What websites must be ADA compliant?

The following companies, organizations, or businesses must be ADA Compliant.

1. A business which operates for the advantage of the public
2. Private employers that have 15 or more staff/employees
3. State Government Agencies & Local Government Agencies.

This requirement also covers electronics and information technology. This means the internet is included as well. All websites should be ADA Compliant. There are several advantages to being ADA Compliant, and we’ll go over them.

Why Should Your Website be ADA Compliant?

Inclusivity

According to the CDC, one in four American adults has some sort of disability. By ignoring around 26% of the general population, you’re excluding over 60 million people. It is important that all websites are ADA Compliant because they make accessing the internet easier for 26 percent of the population. Inclusivity is important for website design not just to ensure your site is accessible to potential customers but also because of ethics.

All customers should be able to access your website. If it’s inaccessible to such a large amount, then the website has failed in its primary task – functioning effectively.

SEO Ranking

Making your website ADA compliant actually increases the chances of securing a high ranking via search engines. The point of SEO is to optimize the search engine. The search engine works with the information available. Therefore, when your website is ADA Compliant, you tend to have more information available, which gives the search engine more to work with. This is what increases your chance of a high ranking.

Status

Having an ADA Compliant website makes your business more trustworthy. It also improves the reputation of your business. Although online marketing works, the best form of marketing you can hope for is one between friends, acquaintances, or loved ones. A person is more likely to purchase a product if a friend recommends it compared to if they see an ad on Facebook, for example. An ADA-accessible site will garner positive feedback because of its inclusivity.

User Experience

The general user experience on a website determines if the lead becomes a sale or if a visitor becomes a customer. Your website should always offer a good user experience. There is no way to know who is visiting your website, so you should be prepared. An ADA Compliant website is less likely to provide a bad user experience because of the resources being made available to the public.

Lawsuit

If your website follows the laws of the United States, then you are liable. If you have a website that is not ADA Compliant, especially a website that falls under the three categories listed above, then you can have a lawsuit filed against your company if disabled peoples cannot access or use your website. Even though you have no ill intent by not being ADA Compliant, you could still be facing a lawsuit.

How Do I Make My Website ADA-Compliant?

There are several ways to make your website ADA Compliant; however, we’ll mention two easy steps you can take today.

Captions

Any and all live videos on your website should have captions available. If you’re unsure on how to go about this, consider making YouTube or Vimeo your website’s video hosts. These sites have inbuilt caption tools that can help you make captions yourself.

Text Resizing

The text on your website should be resizable by up to 200%, and the resizing must take place on the website without the need for a third-party application. The resizing should also not affect the content and function of the website.

For more information on ADA Compliance, please reach out to us today. We can help you make your website ADA Compliant.

Circle City Digital is a web design company based in Indianapolis. We specialize in all things digital. We offer website design, branding, automation, SEO, and other digital-oriented services, all at affordable rates. Contact us today to get started!