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May 1, 2022
What do Amazon, Netflix, and Nike have in common?
They’ve all gotten named in lawsuits related to website accessibility and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). They aren’t alone, either. Such lawsuits have risen steadily, to about 3,500 in 2020 from roughly 2,900 in 2019 and about 2,300 in 2018, according to the report by UsableNet Inc.
What is ADA compliance?
In 2010, the U.S. Department of Justice passed the Americans with Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design, mandating all electronic and information technology, like websites, be accessible to those with disabilities, like vision impairment and hearing loss.
Who does ADA compliance affect?
Almost every business needs to follow ADA, which applies to the following organizations:
- State and local government agencies
- Private employers with 15 or more full-time employees
- Companies operating for the public’s benefit
Even if the ADA does not apply to your business (for example, if you have 10 employees), you should make ADA compliance a priority. You want to give everyone the same experience and level of accessibility, whether they are online or offline.
What if my website isn’t ADA compliant?
A non-compliant website is a problem.
If your website fails to meet ADA standards, you risk lawsuits and hefty fines. First-time violations, for example, receive a $55,000-$75,000 fine, while repeat violations come with a $150,000 fine. Federally funded organizations can also lose funding.
No matter your company or customer base, you cannot afford to ignore ADA compliance.
Even if your business can afford the fines that come with non-compliance, you cannot afford the damage to your brand. When people see that your company doesn’t care about serving people with disabilities, it will impact their opinion and future purchase decisions.
Hire an ADA-compliant web design agency
Here are some common ways businesses can address accessibility issues associated with their web content:
- Create alt tags for all images, videos and audio files. Alt tags allow users with disabilities to read or hear alternative descriptions of content they might not otherwise be able to view. Alt tags describe the object itself and, generally, the purpose it serves on the site.
- Create text transcripts for video and audio content. Text transcripts help hearing-impaired users understand content that would otherwise be inaccessible to them.
- Identify the site's language in the header code. Making it clear what language the site should be read in helps users who utilize text readers. Text readers can identify those codes and function accordingly.
- Offer alternatives and suggestions when users encounter input errors. If a user with a disability is encountering input errors because of their need to navigate the website differently, your site should automatically offer recommendations as to how visitors can better navigate to the content they need.
- Create a consistent, organized layout. Menus, links and buttons should be organized in such a way that they are clearly delineated from one another, and are easily navigated throughout the entire site.
Maintaining an ADA-compliant website helps protect your business against lawsuits and fines in addition to providing needed accommodations for your potential customers.
Contact us online to learn how our team can help your website become ADA-compliant!
