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 in Camarillo CA 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 in Camarillo, CA today to create a customized plan of action for your website.
Jeff Rebello joins as a Content Creator for Social Spice Media. His experience in journalism, graphic design and content creation will be utilized in his role writing blogs, creating custom graphics and managing social platforms.
Jeff began his professional career as a Sports Information Director. At California Lutheran University and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, he developed his passion for digital media and online marketing while covering various athletic programs.
A native of Windsor, California, Jeff earned his bachelor’s degree in Communications with an emphasis in journalism from Cal Lutheran in 2018. He was also a pitcher on Cal Lutheran’s NCAA Division III national championship baseball team.
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.
Stacy Pearce recently joined Social Spice as the Director of Creative Marketing with more than two decades of experience in Marketing, Graphic Design, Front-End Web Development and Creative Project Management. Stacy began her professional journey working for Disney Cruise Lines as a member of the inaugural crew for their first cruise ship in 1998, the Disney Magic. While working onboard, she was selected to receive specialized training from Disney in both Public Relations and Guest Service Excellence.
After leaving Disney and working in print design for several years, Stacy decided to make the jump to web design and began working for the well-known training company, lynda.com, as an assistant teacher for their onsite Adobe Photoshop training classes. She also spent many years in the marketing world working for companies like JD Power and Associates, Amgen and Gospel Light Publishing. She then started her own graphic design and consulting business providing logo design, web project management and branding strategy to a wide variety of local groups and businesses.
Stacy joined Social Spice in January of 2020 to help expand their services as a creative designer and a brand strategy specialist.