Israeli Accessibility Compliance

Step 1: Understand the Legal Framework

Israeli web accessibility (negishot) is legally mandatory under the Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities Act (Chok Shivyon Zechuyot Le'Anashim Im Mugbaluyot), 1998 and its 2013 accessibility regulations.

Regulation	Requirement	Deadline	Penalty
IS 5568	Israeli accessibility standard based on WCAG 2.1 AA	Mandatory since 2017	Up to 50,000 NIS per violation
Takanat Negishot 2013	Public websites must comply	In effect	Lawsuits + fines
Amendment 19 (2022)	Mobile apps included	In effect	Same as above
Government sites	Must meet IS 5568 Level AA	In effect	Government oversight

Who must comply: All public-facing Israeli websites and mobile applications, including businesses with 25+ employees, government agencies, educational institutions, healthcare providers, and any service provider open to the public.

Step 2: IS 5568 vs WCAG 2.1 -- Key Differences

IS 5568 is based on WCAG 2.1 AA but adds Israeli-specific requirements:

Area	WCAG 2.1 AA	IS 5568 Addition
Language	Declare lang attribute	Must support `lang="he"` with RTL
Text direction	Not specified	Must declare `dir="rtl"` for Hebrew content
Contrast	4.5:1 for text	Same, plus contrast check with Hebrew fonts
Form labels	Associated labels	Labels must support RTL alignment
Error messages	Descriptive errors	Must be in Hebrew for Hebrew sites
Accessibility statement	Recommended	Mandatory (Hatzaharat Negishot)
Contact info	Not required	Must provide accessibility contact method

Step 3: Set Up Accessible RTL HTML Structure

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="he" dir="rtl">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>שם האתר - כותרת הדף</title>
</head>
<body>
  <!-- Skip navigation link (required) -->
  <a href="#main-content" class="skip-link">דלג לתוכן הראשי</a>

  <header role="banner">
    <nav role="navigation" aria-label="ניווט ראשי">
      <!-- Navigation items -->
    </nav>
  </header>

  <main id="main-content" role="main">
    <!-- Page content -->
  </main>

  <footer role="contentinfo">
    <a href="/accessibility-statement">הצהרת נגישות</a>
  </footer>
</body>
</html>

Key IS 5568 requirements in this structure:

lang="he" and dir="rtl" on the html element
Skip navigation link in Hebrew ("דלג לתוכן הראשי")
ARIA roles for landmarks
Hebrew ARIA labels for navigation
Link to accessibility statement (Hatzaharat Negishot) in footer

Step 4: Hebrew Screen Reader Compatibility

Test with these screen readers commonly used in Israel:

Screen Reader	Platform	Hebrew Support	Testing Notes
NVDA	Windows	Excellent with eSpeak-ng Hebrew	Free, most common in Israel
JAWS	Windows	Good with Eloquence Hebrew	Commercial, institutional use
VoiceOver	macOS/iOS	Good native Hebrew TTS	Built-in, growing adoption
TalkBack	Android	Good with Google TTS Hebrew	Built-in on Android devices

Hebrew-specific screen reader patterns:

<!-- Announce content direction changes -->
<p dir="rtl" lang="he">
  טקסט בעברית עם <span dir="ltr" lang="en">English text</span> משולב
</p>

<!-- Hebrew ARIA labels -->
<button aria-label="סגור חלון">X</button>
<input type="search" aria-label="חיפוש באתר" placeholder="חפש...">

<!-- Hebrew live regions for dynamic content -->
<div aria-live="polite" aria-atomic="true" dir="rtl">
  הטופס נשלח בהצלחה
</div>

Step 5: RTL-Specific ARIA Patterns

<!-- RTL form with accessible error messages -->
<form dir="rtl" novalidate>
  <div role="group" aria-labelledby="personal-info">
    <h2 id="personal-info">פרטים אישיים</h2>

    <label for="full-name">שם מלא</label>
    <input id="full-name" type="text" required
           aria-required="true"
           aria-describedby="name-error"
           aria-invalid="false">
    <span id="name-error" role="alert" class="error" hidden>
      נא למלא שם מלא
    </span>

