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The Importance of ADA Compliance and Website Accessibility
Designing and building a website is an ambitious endeavor, without a doubt. From UX to design, SEO keywords and content to cookies and data laws – there are always a lot of pieces that need to go together.
If the word metadata rings a bell, we can rest assure you know what we mean.
It’s a lot, but there is one question that many website owners fail to ask because they are simply unaware of the laws. Ignorance is not always bliss. Failing to understand this detail can result in lawsuits due to the suffering caused for people with disabilities. The question:
Is My Website ADA Compliant?
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990. It ensures that people with disabilities have the right to access the same services and goods as the able-bodied. Although it was created before the internet was an essential marketplace, it was designed to evolve and included the concept of places and public accommodations.
That concept has allowed the law to evolve with new technologies and that includes websites under the Web Content Accessibility Guideline (WCAG).
A recent study conducted by the WebAIM project found that 98% of the sites it analyzed had some sort of WCAG non-compliance issue. This is a big problem for people with disabilities who may rely on online services for things like grocery deliveries, medication, and education.
What Can Happen if Your Site is Not ADA Compliant?
Aside from the loss of business – litigation is possible. Remember, nearly every website had non-compliance issues, and with the world becoming increasingly web reliant, imagine being barred from 98% of it.
This massive oversight becomes a big problem for website owners too when the lawsuits start rolling in.
A blind man named Jason Comacho filed lawsuits against 50 different colleges for this very reason, and with merit. Education is essential – what is the point of a wheelchair ramp on campus if the applicant is unable to fill out the form?
Tax Credits for Compliance
Besides protecting your business from a lawsuit and serving a more diverse array of customers, there are tax incentives for businesses that comply. Getting your website ADA compliant means that your company can claim a decent tax credit providing it meets certain criteria. Qualifying companies must generate under $1M in annual revenue or employ less than 30 full-time employees.
So, What Does an ADA-Compliant Website Look Like?
The WCAG states that a compliant website must employ certain features to ensure that the content can be presented in different formats. A compliant website must be:
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Robust
A robust website is going to maximize accessibility capabilities by ensuring full compatibility with assistive technologies. Like the ADA itself, it should be designed to evolve as new technologies become available.
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Operable
The website should not present any content that may induce a seizure and all features should be operable from a keyboard.
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Perceivable
This means things like providing text alternatives for video or audio content and captions. The site should also be compatible with assistive technologies designed to help people interact with the computer. There should also be options to make it easier to either hear or see the content.
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Understandable
This comes back to the readable text, but the content should also be present in a predictable fashion to ensure it doesn’t overwhelm the senses.
How to Get Your Site ADA Compliant
While it may seem like a massive obstacle to overcome, ADA compliance doesn’t actually need to be difficult. Using a service such as Webgrowth makes it easy for small businesses to claim that tax credit, provide a standard of service that meets the requirements of the law, and avoid litigation.
Installing our accessibility widget on your site allows people with disabilities to easily access features like the screen reader, bigger text dyslexia-friendly fonts, and many more. Users can highlight links, set the contrast through 2 different features, pause animations, and more.
ADA compliance is often overlooked and extremely important, but it doesn’t need to be difficult. Get in touch with us at webgrowth.io to find out more about the many ways in which we can help make your site a business growth machine.
Our Results
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Home Services Company
101%
More Traffic
Learn how we increased an attic cleaning company's website organic search traffic by 101% in only 3 months by overhauling the site with an SEO-friendly framework.
Crypto Company
Branding
Design & Development
Read about the value we added to a cryptocurrency hardware startup with their branding, design & development, and content marketing.
Law Firm
54%
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Learn how a custom website redesign increased this law firm's professionalism, trustworthiness, and industry authority, while growing traffic by 54%.
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