There it is. The website you’ve worked all month on. You’ve carefully chosen the right colors, the right font, and you’ve even spent more time than you’d probably like to admit on choosing the right domain name. You don’t tell anyone, but you think it’s a masterpiece.
It’s perfect… Well, almost perfect.
Think back to elementary school. You and your classmates would sit at your desks while the teacher stood at the front of the classroom and taught everyone about the Revolutionary War or why mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell. You would take notes, participate in classroom activities, and try to answer as many questions as you could. Perhaps you were the kind of student that would sit in the back and mind your own business, not really participating in much. Regardless, chances are, you didn’t need much assistance in your educational journey. But the thing is, some of your classmates probably did need assistance. In fact, 1 in 4 Americans has some sort of disability.
The same thing happens when you visit a website. You can probably see everything fine. You don’t need help navigating the menu and the sound might be a little low, but nothing slightly turning up the volume can’t fix. But unfortunately, not everyone is as able-bodied as you might be. And because you don’t know who’s looking at your website, you need to ensure all of your potential customers are able to access your content. This is where an ADA Compliant Website comes in.
What Is ADA Compliance?
The Americans With Disabilities Act, or ADA, is a federal law that requires certain businesses to make their businesses accommodating to everyone regardless of their disability. It’s been a law since 1990, but ever since the Americans With Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design was added in 2010, the government has begun to crack down on non-compliant websites. Your business can actually get in quite a bit of trouble if it’s not ADA compliant. So how do you know if your business is required to comply?
Who Needs To Have ADA Compliant Website?
ADA.gov states that all businesses that fall under Title I and Title III need to make their websites compliant. Your business most likely falls under this.
- Title I
- Engaged in an industry affecting commerce.
- Employing 15 or more full-time employees each day.
- Employees are full-time employees for at least 20 or more calendar weeks in a year.
- Title III
- Public accommodation businesses of the following industries:
- Inns, hotels, motels
- Restaurants and bars
- Bakeries and grocery stores
- Hardware stores and/or any retail outlet
- Banks
- Laundromats and dry cleaners
- Accountants and lawyers’ offices
- Health care providers’ offices
- Public transportation
- Recreation venues
- Schools and school districts (public and private)
- Social service centers
- Gyms
On top of all of this, government agencies fall under a special set of rules known as simply “Section 508”, which requires all electronic devices and IT services provided by the government to be accessible to those with disabilities. This includes things such as documents, webinars, user guides, and others, in addition to the website itself.
How Can My Business Be ADA Compliant?
ADA requires that all Title I and Title III business’ websites be accessible to those who are blind, deaf, and those who navigate using assistive technology, such as voice and screen readers. In order to achieve this, the website itself must have certain software installed on the back end, which takes content already created and allows disabled users the ability to manipulate it in accordance with their needs. Additionally, simply having this special software installed isn’t enough. The website itself needs to be designed with disabled people in mind from the ground up. Bad design can often lead the backend software not to function properly, rendering your website non-compliant.
What Can Happen If My Business Doesn’t Have ADA Compliant Website?
Here at The Digital People, we have seen business owners get sued for failure to comply, incur damage to their brand and reputation, and so much more. The federal government takes it so seriously that first-time offenders can be fined upwards of $55k-$75k, and $150k for every violation thereafter. So what can I, as a business owner, do about it?
If you haven’t made your website ADA compliant yet, do so immediately. Compliance is one of those things where it’s better late than never, and it’s better to have than not have at all.
If your business needs an ADA-compliant website, please call us. Our team is trained in ADA compliance and is here to help your business succeed online.
