ADA Compliance for Websites

Is your website accessible?  

Web accessibility simply means designing and developing a website or a software system so that everyone can access it.  People with special abilities or impairments should be able to browse your website. Special needs could include:

  • Visual impairments such as low vision, color blindness, partial or full blindness, etc.
  • Deftness, cerebral palsy, paralysis, etc.
  • Hearing disabilities 
  • Cognitive impairments such as serious head injuries, autism, etc.
  • Learning impairments such as dyslexia

Enabling web accessibility on your website means you comply with the regulations or standards mentioned in ADA laws

What are ADA laws?

ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) is legislation that requires specific entities to make accommodations for people with disabilities so they can have the same opportunities as all other Americans.  

More specifically, the ADA government website says, “The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H.W. Bush. The ADA is one of America’s most comprehensive pieces of civil rights legislation that prohibits discrimination and guarantees that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else to participate in the mainstream of American life — to enjoy employment opportunities, to purchase goods and services, and to participate in State and local government programs and services. Modeled after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin – and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 — the ADA is an “equal opportunity” law for people with disabilities.”

How can I make my website ADA compliant?

There are a few simple things you can do immediately to make it easier for individuals with disabilities to browse your site.

  • Create alt tags for all images, videos, and audio files. Alt tags allow users with disabilities to read or hear alternative descriptions of content they might not otherwise be able to view. Alt tags describe the object itself and, generally, the purpose it serves on the site.
  • Create text transcripts for video and audio content. Text transcripts help hearing-impaired users understand the content that would otherwise be inaccessible to them.
  • Create a consistent, organized layout. Menus, links, and buttons should be organized in such a way that they are delineated from one another, and are easily navigated throughout the entire site. 

There are also free and paid solutions to assist you in making sure your website is fully ADA compliant.

FREE ACCESSIBILITY CHECK

https://www.deque.com/free-accessibility-test/

https://www.accessibilitychecker.org/

https://www.tawdis.net/#

https://wave.webaim.org/

FREE ADA COMPLIANCE SOLUTIONS

https://userway.org/pricing/?plan=small

https://adally.com/adally-free-accessibility-widget/

PAID ADA COMPLIANCE SOLUTIONS

https://userway.org/pricing/?plan=small

https://www.audioeye.com/

https://accessibe.com/

To find out more about ADA compliance, please visit the government compliance website at: 

https://www.ada.gov/

The information in this article is for education purposes only.  Always do due diligence with any legal matters including ADA compliance.  To find out more about ADA website compliance and how you can protect your business, consider consulting with a disability attorney.