Just a few of decades ago, those of us who were around at the time couldn’t have imagined how the internet would come to dominate our day-to-day lives. These days we rely on websites for just about everything.
But, for the one in five Americans who has a visual, auditory, ambulatory, or cognitive disability, navigating websites can be a challenge. Attorneys are increasingly suing private companies whose sites don’t comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a landmark civil rights bill passed in 1990.
To comply with the ADA, your website should be designed so that people who are blind or who have visual impairments, are deaf or hearing impaired, or who have mobility or cognitive challenges are able to access your content in a meaningful way.
If your site is difficult or impossible for those with disabilities to navigate, it will catch up with you sooner or later. Don’t wait until you get a notification of non-compliance from an attorney.
Here are some key facts:
- While none of the ADA’s five titles explicitly mentions accessibility of websites (the ADA was enacted in 1990, years before the internet took off), Title III does address “places of public accommodation.” Attorneys are interpreting this to include websites.
- Websites with components that are inaccessible to people with disabilities may be deemed as discriminatory and in violation of Title III of the ADA.
- The ADA is a strict liability law. This means excuses like, “We didn’t know” or “We’ll get to it eventually” won’t cut it.
- There’s no current legal prescription for website accessibility in the U.S. But, courts in the U.S. and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have repeatedly referenced the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 criteria to gauge website accessibility; you don’t necessarily need to meet all of the WCAG requirements to have what’s considered an accessible website.
- There’s no instant solution—meaning no toolbar, widget, or plugin that can fix website accessibility issues. It will take a concerted effort to bring your site into compliance, if it’s not already.
What’s the WCAG 2.1?
It’s a set of guidelines that addresses accessibility of web content on desktops, laptops, tablets, and mobile devices. It’s not the law, but it is a helpful reference.
Following the WCAG guidelines can help you make your web content more accessible to people with disabilities. This includes people with blindness and low vision, deafness and hearing loss, limited movement, speech disabilities, and photosensitivity. The WCAG guidelines also provide some accommodation for people with learning disabilities and cognitive limitations.
The guidelines don’t address every need for every person with a disability(s). But following them will make web content friendlier for people with disabilities—and more usable for everyone in general.
Who benefits from website compliance?
Just as a poorly designed building can make it difficult or impossible for a person with a disability from entering or fully accessing the space, a poorly designed website can create barriers to information.
People with hearing or vision loss or who can’t use standard tools to access web content (such as a mouse) need websites that accommodate their abilities. When you make your website accessible to people with disabilities, you not only comply with the law, you also make inclusion a priority.
Making your website more accessible
Ok, so how do I make my website ADA compliant, you ask? The reality is there’s no set formula. This is good and bad. It means you have some flexibility. It also means compliance can be somewhat ambiguous.
Here are some ways to immediately start making your website more accessible for people with disabilities, straight from the horse’s mouth (ADA.gov).
Add text equivalents to images on your website
- Screen readers and refreshable Braille displays are limited. They can’t interpret photos charts, color-coded information, artwork, and other graphic elements. That’s why you need to add text equivalents to images on your site.
- Use “alt” tags for brief amounts of text and “longdesc” tags for images that need detailed descriptions.
Create captions and image descriptions for videos
- All video-only and audio-only content should have text transcripts that are clearly labeled and linked below the media.
- All video with sound (including live video) should have closed captioning.
- All videos on your site should have an alternative video that includes an audio description of information not presented in the original video’s soundtrack.
Design your website for maximum accessibility
- Use correct heading tags and HMTL for web content.
- Present content in a meaningful order and sequence so it reads properly.
- Don’t rely on color alone to convey information or meaning.
- Use a color contrast ratio of 4.5:1 between all text and backgrounds.
- Ensure text can be resized to at least 200% without distortion.
- Make sure any audio features can be paused, stopped, and repeated. Use clear anchor text links rather than “click here” links.
- Use descriptive headings and labels.
- Indicate any language changes for an entire page or within the content.
- Ensure there are multiple ways to access different pages/information on a website (e.g., search bar, navigation menus, sitemap, and helpful links after content).
- Make sure the navigation layout is consistent on all web pages.
- Label all form/input fields so users know what input and what format is expected.
- Minimize blinking, flashing, or other distracting features.
Ensure your site has good user controls
- Make sure all content and functions on your site are accessible by keyboard only.
- Ensure users can navigate every part of your website via keyboard without getting stuck.
- Make sure users can pause, stop, or hide content that flashes, scrolls, or moves.
This is not a comprehensive list. It’s just a snapshot of some of the ways to make your site more accessible to people with disabilities.
Create an action plan
Your next step is developing a web content accessibility plan. This should include:
- Establishing and posting an accessibility policy on your website
- Ensuring all new and existing pages are modified for accessibility
- Training in-house and contracted staff
- Periodically testing your webpages with disability groups, and modifying pages as needed
- Ensuring users with disabilities have alternative ways to access the information and services provided on your website
It can seem overwhelming but take it one step at a time. Focus on the most popular pages on your site first. ADA website compliance is not a set-it-and-forget-it deal. It’s an ongoing endeavor. For example, when you update webpages with new images, you must update alt tags and long descriptions, too.
Can’t I just pay someone to do it for me?
Possibly. There are companies that specialize in website accessibility remediation. Just be aware that many only offer audits or automated scans. These can be helpful, but they’re limited. Seek out a company that offers a comprehensive audit and roadmap on how to proceed. TrueAccessibility.com is a great place to start!
Ideally, the company you choose will have specialists who can make the changes for you (if it’s in your budget). Keep in mind that some of your digital assets may need to be recreated altogether to make them fully accessible.
Get help from the pros
Prioritizing ADA website access in 2020 is a must. It can help you avoid that dreaded letter of non-compliance, and it’s the right thing to do. Everyone should have access to information, regardless of ability.
Once you’ve nailed down website accessibility issues, you need a solid digital marketing strategy to convert website visitors into customers. The pros at National Positions can help.
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