Why ADA Website Compliance Matters for Your Organization
Website accessibility isn’t just best practice - it’s a requirement. If your website isn’t ADA compliant, you could be excluding users with disabilities and exposing your business to legal risk.
Ensuring ADA compliance means your site is inclusive, professional, and future-proof.
We are currently offering a website accessibility package that starts with a free appraisal of your website’s ADA compliance. Following the appraisal, we will then outline which updates can be made to improve accessibility, such as the setup of an accessibility widget that makes it easier for visitors with visual impairments, dyslexia, and other challenges to navigate your site.
Read on to find out more about ADA compliance and how we can help.
What is ADA Compliance?
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990, to guarantee all public spaces are accessible to people with disabilities.
Although the ADA does not specify technical standards, websites are increasingly considered public spaces. So, we look to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) as the framework for improving accessibility and aligning websites with ADA requirements.
This means we pay close attention to our design direction, aiming for an inclusive approach that allows equal access for all – the way it should be, in all areas of life, both in the real and virtual world.
While the ADA has been in effect since the early nineties, it has only been in recent years that enforcement of website accessibility has become more prominent.
This is a positive, proactive development that shows we, as a society, are taking more steps towards an inclusive model across all spaces.
Therefore, businesses are expected to offer accessible design and to adhere to ADA guidelines, and failure to do so could result in legal challenges.
So, let us ask you: have you checked in on your website’s ADA Compliance lately?
Is Your Website ADA Compliant?
We recently had a kick-off call with a client during which we discussed his vision for his website. One of the things he mentioned off the bat, was that he liked to imagine his elderly mother using the website: would it be easy to navigate for her? Would the information and CTAs be clear to her?
This is a wonderful way to approach the design of your organization’s website, and frankly, we should all be doing that. This approach will also help you to identify whether your website is ADA compliant.
When we speak of inclusive website design, we are, of course, talking about so much more than easy navigation and readability (which would be two of the main factors to keep in mind for elderly users). We are looking at all possible areas of accessibility following the guidelines:
Do your users have access to screen readers for visually impaired individuals?
Do your images include the alt text necessary for screen readers to convey the image content?
Is any video content present on your website provided with captions and/or subtitles for the deaf community?
Can your website be navigated with the use of the keyboard only?
Can users pause any flashing or animated content?
If this is the first you’ve heard of all these features, you might be surprised to find that these are starting to become common practice. In this case, we invite you to take this opportunity to do two things:
Take a moment to appreciate the impressive sides of technology that truly help our digital space in becoming accessible to all.
Get in touch today for a free appraisal of your website’s ADA compliancy.
Why Now?
Aside from the fact your website should be an inclusive space that meets modern expectations, you should also want to be a part of the change we so desperately need to see in the world – real, digital and virtual!
Let us do all that finagling to bring your website closer in line with ADA guidelines, so you can focus on getting geared up for a busy winter season. You’ll want to be properly prepared for your end-of-year campaigns, and this is one important way to get you on track.
Reach out today to learn more about our accessibility package and get your website on the path toward greater inclusivity.
Let’s start working towards being the change the (digital) world needs to see.
This article is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific guidance on ADA compliance or related obligations, please consult a qualified attorney.
