What Is ADA Compliance? (How ADA Impacts Your Website)

Have you audited your website to ensure that it is ADA compliant?

In 2010, the United States Department of Justice published recommendations on public entities making the digital platform accessible to the people with disability. This mandate applies to all the users, including those who are disabled by using assistive technologies to access websites using a computer and smart devices.

What Makes a Site Accessible?

According to the WCAG, a website must adhere to these guidelines to ensure ADA compliance. Four core principles underly these guidelines:

Perceivable: All content should be presented in ways that allow users to receive it. These examples range from equivalent alternatives for multisensory content to include text and images.

Operable: All navigation and interface components can be used by everyone, regardless of whether they happen to be keyboard users or access using assistive technologies.

Understandable: Content and interfaces should be understandable and intuitive.

Robust: Content must be equally accessible to users with current and future assistive technologies.

Understanding the Fundamentals and Benefits of ADA Compliance

ADA compliance is not just about passing the legal requirement; it could be a leverage for increasing business potential by tapping on a broader market.

ADA compliance refers to the Americans with Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design that ensures that electronic information and technology, which involves web pages, can all be accessed by people regardless of their disabilities.

This civil rights law strives to assimilate all human beings into public life with special attention paid to people with disabilities. It covers workplaces, schools, transportation, and various other public fields. Websites and online content fall into this category, too, so they should be accessible to the highest extent possible for all types of users.

Following the ADA standards is an expression of a will to make it inclusive and allow every individual the opportunity to be a part of that event.

Legal Perspective Regarding ADA Compliance

Who Needs to Obey ADA Requirements?

ADA compliance essentially reaches various types of entities. Even if your business or organization doesn't need to be explicitly made compliant, the adoption of such standards provides an element of inclusion and protects against litigation.

Here are some organizations and groups required to comply with the ADA requirements:

• State and local government organizations
• Private businesses with 15 or more employees
• Public accommodations covered under Title III: This would include any business or facility that is open to the public, such as Public transportation, Schools, Restaurants and bakeries, Grocery stores, Hotels, Banks and law offices, Social service centers, Gyms and healthcare providers, The U.S. Postal Service

In short, ADA compliance affects almost every business and their website so that they're accessible to all-people with disabilities being included.

What If My Website Is Not ADA Compliant?

Most of the time, it is unintentional if your ADA compliance standards fail, but intent is not the issue because if your website fails to comply with ADA, then you are risking lawsuits that are too heavy to bear. Though it's unintentional and you did not follow the set guidelines under the U.S. Department of Justice, you may end up paying thousands of dollars for lawsuits if your website is not accessible to everyone.

In addition to litigations, the following are also repercussions of non-compliance with ADA standards:

• Court cost
• Settlement
• Potential public relation issues
• Rebuilding your website at compliance costs

In addition, you may lose your customers if your website does not allow access to disabled users. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that millions of people have disabilities increase every few years. As of 2010, more than 56 million Americans were reported to have disabilities-that's a considerable number of potential users who may be excluded from accessing your site.

How to Meet ADA Compliance Standards

Over time, the best practices for accessible website design change. Where once WCAG 2.1 was the gold standard, the newly finalized version 2.2 in October 2023 supplants this as the benchmark for compliance for U.S. state and local government websites.

WCAG's Three-Tier Grading System

• Level A: Only some users can access your website.
• Level AA: Your web site is accessible to almost all users.
• Level AAA: Your web site is accessible to all users.

While Level AA generally does the trick, building your web site to be totally compliant at Level AAA ensures inclusivity and leaves no one out.

Core Principles of WCAG Guidelines

1. Be Perceivable

All of the users should be able to perceive what's on your website-informationally-contented text, images, videos, audio, and other media. Accessibility requires providing alternative options, such as using text-to-speech for visually impaired users or providing closed captions for users who can't hear.

2. Be Operable

Your website should be accessible to everyone, regardless of physical or technological limitations. All forms of menus and tools that are supported by assistive technologies should be available for users. This may necessitate changes to your HTML, and thus it is essential to hire a web developer with experience in ADA compliance.

3. Be Understandable

In addition to navigation, your website must also enable visitors to understand what is on the site. Give users explicit directions for using tools, and navigation menus as well as forms. Ensure that any content, texts and multimedia are presented in a direct and simple manner.

4. Be Robust

Regardless of whether users rely on assistive technologies, the overall experience of your website should be consistent for everyone. Avoid shortening descriptions or oversimplifying content for disabled users. Provide complete information and ensure all users receive the same quality of interaction.

Do You Need ADA Compliance Services?

To achieve ADA compliance, many organizations must completely revamp their website to include accessible alternatives directly into the HTML coding. Though this may take months or even years and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, non-compliance can cost much more in lawsuits, settlements, and lost business opportunities.

Think of ADA compliance as an investment. This is a positive input into your organization that will allow you to make it more inclusive. You'll reach out to a bigger audience and develop a stronger reputation. If assistance is needed, contact us today. We have a team specialized in accessibility compliance services to help you reach the greatest level of ADA compliance, making sure your website meets all the requirements.