    <label for="teudat-zehut">תעודת זהות</label>
    <input id="teudat-zehut" type="text" pattern="[0-9]{9}"
           inputmode="numeric" dir="ltr"
           aria-required="true"
           aria-describedby="tz-help tz-error">
    <span id="tz-help" class="hint">9 ספרות</span>
    <span id="tz-error" role="alert" class="error" hidden>
      מספר תעודת זהות לא תקין
    </span>
  </div>
</form>

<!-- RTL data table -->
<table dir="rtl">
  <caption>סיכום הזמנות</caption>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th scope="col">מספר הזמנה</th>
      <th scope="col">תאריך</th>
      <th scope="col">סכום</th>
      <th scope="col">סטטוס</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td dir="ltr">ORD-12345</td>
      <td>04/03/2026</td>
      <td dir="ltr">1,234.50 &#8362;</td>
      <td>הושלם</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Step 6: Accessibility Statement (Hatzaharat Negishot)

IS 5568 requires a published accessibility statement. Required content:

<article dir="rtl" lang="he">
  <h1>הצהרת נגישות</h1>

  <p>אנו ב-[שם החברה] מחויבים להנגשת האתר לאנשים עם מוגבלויות
     בהתאם לתקן הישראלי IS 5568 ולהנחיות WCAG 2.1 ברמה AA.</p>

  <h2>אמצעי נגישות באתר</h2>
  <ul>
    <li>האתר תומך בניווט מלא באמצעות מקלדת</li>
    <li>האתר תומך בקוראי מסך (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver)</li>
    <li>תמונות מלוות בטקסט חלופי</li>
    <li>ניגודיות צבעים עומדת ביחס 4.5:1 לפחות</li>
  </ul>

  <h2>פנייה בנושא נגישות</h2>
  <p>רכז/ת נגישות: [שם]</p>
  <p>טלפון: <a href="tel:+97212345678" dir="ltr">+972-1-234-5678</a></p>
  <p>דוא"ל: <a href="mailto:negishot@example.co.il">negishot@example.co.il</a></p>

  <p>תאריך עדכון אחרון: [תאריך]</p>
</article>

Step 7: Automated Accessibility Testing

See scripts/audit_a11y.py for the full audit pipeline.

# Quick accessibility check with axe-core via selenium
from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.chrome.options import Options

def run_accessibility_audit(url):
    options = Options()
    options.add_argument('--headless')
    driver = webdriver.Chrome(options=options)
    driver.get(url)

    # Inject axe-core
    axe_script = open('axe.min.js').read()
    driver.execute_script(axe_script)

    # Run audit with Hebrew locale rules
    results = driver.execute_script("""
        return axe.run({
            rules: {
                'html-has-lang': { enabled: true },
                'valid-lang': { enabled: true },
                'document-title': { enabled: true },
                'bypass': { enabled: true },
                'color-contrast': { enabled: true },
                'label': { enabled: true },
                'image-alt': { enabled: true }
            }
        });
    """)

    driver.quit()
    return results

IS 5568 compliance checklist (automated + manual):

Check	Automated	Tool
`lang="he"` present	Yes	axe-core
`dir="rtl"` present	Yes	Custom rule
Color contrast 4.5:1	Yes	axe-core
All images have alt text	Yes	axe-core
Form inputs have labels	Yes	axe-core
Skip navigation link	Yes	axe-core
Keyboard navigation	Manual	Tab-through test
Screen reader compatibility	Manual	NVDA/VoiceOver test
Hebrew error messages	Manual	Visual inspection
Accessibility statement	Manual	Page existence check

See references/is-5568.md for the complete checklist mapped to IS 5568 clauses.

Example 1: Audit Existing Israeli Website

User says: "Check if my website meets Israeli accessibility standards" Result: Run scripts/audit_a11y.py against the URL, check for IS 5568 requirements including Hebrew lang attribute, RTL direction, contrast ratios, ARIA labels in Hebrew, skip navigation, and accessibility statement page. Generate a compliance report with pass/fail per criterion.

Example 2: Add Accessibility Statement Page

User says: "I need to add an accessibility page to comply with Israeli law" Result: Create a Hebrew accessibility statement (Hatzaharat Negishot) page with all legally required sections: compliance level, accessibility features, known limitations, contact information for the accessibility coordinator (rakaz negishot), and last update date.

