Is Your Website ADA Compliant?

I’ve noticed lots of buzz around ADA Compliant websites, have you? Technological advances make using a computer and working, browsing, and shopping online assessable to everyone regardless of their disability. You do not want to risk losing a customer because he or she cannot navigate or view your website. You also do not want to risk getting a hefty fine for not being ADA compliant.

Below you will find exerts from various articles I’ve read to help you understand this new topic circulating.

New legal landscape is taking shape
The DOJ’s proposed amendments to the ADA, expected in April 2016, would “require public entities and public accommodations that provide products or services to the public through websites on the Internet to make their sites accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities.” The DOJ is careful, however, not to suggest products and services currently offered through websites are excused from ADA compliance, despite the fact that amendments to that effect are currently being proposed.

Thompson Information Services published an ADA Compliance Guide Newsletter in late 2014 that suggests the DOJ will likely adopt the most recent version of WGAC 2.0 — written by theWorld Wide Web Consortium, an international community that develops open standards for the Web — as the standard for accessibility. The newsletter holds: “Costly or not, and the lack of website regulations notwithstanding, DOJ is pressuring companies to modify websites and mobile apps to meet WCAG 2.0 technical standards.”

In support of this prediction, the DOJ reached a settlement agreement with edX Inc., a provider of online courses, in April 2015. The settlement resolved “allegations that edX’s website … w[as] not fully accessible to individuals with disabilities … in violation of Title III of the ADA.” In the settlement, edX Inc. entered a four-year agreement to make its system “fully accessible within 18 months.” The agreement also requires edX Inc. to provide training for course creators, appoint Web Accessibility positions, solicit feedback, and “retain a consultant to evaluate conformance of the website, platform, and mobile applications.”
Read more at http://www.technologylawsource.com/2015/06/articles/information-technolo...
Who Does This Apply?
Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that businesses and nonprofit services providers make accessibility accommodations to enable the disabled public to access the same services as clients who are not disabled. This includes electronic media and web sites. While the ADA applies to businesses with 15 or more employees, even smaller businesses can benefit from ensuring that their websites are ADA compliant. Doing so opens your company up to more potential clients and limits liability. Web developers should include ADA compliant features in the original site and application plans.
This is particularly important when working for a government agency or government contractor, as these organizations must follow web accessibility guidelines under Section 508 of the Workforce Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Although ADA and Section 508 compliance are different, the published checklist for Section 508 compliance offers insight into ways to make websites accessible for people with disabilities, and thereby work toward ADA compliance.
Learn more at http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/web-designer/creating-an-ada-compliant-...

Test Your Website
Web Accessibility Evaluation Tools – I did test several of these and they flagged what I or my web designer needs to fix to be compliant.

http://achecker.ca/checker/index.php - this one offered an explanation in language I understood and seemed very specific with an explanation how to repair the offending item.
http://wave.webaim.org/
https://www.w3.org/WAI/ER/tools/
I recommend you contact your web developer or designer and inquire about making your website ADA Compliant and continue to educate yourself on this topic.

Resource
ADA Best Practices Took Kit for State and Local Governments – this is an excellent resource to learn about why you want an ADA Compliant website and some common problems and solutions.
http://www.ada.gov/pcatoolkit/chap5toolkit.htm

Example on a Website Showing Compliance
http://www.right.com/wps/wcm/connect/right-us-en/home/info/accessibility