Is Your Website ADA/AODA Compliant?
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What is the ADA?
Making your website accessible to all is a good thing. But more important is understanding the true meaning of ADA and its importance. The ADA or Americans with Disability Act became federal law in 1990, requiring that businesses make reasonable modifications to their services, facilities, and products to be more accessible to people with disabilities. According to the U.S Department of Labor, people with impairments are protected from discrimination in various areas, including employment, transportation, public accommodations, communications, and access to state and local government programs and services. The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits such discrimination. It is further divided into five titles: employment, public services, public accommodations, telecommunications, and miscellaneous.
Internet Based Challenges for People with Disabilities
Everything is going online gradually but steadily, from how we communicate to how we shop. Ecommerce has evolved from being non-existent to a multi-billion dollar business in the previous several decades, showing no signs of slowing down. But in this rush of technology, the tech experts somehow ignored the population with some disabilities, which makes up 7.5% of people worldwide.
According to web surveys, when accessing websites, the top three barriers faced by disabled persons are:
- Crowded pages with much unreadable content
- Need of Captcha to access websites
- Broken links and poor navigation
To overcome these challenges for people with disabilities, ADA states that no individual shall be discriminated against based on disability. Thus, it becomes essential for website owners to develop websites compliant with the ADA guidelines to avoid potential litigation.
How To Make Sure Your Website Complies With The ADA
If you’re anything like us, you’re always on the lookout for ways to improve your website and make it more user-friendly. But what if you don’t know where to start? That’s where our service comes in. We will teach you the basics of website accessibility, such as what the ADA is and what website design obligations it places on businesses. In addition, we’ll provide resources and tips on how to make your website accessible to everyone, regardless of disabilities. Finally, we’ll give you a heads up on how to protect yourself from potential lawsuits related to website accessibility. So whether you’re a web developer, prepare for some serious accessibility advice here!
WCAG Standards - Core Web Accessibility Principles
Website accessibility is a crucial issue for businesses of all sizes. Without proper design and accessibility, website users with disabilities can experience various problems. For example, websites must make sure graphics and images are clear and concise for everyone, regardless of their disabilities. W3C has developed a set of rules for web developers to create a website accessible to everyone. These guidelines are known as Web Content Accessibility Guidelines or WCAG.
Although these standards are not laws and cannot be enforced, websites are now evaluated based on these rules. Using these principles as a starting point for building business websites is recommended to avoid any legal risks and maximize website performance and revenue. The core principles of website accessibility are based on its operation, perception, understandable interface, and compatibility.
If you are a website owner and do not have much knowledge of web development, you’ll need a web accessibility specialist on your team. With their help, you can ensure that all website users can access and use your site without problems.
The ADA and website design
The website design must comply with the guidelines set forth by the ADA to be accessible. Hence compliance means using compelling design features, including accessible text and labeling, and making sure your website is easy to use.
Additionally, owners and developers should regularly make website modifications and updates to ensure compliance. If you find that your website doesn’t meet the accessibility requirements of the ADA, don’t hesitate to review them and make the necessary modifications. Doing so will make your website more accessible and ensure compliance with all federal guidelines.
Here is the list of features an ADA-compliant website must have.
(i) An ADA-compliant website is accessible by keyboard.
(ii) It is zoomable and can be zoomed in or zoomed out to adjust the font size.
(iii) It has a well-readable font, and the user can alter the text size.
(iv) An ADA-compliant website has better color contrast.
(v) It is entirely audible. It is compatible with screen readers.
ADA and website accessibility
Web accessibility is a term that refers to making your website accessible to everyone, regardless of disability. It means that people with disabilities can access all content and features on your site. To ensure your website meets ADA compliance, consult with an expert or follow some guidelines outlined by the Department of Justice (DOJ). Many standard requirements for website accessibility are included in most web standards updates. Website accessibility is about making your website available to everyone, regardless of disability. So, suppose you’re unsure whether your website is accessible. In that case, it’s a good idea to get in touch with an accessibility expert or check the website accessibility guidelines published by the DOJ.
Resources for website accessibility
As ADA started gaining popularity, many companies have introduced online resources to keep your website accessible and regularly test the website’s status. Here are the top 6 resources to help you set up and maintain an ADA-compliant website:
(i) The Web Accessibility Initiative has a comprehensive guide on making websites more accessible.
(ii) WebAIM has detailed information on creating accessible pages, including descriptions of various web design features that can be altered to make your website more accessible.
(iii) The Accessible Rich Internet Applications Consortium offers a variety of resources on making websites more accessible, including tutorials and online tools.
(iv) The Web Standards Project offers a wide variety of resources on web standards, including tutorials and resources devoted explicitly to making websites more accessible.
(v) The W3C has several resources on web accessibility, including an online tool that allows you to check the accessibility of your websi
How to Test your Web Content for ADA Compliance?
It’s no secret that the internet is a booming business for businesses of all sizes. However, ensuring your website is accessible to everyone is of utmost importance. Tools, resources, and professional help are essential to make a website compliant with ADA requirements. But here is the list of some simple tests you can perform yourself to understand the current status of your website.
i. Scan for any Hidden Errors
Many free and paid tools and browser extensions can help you find errors in your website. You can review the page issues, and it is better to turn the styles off while checking any page for errors.
ii. Check your website images.
Look for ways to replace text images with actual text, and ensure that the alternative text conveys the same content and functionality as the image.
iii. Double-check the heading tags on the page
Review the main heading and subheadings (e.g., <h1> to <h4>) to ensure that it reflects the page structure. Also, check for the missing tags.
iv. Color Contrast
Testing tools often flag color contrast issues in the text. It is necessary to have headings contrast with body text, plus a change, like underlining, on hover, and focus. You can also manually check the contrast in images and icons.
v. Check buttons, links, and forms
Enable descriptive labels on the form control. Make sure that the text on links and buttons is also illustrative.
vi. Accessibility through Keyboard and Mouse
An accessible website can be operated entirely using a keyboard or mouse. So this is the test to check the level of accessibility, and it is performed differently on different devices. You must be able to navigate the whole site using the keyboard only, and there should be a logical navigation order.
vii. Check Scaling of Web Content
According to WCAG requirements, the user must be able to zoom the website up to 200% and 400% if you adjust the viewport to 1280px. However, it is highly recommended that the zoom option is mainly for the text only.
viii. Check Compatibility with Screen Readers
Focus on navigation, forms, and dynamic content while checking a website with a screen reader. Is the information provided via ARIA reliable? Do you read the instructions and error messages while filling out a form? Are all dynamic modifications and upgrades available? Transcripts and video captions should also be readable.
You can check your website for other common errors to justify compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0).
What are some common ADA violations, and who Determine Them?
There are a variety of ADA violations, but some of the most common are not providing auxiliary aids and services, not complying with signage requirements, and failing to remove barriers when requested. The U.S. Department of Justice, the federal agency responsible for enforcing the ADA, will make this determination based on information provided by the site owner and operator.
The best way to ensure compliance with the ADA is to review your website content, design, and accessibility feature annually. If you are still confused, compare your website with three of the most complaint websites on the internet: Amazon, Walmart, and Warby Parker.
Conclusion
Website accessibility is an important topic that needs to be considered when designing and developing a website. It is important to remember that ADA requirements are not just for people with disabilities but also for everyone who may be annoyed by inaccessible website features. By following the guidelines in this article, you can ensure that your website is accessible to everyone.
