG 2.0 AA, tailored for Israeli audiences and legal frameworks.
Who Needs to Comply with IS 5568?
In short: any service that’s available to the public in Israel.
That includes businesses, non-profits, and government organizations across a wide range of sectors:
- Education
- Health care
- Financial services (including banking, insurance, pensions)
- Transportation
- Entertainment and leisure
- Hospitality and tourism
- Utilities and telecom
- eCommerce and retail
- Social services
- Cultural institutions
- Religious organizations
- Public agencies
If you operate a website or app that users in Israel can access—whether you’re based locally or internationally—you’re likely required to comply.
Business Size Affects Compliance Timelines
| Business Type | Annual Revenue | Compliance Deadline |
| Medium and Large Businesses | ≥ NIS 300,000 | Immediately for new sites (after Oct 2017); Oct 2020 for older sites |
| Small Businesses | < NIS 300,000 | October 2020 |
| Private Contractors (Very Small) | < NIS 100,000 | Exempt |
Even if you’re technically exempt, meeting basic accessibility standards is still a smart move. A noncompliant site still limits your reach—and leaves room for reputational risk.
What Compliance Actually Looks Like
IS 5568 references WCAG 2.0 Level AA, so your technical benchmarks will sound familiar if you’ve worked in accessibility before. The standard is built around four core principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust—often shortened to POUR.
Here’s what that means in practical terms:
- Alt Text: All meaningful images—product photos, icons, infographics—need descriptive alternative text for screen reader users.
- Color Contrast: Body text should have a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1. Larger text or bold headlines need at least 3:1. Avoid pastel-on-pastel or light gray-on-white combinations (which are more common than you’d think).
- Clear Form Labels: Every input needs a label. Placeholder text isn’t enough, especially for users navigating with assistive tech.
- Keyboard Navigation: All interactive elements—menus, buttons, forms—must be usable with a keyboard alone. No traps, no dead ends.
- Captions for Multimedia: Video and audio content must include synchronized captions or transcripts. This is especially important for Hebrew-language content, where auto-captioning tools may fall short.
- Accessible Documents: PDFs and other downloadable files need to meet accessibility standards too. That includes structured headings, readable text, and keyboard support.
- Ongoing Testing: Accessibility isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it situation. Sites need regular audits—especially after major content or design updates.
What Happens If You Don’t Comply?
Here’s where things get real.
IS 5568 is enforced under civil law. That means:
- Individual lawsuits: Anyone with a disability can sue if your website is not accessible—even if they didn’t suffer financial or physical harm.
- Class actions: Advocacy groups can file class-action lawsuits on behalf of affected users.
- Statutory damages: Fines can reach up to NIS 50,000 per violation, even without proof of direct harm. That’s per violation—not per site.
- Public exposure: Lawsuits and complaints often go public. Even if you resolve the issue later, the reputational damage can linger.
Unlike other countries where legal action often results in a court order to fix the problem, IS 5568 includes built-in penalties. That’s a big reason why enforcement has teeth.
Why It’s Worth Doing (Even Beyond the Law)
Let’s be clear: compliance isn’t just about avoiding lawsuits. It’s also good business.
Here’s why:
- Reach a broader audience: Around 1 in 5 people live with a disability. When your site isn’t accessible, you’re unintentionally excluding a significant portion of potential visitors and customers.
- Strengthen your SEO performance: Best practices like semantic HTML, alt text, and structured headings don’t just help screen readers—they also make your site more search-engine friendly.
- Enhance the user experience for everyone: Intuitive navigation, clear labels, and legible typography benefit all users, not just those with disabilities. Accessibility often improves overall usability.
- Stay ahead of future requirements: Meeting WCAG 2.0 AA now lays the groundwork for easier compliance with future versions like 2.2 and 3.0, which address mobile and cognitive accessibility in greater depth.
- Demonstrate your values: Inclusive design communicates more than compliance—it signals empathy, forward thinking, and a genuine commitment to serving all users. That matters to customers, partners, and talent alike.
How to Start: A Practical Path to Compliance
Not sure where to begin? Start here:
- Audit your current site: Use both automated tools (like WAVE or Google Lighthouse) and manual testing. Don’t forget mobile and document formats.
- Prioritize fixes: Focus on the highest-impact areas: alt text, contrast, keyboard access, forms, and video captions. These issues affect usability—and risk—the most.
- Embed accessibility into your process: Accessibility shouldn’t be an afterthought. Build it into your dev and QA pipelines, design reviews, and content workflows.
- Test with real users: Include people with disabilities in your usability testing. Their feedback reveals gaps automated scans will miss.
- Publish an accessibility statement: Transparency counts. Share your current status, your roadmap, and a way for users to report issues.
- Keep checking in: Technology evolves. So should your accessibility. Set reminders for regular re-audits—especially before and after big launches.
Accessibility Under IS 5568 Is Within Reach
IS 5568 isn’t just a regulation—it’s a reflection of how digital services should work: for everyone. And while legal compliance is important, the real win is creating an experience that welcomes every user, regardless of how they navigate the web.
You don’t have to do everything at once. Start with the basics. Fix the critical gaps. Build accessibility into your process—not just your backlog.
And if you need help charting your path forward, 216digital offers briefings tailored to IS 5568 and WCAG requirements—designed to give your team a clear, practical roadmap, no legal jargon just free guidance that meets you where you are.
Because accessibility doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With the right approach, it becomes part of what you already do well.