ADA Compliant Websites, What You Need to Know

Information and Technology News

ADA Compliant Websites, What You Need to Know

A visually challenged guy tried to purchase pizza from Domino’s website and mobile app at least twice in recent years, but his screen reader didn’t work. Domino’s internet properties were inaccessible to blind individuals. Since 2016, they have engaged in a legal struggle over whether their site violates the ADA by rejecting disabled customers. The blind guy won a major win when the Supreme Court refused Domino’s plea to revisit the case. 

ADA compliance affects any company with a website. Here are the key issues about ADA compliance and Elevato can help. https://www.elevatodigital.com/ada-website-compliance-how-to-make-a-website-ada-compliant/

ADA Compliance? 

We must first comprehend the ADA to understand website ADA compliance. 

According to the ADA National Network, the 1990 civil rights statute forbids discrimination against people with disabilities in all public life. The law generally guarantees disabled Americans equal rights. The 1990 draft left information technology legislation undefined. 

Years later, the Department of Justice established the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, which clarified that all electronic and information technologies must be accessible to disabled people. 

ADA compliance: Who is it for? 

In the NAD v. Netflix case, the DOJ said that “online services” are protected under section III of the ADA. If your website doesn’t fulfill accessibility requirements, your company might be sued: 

  • Private companies with 15+ workers 
  • Public-benefit businesses 
  • All government departments 

Thus, nearly all organizations, including yours, must comply. Given the lack of established requirements, ADA compliance is not as simple as it seems. 

W3C’s Online Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the standard for ADA compliance among web designers and developers. These international web standards are the most frequently adopted today. 

WCAG—what should you know? 

Website ADA compliance is more complicated than ticking a box (we wish it were). WCAG accessibility ratings must be understood throughout website redesign planning. Writing, designing, and developing your site will depend on its accessibility. 

WCAG’s four categories—perceivable, operable, intelligible, and robust—define accessible websites. 

WCAG ratings A, AA, and AAA are least to most accessible. Grades become complicated rapidly. Direct-from-source guidelines are here. I’ve summarized each grade’s requirements below. To guarantee your site satisfies the following standards, you may need to engage with an expert developer. 

A-Compliance 

Level A sites provide screen reader users with alternate text for pictures, video captions, and a clear information structure. As a best practice, Push10 builds all sites from Level A. 

AA Compliance 

To make the site accessible to more individuals with impairments, Level B pays extra attention to color contrast, font size, sensible button layouts, and more. 

AAA Compliance 

The ultimate WCAG ADA compliance level is the most accessible but also the most limiting in design and functioning. It is rare and only followed by local, state, and federal administrations. 

Why should websites be accessible? 

1 in 4 Americans are disabled. Building a non-ADA compliant site might exclude a huge audience from your organization. 

It may boost SEO. 

Google hasn’t stated that accessible websites would rank higher. Alt text, specified tags, informative links, and other ADA compliance strategies do affect search visibility.

Web technology has improved to the point where if businesses invest a little more effort to make their sites accessible, many more people may enjoy experiences that those without disabilities take for granted. 

We must always recall our goal in web development, strategy, design, and writing. Our website would be pointless without users. 

Web accessibility is a buzzword, but its influence is real. Accessibility lets more people use your site and interact with you.