Example 3: Fix RTL Form Accessibility

User says: "Screen readers are not reading my Hebrew form correctly" Result: Add dir="rtl" to the form element, ensure all labels are associated with inputs and use Hebrew text, add aria-required="true" for mandatory fields, provide Hebrew error messages with role="alert", and set dir="ltr" on numeric inputs like phone and ID number fields.

Example 4: Make Hebrew Data Table Accessible

User says: "My Hebrew table is not accessible to screen readers" Result: Add dir="rtl" to the table element, include a Hebrew caption, use scope="col" and scope="row" on header cells, mark LTR content like order numbers with dir="ltr", and ensure logical reading order matches visual RTL order.

Scripts

scripts/audit_a11y.py -- Run IS 5568 accessibility audit: automated checks for Hebrew lang attribute, RTL direction, ARIA labels, contrast ratios, and skip navigation using axe-core and selenium. Generates compliance report with pass/fail per IS 5568 clause. Run: python scripts/audit_a11y.py --help

References

references/is-5568.md -- Complete IS 5568 standard reference: clause-by-clause requirements mapped to WCAG 2.1 AA, Israeli-specific additions, legal penalty schedule under the Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities Act, mandatory accessibility statement template, and checklist for compliance audits.

Error: "Screen reader announces content in wrong order"

Cause: Visual RTL order does not match DOM order, or missing dir attribute Solution: Ensure the DOM source order matches the intended reading order for RTL. Add dir="rtl" to container elements. Use CSS logical properties for layout instead of physical positioning that may conflict with reading order.

Error: "Hebrew form validation messages not announced"

Cause: Error messages not using ARIA live regions or alert role Solution: Add role="alert" to error message containers and ensure they are populated dynamically after validation. Use aria-describedby to link error messages to their input fields. Error text must be in Hebrew for Hebrew forms.

Error: "Skip navigation link not working in RTL layout"

Cause: Skip link positioned off-screen using physical CSS (left: -9999px) Solution: Use inset-inline-start: -9999px instead of left: -9999px for the skip link. Ensure the target element has id and tabindex="-1" for focus management. Test that the skip link is the first focusable element in tab order.

Israeli Accessibility Compliance

Step 1: Understand the Legal Framework

Regulation	Requirement	Deadline	Penalty
IS 5568	Israeli accessibility standard based on WCAG 2.1 AA	Mandatory since 2017	Up to 50,000 NIS per violation
Takanat Negishot 2013	Public websites must comply	In effect	Lawsuits + fines
Amendment 19 (2022)	Mobile apps included	In effect	Same as above
Government sites	Must meet IS 5568 Level AA	In effect	Government oversight

Step 2: IS 5568 vs WCAG 2.1 -- Key Differences

IS 5568 is based on WCAG 2.1 AA but adds Israeli-specific requirements:

Area	WCAG 2.1 AA	IS 5568 Addition
Language	Declare lang attribute	Must support `lang="he"` with RTL
Text direction	Not specified	Must declare `dir="rtl"` for Hebrew content
Contrast	4.5:1 for text	Same, plus contrast check with Hebrew fonts
Form labels	Associated labels	Labels must support RTL alignment
Error messages	Descriptive errors	Must be in Hebrew for Hebrew sites
Accessibility statement	Recommended	Mandatory (Hatzaharat Negishot)
Contact info	Not required	Must provide accessibility contact method

Step 3: Set Up Accessible RTL HTML Structure

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="he" dir="rtl">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>שם האתר - כותרת הדף</title>
</head>
<body>
  <!-- Skip navigation link (required) -->
  <a href="#main-content" class="skip-link">דלג לתוכן הראשי</a>

  <header role="banner">
    <nav role="navigation" aria-label="ניווט ראשי">
      <!-- Navigation items -->
    </nav>
  </header>

  <main id="main-content" role="main">
    <!-- Page content -->
  </main>

  <footer role="contentinfo">
    <a href="/accessibility-statement">הצהרת נגישות</a>
  </footer>
</body>
</html>

