What is Americans with Disabilities Act? Does ADA apply to websites?

Ramya Venkitesh — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 04:18:27 +0000

Last year there was a news trending about Domino’s Pizza being sued because of inaccessible website & mobile app and the claim of Domino's to have the case thrown out, arguing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) did not apply to its website because it is not covered as a "place of public accommodation". So, understanding ADA is critical for businesses to understand their obligations and also to meet compliance.

History of ADA

Due to a huge number of people with a disability facing discrimination, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) came into existence to protect individuals with disabilities in America. The law became signed law on July 26, 1990 by American President George H.W. Bush.

What does Americans with Disabilities Act state?

ADA is a civil right law introduced to prevent discrimination against people with disabilities in public sector as well as private places that are open to the general public.

The main focus of this act is to provide equal rights and opportunities to everyone. This will provide equal opportunity to the disability community in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications.

ADA is divided into five titles that relates to different areas of public life.

Title I - Employment: Equal Employment Opportunity for Individuals with Disabilities
Title II - State and Local Government: Non-discrimination on the Basis of Disability in State and Local Government Services
Title III - Public Accommodations: Non-discrimination on the Basis of Disability by Public Accommodations and in Commercial Facilities
Title IV - Telecommunications: To provide telephone relay service for Individuals with Disabilities
Title V - Miscellaneous Provisions

The lawsuit against Domino’s was filed under Title III – Public Accommodation. The question that arises is that are websites covered under the ADA?

We are seeing varied opinions from the federal and states courts on whether websites and mobile apps are covered under ADA. But at this point, it would be advisable for businesses to look at the wider obligations under ADA and ensure that their websites and mobile apps are accessible to people with disabilities.

So, it is time to adopt accessibility and adhere to ADA since it will benefit your customers and your employees. Looking at people with disabilities as your customers.

Its time for businesses like Domino’s Pizza to look at the business opportunity of catering to this otherwise ignored audience.

At BarrierBreak, accessibility testing or accessibility audits is performed in order to meet ADA regulations. We assist our customers to ensure your product is accessible to all. Feel free to email us to know more about how you can adhere to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

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ADA Compliance for Websites

Moiz Yamani — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 08:02:21 +0000

ADA compliance refers to the Americans with Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design, which states that all electronic and information technology (like websites) must be accessible to people with disabilities. As per UsableNet’s Business Case for web accessibility in 2020 ADA Compliance lawsuits can cost companies between $15,000 and $100,000.

What is ADA?

As litigation surrounding the accessibility of websites has soared in recent years, the term ‘ADA website compliance‘ has become commonplace. In order to comply with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), a landmark 1990 civil rights law, your website must be designed so that people who are blind, have visual impairments, are deaf, have hearing, mobility or cognitive challenges or other people are able to access your content in a meaningful way. The purpose of the law is to make sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else.

What do you mean by ADA Compliance for Websites?

ADA-compliant websites provide an online experience that is accessible to all, including people with disabilities. This means having websites that cater to visually impaired users, creating content that is suitable for screen readers, using descriptive links and making website actions accessible to anyone with a keyboard.

In practice, ADA compliance for website means that a website must meet the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards for barrier-free design, which allows people to use devices such as screen readers and keyboards to access and consume online content, including blog posts, videos, and online services.

Is ADA Compliance important?

Yes, absolutely! I cannot place more emphasis on how important it is to make your website ADA Compliant. The fear of lawsuits and financial risks are not the only reasons why it’s a great idea for your website to adhere to ADA compliance standards. Ethically and financially, it becomes all the more important to address to the needs of your customers. By complying to ADA, you open up your business to a greater world of dedicated community members and customers. By adhering to these standards, you will not only create a better user experience for your users but also inadvertently increase your profitability and overall company success.

How to make your website ADA Compliant?

WCAG was created by The W3C Web Accessibility Initiative in order to “develop standards and support materials to help you understand and implement accessibility.” There are some simple practices that can help you ensure your website is ADA Compliant. WCAG 2.0 guidelines help translate ADA requirements into easy-to-follow steps to target specific elements on your website that helps you to improve accessibility.

At BarrierBreak, our highly experienced accessibility testing team makes sure that your website is ADA Compliant by implementing a thorough manual check. They also make sure that the website is accessible and Section 508 compliant. Write to sales@barrierbreak.com to help us support you with ADA compliance testing.

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