Being ADA Compliant: What You Need to Know
ADA Compliance for Websites – The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a civil rights law that protects people with disabilities from discrimination. While websites and other digital content online are still not explicitly mentioned in the ADA, regulations and court orders show that the ADA does apply to web content. Additionally, see the Virginia ADA court orders and the DOJ court cases search.
ADA-compliant means you have made your website accessible to people with disabilities.
Being ADA compliant means making your website accessible for everyone, regardless of their ability. Not complying means individuals with a disability, such as a visual impairment, can’t access your website as it’s intended, and leaves you vulnerable to potential lawsuits. For example, civic websites, such as those of municipalities, counties, or cities, should be designed to support ADA compliance. With the right tools, the steps required to achieve compliance are straightforward, whereas the consequences of being inaccessible are severe.
If you own a website in the United States, there are some crucial reasons why you should get compliant as soon as possible.
It’s the right thing to do
The most important reason is that it’s the right thing to do. Many people worldwide have a disability, whether visual or neuromotor, which may make it difficult for them to use your website without the accommodation of screen reader coding. If you can’t access the internet, studying, applying for a job, opening a bank account, or visiting a doctor may be impossible for someone with a disability.
Here are the facts when it comes to disability:
1 in 5 Americans has a disability.
Eighty million Europeans have a disability.
Globally, more people are disabled than the number of people who live in China.
Digital accessibility is a potential lifeline for people with disabilities worldwide. It’s not morally right, and it’s not good business to have an inaccessible website, especially when you consider that:
Customers with digital accessibility issues will leave a website if it isn’t accessible.
Customers will pay more for the same item on a competitor’s website if that website is more accessible.
E-commerce retailers lost $828m because they were not compliant with the ADA.
An accessible website also has the potential to improve your website’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO) ranking.
Being ADA-compliant means doing the right thing while improving your business through better click-through rates and increased engagement on your site.
Not being ADA-compliant is also a financial risk in the legal sense
Under U.S. law, owners of inaccessible websites can be held liable for lawsuits. If you’re sued and lose the case, you may pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages and legal fees.
The volume of ADA prosecutions has risen massively since 2010. In 2018, 2,200 lawsuits were filed in federal courts. By 2020, nearly ten website-related ADA lawsuits were filed per day.
In 2020, 77.6% of all accessibility lawsuits were filed against online retailers. Moreover, 21% of cases involve companies that have previously received web accessibility lawsuits.
It’s not just small businesses that are at risk; larger companies are also vulnerable. Giant corporations and household names, such as Domino’s Pizza, edX, American Express, and Carnival Cruise, have been sued and forced to pay hefty settlements. In 2020, US companies spent $6.625 billion on ADA settlements. Companies such as McDonald’s and Kmart have also settled cases outside of court.
Get ADA Compliant Now
The steps required to become compliant are straightforward. VISIONEFX, in partnership with UserWay, takes all the hard work out of achieving ADA compliance.
UserWay is the #1 web accessibility solution for WCAG & ADA compliance, trusted by some of the biggest brands online. Your website can be on the fast track to accessibility in just a few clicks. It’s time to showcase your commitment to inclusion and help everyone view your website as intended, regardless of their ability. Let’s Get Started. Click here to start the process of becoming ADA-compliant!
Also, see VISIONEFX Announced as a 2022 National and Local Excellence Award Winner by UpCity!
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