Key IS 5568 requirements in this structure:

lang="he" and dir="rtl" on the html element
Skip navigation link in Hebrew ("דלג לתוכן הראשי")
ARIA roles for landmarks
Hebrew ARIA labels for navigation
Link to accessibility statement (Hatzaharat Negishot) in footer

Step 4: Hebrew Screen Reader Compatibility

Test with these screen readers commonly used in Israel:

Screen Reader	Platform	Hebrew Support	Testing Notes
NVDA	Windows	Excellent with eSpeak-ng Hebrew	Free, most common in Israel
JAWS	Windows	Good with Eloquence Hebrew	Commercial, institutional use
VoiceOver	macOS/iOS	Good native Hebrew TTS	Built-in, growing adoption
TalkBack	Android	Good with Google TTS Hebrew	Built-in on Android devices

Hebrew-specific screen reader patterns:

<!-- Announce content direction changes -->
<p dir="rtl" lang="he">
  טקסט בעברית עם <span dir="ltr" lang="en">English text</span> משולב
</p>

<!-- Hebrew ARIA labels -->
<button aria-label="סגור חלון">X</button>
<input type="search" aria-label="חיפוש באתר" placeholder="חפש...">

<!-- Hebrew live regions for dynamic content -->
<div aria-live="polite" aria-atomic="true" dir="rtl">
  הטופס נשלח בהצלחה
</div>

Step 5: RTL-Specific ARIA Patterns

<!-- RTL form with accessible error messages -->
<form dir="rtl" novalidate>
  <div role="group" aria-labelledby="personal-info">
    <h2 id="personal-info">פרטים אישיים</h2>

    <label for="full-name">שם מלא</label>
    <input id="full-name" type="text" required
           aria-required="true"
           aria-describedby="name-error"
           aria-invalid="false">
    <span id="name-error" role="alert" class="error" hidden>
      נא למלא שם מלא
    </span>

    <label for="teudat-zehut">תעודת זהות</label>
    <input id="teudat-zehut" type="text" pattern="[0-9]{9}"
           inputmode="numeric" dir="ltr"
           aria-required="true"
           aria-describedby="tz-help tz-error">
    <span id="tz-help" class="hint">9 ספרות</span>
    <span id="tz-error" role="alert" class="error" hidden>
      מספר תעודת זהות לא תקין
    </span>
  </div>
</form>

<!-- RTL data table -->
<table dir="rtl">
  <caption>סיכום הזמנות</caption>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th scope="col">מספר הזמנה</th>
      <th scope="col">תאריך</th>
      <th scope="col">סכום</th>
      <th scope="col">סטטוס</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td dir="ltr">ORD-12345</td>
      <td>04/03/2026</td>
      <td dir="ltr">1,234.50 &#8362;</td>
      <td>הושלם</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Step 6: Accessibility Statement (Hatzaharat Negishot)

IS 5568 requires a published accessibility statement. Required content:

<article dir="rtl" lang="he">
  <h1>הצהרת נגישות</h1>

  <p>אנו ב-[שם החברה] מחויבים להנגשת האתר לאנשים עם מוגבלויות
     בהתאם לתקן הישראלי IS 5568 ולהנחיות WCAG 2.1 ברמה AA.</p>

  <h2>אמצעי נגישות באתר</h2>
  <ul>
    <li>האתר תומך בניווט מלא באמצעות מקלדת</li>
    <li>האתר תומך בקוראי מסך (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver)</li>
    <li>תמונות מלוות בטקסט חלופי</li>
    <li>ניגודיות צבעים עומדת ביחס 4.5:1 לפחות</li>
  </ul>

  <h2>פנייה בנושא נגישות</h2>
  <p>רכז/ת נגישות: [שם]</p>
  <p>טלפון: <a href="tel:+97212345678" dir="ltr">+972-1-234-5678</a></p>
  <p>דוא"ל: <a href="mailto:negishot@example.co.il">negishot@example.co.il</a></p>

  <p>תאריך עדכון אחרון: [תאריך]</p>
</article>

Step 7: Automated Accessibility Testing

See scripts/audit_a11y.py for the full audit pipeline.

