In the United States, a website needs to comply with the ADA law. If you operate a business website, you should be aware of what ADA means and how you can remain ADA-compliant to avoid lawsuits.
Usually, the ADA law applies to physical locations. This means certain businesses must provide accommodations to fulfill the needs of people with disabilities. But what you may not be aware of is that law is also relevant to the electronic and information technology realm. As per the law, web content should be made accessible to blind and deaf users. If you are a business owner, you should ensure that your website and all the web content on it are ADA-compliant. Let us help you understand in a little more detail what compliance with ADA means.
What is ADA?
ADA stands for the Americans with Disabilities Act. The purpose of this law is to avoid discrimination against people with disabilities. Blind and deaf users should have equal rights and opportunities as those other people. The act covers both physical locations as well as digital properties.
ADA compliances and the standards for web content accessibility guidelines (WCAG) together ensure that people with disabilities such as blind and deaf users have easy access to websites. In fact, staying compliant with the law works in your favor by enabling you to serve all kinds of users and display your commitment to a proactive approach and help you grow.
Which Businesses Should Comply with ADA?
Now that you know what ADA refers to, you will definitely want to know which types of businesses require to follow the law.
Title I of the law covers those businesses that have a minimum of 15 full-time employees and operate for at least 20 weeks every year. Title III covers those businesses that belong to the “public accommodation” category including physical locations as well as public transportation. In a nutshell, the Americans with Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design extends from physical accommodations to digital accommodations.
If your business falls under Title I or Title III, you should definitely take all the essential steps to become ADA-compliant.
How to Create an ADA-Compliant Website
When developing a website, it is crucial to pay attention to every crucial aspect of the website for enhanced accessibility. In order to make the website ADA-compliant, you should make it accessible to people who are visually impaired or deaf. Your website should be easy to navigate for everyone.
To understand ADA compliance and ADA guidelines, you should reach out to a local marketing agency. An experienced web designer will be able to explain the different components of an ADA-compliant website in a clear and better manner. If you are in or near Scranton, PA, you should feel free to get in touch with Evolve local Marketing to find out all those regulations that you should follow. Our web designers will help you understand what compliance for a website means.
When it comes to website accessibility guidelines, here are some of the most useful tips for businesses to follow:
Alt Tags
Whether it is a photo, audio file, or video, you should make sure each of these has alt tags. These alternative descriptions allow people with disabilities to read or hear what they cannot see.
Transcripts
The creation of text transcripts is an essential step in making a website comply with ADA laws. Transcripts help hearing-impaired users understand a piece of content they are unable to hear.
Site Language
In compliance with ADA guidelines, you should also let the users know what language your website uses. This information proves to be of great help to users who utilize text readers.
Layout
The navigation, links, and buttons on a website should be in proper order. If each of these elements is well-organized, it becomes easy for users to browse every section of the website.
There are many more features and components like these that a web designer needs to add to a website to make it ADA-compliant. No matter what type of user accesses your website, they should all be able to receive the same experience. A web designer focuses on WCAG 2.0 guidelines to develop a website that follows the design standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
What Consequences Can You Face, If Your Website Does Not Comply with ADA?
It is your responsibility to make your website ADA-compliant. If your website does not follow the ADA regulatory guidelines, you will be held liable for the violation and will need to face the consequences of it.
If your website does give easy access to people with disabilities, you may face a lawsuit against your company. Regardless of whether it was not your intention to deny access to blind and deaf users, you will need to deal with it. Finally, you could end up paying a large sum of money in lawsuits.
That is exactly why it is crucial to adhere to the ADA law and web content guidelines and develop an ADA-compliant website.
Talk to an ADA Web Design Specialist
If you still have a question in this regard, you should reach out to our local marketing agency in and near Scranton, PA. At Evolve Marketing, we specialize in the development of ADA-compliant websites. Our expert web designers will answer all your questions and help you regarding ADA compliance.
For your consultation with one of our ADA experts in Scranton, you can call our office phone number or write us an email using the contact form on our website.