The American Disabilities Act became effective in 1990 and serves to protect individuals with disabilities against discrimination in areas of public life including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public such as websites. It serves as a regulation to make sure that people with these disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as the rest of the population.
The American Disabilities Act covers a number of disabilities under the law including:
- Deafness
- Blindness
- Diabetes
- Cancer
- Epilepsy
- Intellectual Disabilities
- Partial or Completely Missing Limbs
- Mobility Impairments Requiring the Use of a Wheelchair
- Autism
- Cerebral palsy
- HIV Infection
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Major Depressive Disorder
- Bipolar Disorder
- Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive Disorder
- Schizophrenia
Each of these disabilities qualifies any person diagnosed to receive protection under the American Disabilities Act. Each specific title within the act covers specific aspects of living with a disability. The five titles that the ADA covers specifically include employment, state and local government, public accommodations, telecommunications, and miscellaneous provisions. These specific titles designate all aspects of the American Disabilities Act:
Title I – Employment
Title I has been designed and created to guarantee people with disabilities an equal opportunity of employment with benefits equal to those of people without disabilities.
Accommodations provided by employers are required for qualified applicants, which delegates that modifications or adjustments for work environments are made to enable the applicant process and the ability to perform job functions.
Title II – State and Local Government
Title II is designed to prohibit discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all programs, activities, and services of public entities. This applies specifically to state and local governments and all departments or agencies within districts of state and local government. This title also includes equal access to all public transportation systems including transit systems.
Title III – Public Accommodations
Title III prohibits the discrimination of individuals with disabilities by private places of public accommodation such as restaurants, hotels, retail merchants, medical offices, schools, daycare centers, fitness clubs, sports centers, and other similar entities.
Standards for accessibility for people with disabilities have been set and must be met by all entities like the ones listed above. Existing buildings that do not meet these requirements are required by law to make modifications for accommodation such as the installation of handrails in certain spaces or wheelchair ramps. The type of modifications and pricing for such modifications depends on the establishment and the reasons by which a building does not meet the requirements.
Title IV – Telecommunications
Title IV requires that all telephone and internet companies provide telecommunications relay services (interstate and intrastate) which allows individuals with hearing and speech disabilities to communicate over the telephone.
This title includes the closed captioning of federally funded public service announcements.
Title V – Miscellaneous Provisions
Title V relates to ADA as a whole including its relationship to other laws, state immunity, impact on insurance providers and benefits, the prohibition against retaliation and coercion, illegal use of drugs, and attorney fees.
Under this title, a list of conditions which do not qualify an individual as disabled is provided.
How This Relates to Website ADA Compliance
As technology advances and allows more individuals, both disabled and not, to improve their lives, the need for compliance with ADA standards on websites increases. More disabled individuals seek and need access to the internet, which means that all website owners that provide a public service should be looking to make their website as compliant as possible to persons with disabilities.
The internet is one of the largest and most digestible tools to find information, which means that any individual seeking information on a topic, service, or product should be able to do so with ease. A website may be deemed inaccessible if there is information, content, or services provided on the website which is not accessible in the physical location to persons with disabilities.
A website may also be deemed inaccessible to persons with disabilities if a website is inseparably tied to the physical location in a way that those who cannot access the site are missing out on information.
Moving Forward
All persons deserve to be able to access the internet, which means equal availability of information and pages should be provided by all websites. By making your website accessible to everyone, you will increase your audience and allow them the opportunity to take advantage of what your website has to offer.
Although all disabilities should be taken into consideration when making a website ADA compliant, people with certain disabilities are frequently affected by websites that are deemed inaccessible.
Common Disabilities Affected
The most common disabilities that are affected by websites that are not ADA compliant include but are not limited to individuals who are blind, epileptic, deaf, have mobility impairments, have partial or full missing limbs, have muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, or have intellectual disabilities. Making a website ADA compliant for individuals with the above listed disabilities expands the internet for those individuals, and generates greater overall internet viewership. This means that it benefits both parties involved in browsing the internet: the host and the viewer.
Do you know someone who could benefit from our services? Refer them to us today! Our team is eager to connect with businesses in any industry. We serve the local needs of Ventura County and Santa Barbara as well as anywhere in the United States.
Social Spice Media provides complex packages that will improve the exposure of your business or organization and keep your website in line with ADA Compliance Standards. In congruence with your marketing goals, we’ll increase the digital presence of your business through social media marketing, business blogging, and email marketing. Our talented web developers will improve the appearance of your website and business as a whole.