# Quick accessibility check with axe-core via selenium
from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.chrome.options import Options

def run_accessibility_audit(url):
    options = Options()
    options.add_argument('--headless')
    driver = webdriver.Chrome(options=options)
    driver.get(url)

    # Inject axe-core
    axe_script = open('axe.min.js').read()
    driver.execute_script(axe_script)

    # Run audit with Hebrew locale rules
    results = driver.execute_script("""
        return axe.run({
            rules: {
                'html-has-lang': { enabled: true },
                'valid-lang': { enabled: true },
                'document-title': { enabled: true },
                'bypass': { enabled: true },
                'color-contrast': { enabled: true },
                'label': { enabled: true },
                'image-alt': { enabled: true }
            }
        });
    """)

    driver.quit()
    return results

IS 5568 compliance checklist (automated + manual):

Check	Automated	Tool
`lang="he"` present	Yes	axe-core
`dir="rtl"` present	Yes	Custom rule
Color contrast 4.5:1	Yes	axe-core
All images have alt text	Yes	axe-core
Form inputs have labels	Yes	axe-core
Skip navigation link	Yes	axe-core
Keyboard navigation	Manual	Tab-through test
Screen reader compatibility	Manual	NVDA/VoiceOver test
Hebrew error messages	Manual	Visual inspection
Accessibility statement	Manual	Page existence check

See references/is-5568.md for the complete checklist mapped to IS 5568 clauses.

Example 1: Audit Existing Israeli Website

Example 2: Add Accessibility Statement Page

Example 3: Fix RTL Form Accessibility

Example 4: Make Hebrew Data Table Accessible

Scripts

scripts/audit_a11y.py -- Run IS 5568 accessibility audit: automated checks for Hebrew lang attribute, RTL direction, ARIA labels, contrast ratios, and skip navigation using axe-core and selenium. Generates compliance report with pass/fail per IS 5568 clause. Run: python scripts/audit_a11y.py --help

References

references/is-5568.md -- Complete IS 5568 standard reference: clause-by-clause requirements mapped to WCAG 2.1 AA, Israeli-specific additions, legal penalty schedule under the Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities Act, mandatory accessibility statement template, and checklist for compliance audits.

Israeli Accessibility Compliance

Israeli Accessibility Compliance

Instructions

Step 1: Understand the Legal Framework

Step 2: IS 5568 vs WCAG 2.1 -- Key Differences

Step 3: Set Up Accessible RTL HTML Structure

Step 4: Hebrew Screen Reader Compatibility

Step 5: RTL-Specific ARIA Patterns

Step 6: Accessibility Statement (Hatzaharat Negishot)

Step 7: Automated Accessibility Testing

Examples

Example 1: Audit Existing Israeli Website

Example 2: Add Accessibility Statement Page

Example 3: Fix RTL Form Accessibility

Example 4: Make Hebrew Data Table Accessible

Bundled Resources

Scripts

References

Troubleshooting

Error: "Screen reader announces content in wrong order"

Error: "Hebrew form validation messages not announced"

Error: "Skip navigation link not working in RTL layout"

Security Analysis

Checks Performed

Risk Factors

Related Skills

Hebrew Document Generator

Shabbat Aware Scheduler

Hebrew Content Writer

Reviews (0)

Israeli Accessibility Compliance

Israeli Accessibility Compliance

Instructions

Step 1: Understand the Legal Framework

Step 2: IS 5568 vs WCAG 2.1 -- Key Differences

Step 3: Set Up Accessible RTL HTML Structure

Step 4: Hebrew Screen Reader Compatibility

Step 5: RTL-Specific ARIA Patterns

Step 6: Accessibility Statement (Hatzaharat Negishot)

Step 7: Automated Accessibility Testing

Examples

Example 1: Audit Existing Israeli Website

Example 2: Add Accessibility Statement Page

Example 3: Fix RTL Form Accessibility

Example 4: Make Hebrew Data Table Accessible

Bundled Resources

Scripts

References

Troubleshooting

Error: "Screen reader announces content in wrong order"

Error: "Hebrew form validation messages not announced"

Error: "Skip navigation link not working in RTL layout"

Security Analysis

Checks Performed

Risk Factors

Related Skills

Hebrew Document Generator

Shabbat Aware Scheduler

Hebrew Content Writer

Reviews (0)