If you don’t fall under this category, you may still be taken to court for not having an accessible website and held to these specifications until there are formalized specifications for non-governmental agencies. Industries that are the most vulnerable to ADA Website Compliance lawsuits include:
The degree to which businesses are being held to these standards is variable depending on the state, court, and type of business, so lawsuits can be difficult to prevent, and their outcomes can unpredictable. Businesses are often advised to pay the asking dollar amount for damages and attorney’s fees ($4,000) because fighting the violation in court would most assuredly cost more.
Persons with disabilities reasonably expect to be able to gather information, purchase products, and get in contact with a business online just like an able-bodied person. A website may be found to be inaccessible if there is information, content, or services provided on the website that is not accessible in the physical location, or, if the website is inseparably tied to the physical location in such a way that those who can’t access the website are missing out.
Aside from avoiding legal consequences, ADA website compliance online can provide many benefits to your business. Ensuring that your website is accessible to everyone regardless of any disability will expand your target audience to cover an additional 20% of the country (United States Census).
ADA Compliant Web Design & Content Accessibility Guidelines also overlap extensively with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. If your website meets the accessibility guidelines, it will quite likely excel with search engine rankings as well as pave the way for complete accessibility. Make your business accessible to everyone, and everyone will have the opportunity to take advantage of what you offer.
Because at this time there are no legal standards for ADA compliant web design for non-governmental businesses, no website can be made 100% secure. However, taking steps in the right direction can have a huge impact on deterring lawsuits and proving to your customers that you care about accessibility.
Compliance with the push of the button sounds too good to be true, because it is. While you may see plugs and services offering immediate compliance, it’s important to understand that compliance is a long-term goal that will take time, money, and procedural changes.
According to The WCAG 2.0 , these are the main 4 principles to a compliant website:
• Customizable color contrasts and font sizes
• Text is accessible in HTML format
• Images have alt tags
• Videos have captions
• Can be navigated completely with a keyboard (tab, arrow, enter, and space keys)
• Time limits, automatically playing content, and flashing multimedia can be disabled
• Content is clear and understandable
• Easy for users to correct and avoid mistakes
• Intuitive to navigate
• Compatible with future and current tools and features.
• Content and code are kept up to date.
If you’re concerned about ADA compliance on your website, get in touch with Social Spice Media Camarillo CA, today to create a customized plan of action for your website.
Samantha is a Copywriter & Content Creator for Social Spice Media. Her role includes writing content for social media, business blogs, and creating custom graphics. She has a diverse background ranging from retail management to filming and editing for newscasts. She studied broadcast journalism and interned at Power 106 on The Cruz Show, for marketing and producing. Samantha has a passion for social media marketing and growing brand images.
She has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from CSU, Northridge. Before joining Social Spice she worked for marketing agencies giving her the ability to manage multiple clients at once.
In her free time she is a puppy mother and enjoys doing DIY projects around her house.
Caitlin brings a unique array of journalism and communications experience to her role as Content Creator for Social Spice Media. For two years, she wrote for Acorn Newspapers, an East Ventura County-based community news outlet. In that role, she covered breaking news, local government, education, and human interest stories. In April 2016, she earned first place recognition for Sports Feature Writing in the California Newspaper Publishers Association’s Better Newspapers Contest.
She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Azusa Pacific University in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in English and journalism minor. She is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Interactive Media & Communication through Quinnipiac University.
In her free time, Caitlin enjoys writing creatively, dancing, and adding stamps to her passport.