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.