ADA Compliance & Your Website
Everything You Need to Know
What does it mean to be ADA compliant? We’ll start with an example: in 2019, courts ruled in favor of a blind customer who sued Domino’s Pizza under the Americans with Disabilities Act after he couldn’t fully use its website through screen-reading software.
What is the Americans with Disabilities Act?
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life – and it probably includes your business. Whether it’s at work, in school, or on transportation, all public and private areas that are open to the general public must offer an equal opportunity to all.
Why is ADA Compliance Important?
The ADA was signed into law in 1990, and although web access is not specifically mentioned, your website (and website content) may be legally obligated to be ADA compliant. Even if you’re not legally required to be compliant – you should be!
Who is Legally Obligated?
Businesses that fall under Title II and Title III categories must be ADA compliant. This means all state and local governments, and all “places of public accommodations” including private businesses like restaurants, hotels, museums, shopping malls, etc.
If your website fails to meet accessibility standards, you’re preventing individuals with disabilities from fully utilizing your website. This can lead to a loss in sales, damage to your brand’s reputation, and, in some cases, a lawsuit!
So… Can I Get in Trouble for not being ADA Compliant?
Possibly. There are still no established laws or standards on how to make a website ADA compliant, but in 2018, we saw a 181% increase in web accessibility. There have been thousands of lawsuits affecting a wide range of online and brick-and-mortar industries. Fees and fines from these lawsuits could cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Designing Your Website for People with Disabilities
Challenge | Solution | How we can help |
| Hearing | Text-based transcripts. | Assess language and content layout to ensure it is simple, logical, and linear. |
Visual
| Screen readers, braille keyboards, refreshable braille displays, and screen magnifiers. | Ensuring your website supports critical tools, and includes image and link descriptions and video transcripts. |
| Physical | Keyboard and speech only use. | Ensuring proper spacings, and advanced shortcuts that limit the need for scrolling. |
How Can BrandSwan Help?
Testing your website to ensure that it is ADA compliant can be tedious and time-consuming so leave the testing to us. We will make sure your website is both stunning and accessible! After completing an audit on your website, BrandSwan will provide a list of recommendations and a quote.
Contact us today to schedule your ADA Accessibility Analysis!