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. Also, see Virginia ADA court orders and DOJ court cases search/Virginia.
ADA-compliant means you have made your website accessible
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. With the right tools, the steps required to get compliant are easy, whereas the consequences of being inaccessible are harsh.
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, visual or neuromotor, which may make them unable 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 disabled people all around the globe. 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 clickthrough and more engagement on your site.
Not being ADA-compliant is also a financial risk in the legal sense
Under US law, inaccessible website owners can be sued. 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, there were almost ten website-related ADA lawsuits filed per day.
77.6% of all accessibility lawsuits were against online retailers in 2020. Moreover, 21% of cases are against companies that received web accessibility lawsuits in the past.
It’s not just small businesses that are at risk, either. Giant corporations and household names like Domino’s Pizza, Edx, American Express, and Carnival’s 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 you need to take to get compliant are easy. VISIONEFX, in partnership with UserWay, takes all the hard work to get ADA compliant.
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 road 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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