ADA compliance protects businesses against fines and lawsuits and safeguards the interests of potential customers by accommodating their needs. According to the ADA, the website’s content must be accessible to deaf and blind users and those who navigate it with assistive technologies, screen readers, or voice. Businesses considering an ADA accessible solution for websites must know a few vital details regarding ADA compliance. And following are some facts:
What Is ADA compliance?
In 1990, the ADA act was passed to prevent discrimination against people with disabilities. The Act encompasses all sectors, including schools and jobs, private or public places, and transportation. And in the year 2010, the Americans with Disabilities Act Standards was passed where all information and electronic technology were mandated to make it accessible to individuals with hearing loss or vision impairment.
Which Businesses Need ADA Compliance?
Business consisting of 15 full-time employees operating 20 or more weeks in a year comes under Title I of the ADA. And under Title III, businesses falling under the public accommodation require compliance. It means the law applies to both physical accommodation and digital considerations. So, if your business falls under Title I or Title III of the ADA Act, you can find an ADA solution. Also, it is best to explore various options with your disability lawyer before making a choice.
What Is WCAG in ADA Compliance?
There is a lack of clarity when rules regarding ADA website compliance are concerned; hence many organizations adhere to the WCAG guidelines. And WCAG acts as a reference point for businesses that aim to improve digital accessibility. The guidelines have categorized accessibility issues into four groups. They are:
Perceivable: It concerns issues that impact the ability of a user to find and process website information. According to the guidelines, one must easily perceive the presented information, and it could be done by offering alternatives like assistive technology or audio options allowing sight-affected users to perceive the content easily.
Operable: The issues affecting the visitor’s ability to navigate and use websites are operable issues. So, an ADA-accessible solution for websites must ensure that users do not confront accessibility issues.
Understandable: These issues involve the ability of users to comprehend the available information. So, you need to make sure that the content is easily understood by making it predictable and readable and providing input assistance when required.
Robust: It is concerned with the ability of a website to adapt to the changing needs of users. The website’s content needs to be interpreted by different platforms and devices. For example, to make your content accessible, you could make it compatible with assistive technologies.
Businesses meeting the above requirements can easily make their content accessible to individuals with learning, language, or cognitive disabilities and hearing or vision impairments.
How Can You Develop a Website That Is ADA Compliant?
There are various ways you can address content accessibility issues and make your website ADA compliant. You can create alt tags for audio files, videos, and images to allow users to hear or read content descriptions that otherwise cannot be viewed. In addition, businesses can use text transcripts for audio and video content, making it accessible to users with hearing impairments. You could also offer suggestions and alternatives when input errors are encountered to help the users navigate the site with greater ease.
Understanding ADA website compliance will increase accessibility to users, and you could avoid potential lawsuits and complaints.
