Digital Accessibility for the Right to Health: Preliminary Evaluation of Healthcare Platforms in the City of Buenos Aires.

Abstract

The digitalization of the healthcare system transformed health access, but without web accessibility, these platforms become exclusionary barriers. This preliminary empirical study evaluates compliance with critical Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) criteria across 34 public and private health platforms in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. Through manual testing focused on operability and perceivability, their impact on people with visual, motor, and auditory disabilities was analyzed. Results evidence a systemic non-compliance with Law 26,653: no institution achieved 100% of the minimum indispensable adequacy, with several registering zero compliance. It is concluded that digital inaccessibility violates the right to health and patient autonomy. State intervention and the adoption of Universal Design are urgently needed to guarantee equitable digital health.