ADA Website Compliance:
Digital accessibility isn’t new but it’s not your fault you haven’t heard much of it before. Public awareness is just now coming into the mainstream and federal lawsuits are swiftly on the rise.
The international standards in digital accessibility for business websites are set by the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) and is known as WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines).
The U.S. government sets their own requirements for digital accessibility with what’s known as Section 508. Section 508 is the standard for government agencies, non-profits, and federal contractors.
If you’re a business owner, know that most web design/development agencies are also just learning about these standards and how to meet them.
Did you know in the United States you could be sued if your website is not ADA compliant (Americans with Disabilities Act).
So far, States have been ruling this applies to businesses that have a physical location. That could change.
Per the rulings website content should be accessible to the “blind, deaf, and those who must navigate by voice, screen readers or other assistive technologies”.
Even if your business doesn’t have a physical location, it is a good idea to have it ADA compliant. This opens up your site to more visitors.
I have no doubt eventually all websites will be required to accessible to everyone. If you want to know more about this, contact me.