The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires businesses to make reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities, including making websites accessible. This means that websites should be designed and developed in such a way as to allow blind or visually impaired users to access them using screen readers, while also allowing those who are deaf or hard of hearing to understand the content through closed captioning and other audio cues. Additionally, sites must provide keyboard navigation for people unable to use mouse-based input devices and have the ability for users with physical limitations or motor impairments to interact with all interactive elements on the site.
“Even though businesses and state and local governments have flexibility in how they comply with the ADA’s general requirements of nondiscrimination and effective communication, they still must ensure that the programs, services, and goods that they provide to the public—including those provided online—are accessible to people with disabilities.” (Source: ADA.gov)
Why Does it Matter?
There are severe penalties for having an inaccessible website. There are lawsuits and fines that could go as high as $75000 for the first violation. Fines for subsequent violations of ADA compliance could go up to $15000 – and these are always reviewed annually and may be higher to match inflation.
What Are the Requirements for Website Accessibility and ADA Compliance?
1. Provide text alternatives for all non-text content, such as images and audio files.
2. Ensure all content is presented in a logical order that can be easily understood by screen readers and other assistive technologies.
3. Design pages with sufficient contrast between text and background colors to ensure visibility for people with visual impairments or color blindness.
4. Make sure all form controls are labeled correctly, so users know how to interact with them properly using their keyboard or mouse (or voice commands).
5. Allow users to control time limits when interacting with content on the website, including auto-refreshing pages or timed responses from forms/questions/quizzes etc..
6. Use descriptive headings and labels throughout the site’s structure to make it easier for users to find what they need quickly using their screen reader navigation tools (e.g., heading tags).
Above are just some of the requirements that are needed to make your website ADA-compliant.
There are a few free checkers to make sure your site is compliant. W3 Org has a list here of some of the best ones. https://www.w3.org/WAI/ER/tools/
If you are using WordPress, the good news is that there are several extensions that you can use to make your site compliant. If you are using another builder, you may have to either upgrade your theme and hand adjust the formatting or you may have to manually code the site to make the adjustments.
If you are needing help, we are here for you.