The ADA, enacted in 1990, is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. While the ADA itself doesn’t explicitly mention websites, the Department of Justice (DOJ) considers websites as places of public accommodation. This means that ADA compliant website design, like physical businesses, must be accessible to people with disabilities.

Why ADA Compliance is Important

Inclusivity & Ethical Responsibility
Ensuring everyone can access your website promotes inclusivity and demonstrates your commitment to serving all members of your community.
Legal Protection
While the DOJ hasn’t yet issued specific web accessibility regulations, lawsuits regarding website accessibility are on the rise. Compliance helps protect you from legal challenges.

Expanded Reach & Customer Base
Making your website accessible broadens your potential audience. By removing barriers, you might expand your customer reach.

Improved SEO & User Experience
Implementing accessibility best practices, tools or plugins often lead to a better user experience.

What Does ADA Compliant Website Design Entail?

ADA compliance typically aligns with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), a set of internationally recognized guidelines developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). WCAG outlines four core principles, often remembered by the acronym POUR.

Perceivable
Information and user interface components must be presented in ways users can perceive. This includes:

• Providing text alternatives for non-text content (images, videos, etc.) provides descriptions for screen readers.
• Offering captions and transcripts for videos allows users with hearing impairments to access the content.
• Ensuring sufficient color contrast makes text and visual elements easily distinguishable for users with low vision.
• Allowing users to resize text reduces loss of content or functionality.

Operable
User interface components and navigation must be operable. This means:

• Making all functionality available from a keyboard so users who can’t use a mouse can navigate and interact with the site using only a keyboard.
• Providing sufficient time for users to read and use content.
• Designing websites that don’t contain content that can cause seizures or physical reactions
• Integrating easy to understand menus, links and site structure.

Understandable
Information and the operation of the user interface must be understandable. This involves:

• Using clear and concise language avoiding jargon and complex sentence structures.
• Making content appear and operate in predictable ways ensuring consistent site layout and functionality.
• Providing input assistance helping users avoid and correct errors in forms.

Robust
Content must be robust enough that it can be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies. This involves:

• Using valid HTML code ensuring the code is properly structured and follows web standards.
• Making sure that your code is compatible with assistive technologies like screen readers and other assistive technologies.
• Using semantic HTML elements and appropriate tags.

How to Achieve ADA Compliance

1. Assess Your Current Website
Conduct an audit using automated accessibility checkers and, ideally, involve users with disabilities in testing.

2. Choose an Accessible Website Design Development Team
Select a team experienced in accessible website design and development.

3. Implement WCAG Guidelines
Follow the WCAG guidelines meticulously throughout the design and development process.

4. Use Descriptive Alt Text
Add alt text to all images describing their content and function.

5. Provide Captions and Transcripts
Offer captions and transcripts for videos.

6. Ensure Keyboard Navigation
Make the website functional using a keyboard.

7. Test Regularly
Perform ongoing testing to ensure your website remains accessible as you update content and functionality.

8. Consider Accessibility Overlays
While accessibility overlays may offer some benefits, they are not a replacement for proper implementation of WCAG guidelines and thorough testing.

Conclusion

ADA compliant website design is fundamental for creating an inclusive and user-friendly online experience. By embracing accessibility you’re not only complying with ethical and potentially legal requirements but also expanding your reach, improving your user experience, and demonstrating your commitment to serving everyone. Take the first step today and start making your website accessible to all.

POP THE PIXEL is a Philadelphia web design company that can help integrate accessibility features into your web design. Send us an email online or call 323-848-4465 today for a free consultation or review of your current website.