Isn’t it amazing how integrated the internet and everyday experiences have become? Storefronts and restaurants, even those that are still seen as mostly brick-and-mortar locations, have seen the line between their digital presence and physical location blur. This new age of connectivity has made shopping, getting services, and making financial decisions easier than ever.
At least, for some of us.
Nearly 14% of Americans are disabled in one way or another, but just as our infrastructure often lags in physical accommodations, so does the web. For most of the internet’s history, websites were not built or tested with low-vision or differently-abled users in mind.
What goes into making a website “accessible”
Understanding WCAG
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is the international standard for web accessibility. It defines a site as accessible using four guiding principles. These principles should be achieved regardless of an individual’s disability. The guiding principles are:
- Perceivable
- Operable
- Understandable
- Robust
WCAG lays out detailed guidelines and technical structure to achieve this on most assistive technologies. The guidelines take into account users who are visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing, physically impaired and using an assistive device, or color blind.
How accessible sites are created
We discovered early in our web ADA compliance journey that successful implementation of WCAG guidelines during a new build requires three areas of consideration:
- Strong site content structure: This means ensuring that all content is logically placed, menus are simple, and basic HTML elements are used correctly. This has the added benefit of boosting user experience and search engine ability to crawl your site
- An eye for accessibility: Accessible color contrast, spacing between elements, and deeper labeling for screen readers are all key to making sure a site is usable for all. Fortunately, we have trained designers and developers on staff who look out for these issues throughout a website project.
- Expert and user testing: Following guidelines only gets you so far. Even the most well-meaning guidelines can have unintended consequences during implementation. Depending on a site’s goals, our sites are either tested by our in-house ADA compliance specialist using specialized tools and an assistive screen reader or by true visually impaired users.
When possible, a native assistive technology user is highly recommended. Testing from a native assistive technology user ensures that your site transcends simply following guidelines to provide a great experience for all.
How to update an existing site to be ADA-compliant
Most sites can be updated to meet WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 A or AA standards. Here at LimeLight we follow a process that is typically a three-step approach:
Accessibility audit
Depending on your site’s industry and goals, an accessibility expert or a native user of assistive technology will perform your site audit. This will include an automated scan and manual testing of major site templates to look for areas out of compliance or structure that may be confusing without visuals.
This audit is prepared as a list of fixes with which WCAG standards they fall, as well as an hours estimate for implementing the changes.
Implementation
Our skilled development team will then get to work on implementing the fixes throughout your site. Once the initial round of changes is complete, we test the site again to ensure the fixes solve the problems we discovered.
After all fixes are complete, we work with you to push the updates to your live website.
Accessibility page
Last, we provide an accessibility page for your site that will lay out what was done to ensure the site is accessible. It will also include contact information for users who find an accessibility issue in the future to reach out to. You’ll want to make sure this inbox is monitored and that any accessibility issues that come up are promptly managed.
Why ADA Compliance is important
Legal implications
Case law is somewhat undefined right now but the legal precedent is the most well-defined in the following spaces:
Government and public services, higher education, and healthcare: A ruling in April 2024 adopted WCAG 2.1 Levels A and AA as the standard for state and local government sites. This also paves the way for compliance requirements for recipients of federal funding.
Public businesses or organizations with a physical location and website: This would include ecommerce with a brick-and-mortar location, restaurants with online ordering, hotels, theaters or event centers, and banks.
A key tenet of the Americans with Disabilities Act is fair and equal enjoyment. This means that if your website provides information or service and all members of the public cannot equally enjoy it, you could open your business to possible litigation.
So, for example, if you are a restaurant that offers online reservations but the online system isn’t accessible, even if you offer reservations by phone too, this isn’t considered fair and equal.
The U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division takes the position that ADA requirements include services offered on the web, so we will likely see the case law around web accessibility continue to strengthen.
Ethical considerations
Inclusivity is a cornerstone of a fair society. By making your website accessible, you ensure that all users, regardless of their abilities, have equal access to information and services. You are opening your business to more potential customers and positive experiences.
Take the first step to make your site accessible to all
Ensuring your website is ADA compliant is not just about avoiding legal issues; it’s about creating an inclusive web for all users.
Get in touch with LimeLight Marketing today to meet with our Web Accessibility Specialists for an audit or to discuss what a new, accessible website would look like for your business.
