How to Make Your Website ADA Compliant
How to Make Your Website ADA Compliant
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Creating an ADA-compliant website can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Following accessibility best practices like including alt text for images, testing for assistive technology compatibility, and creating a responsive layout all help improve the accessibility of your digital content. Keep reading for more ways to create ADA-compliant websites.
Creating a website that’s compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) isn’t just about avoiding legal lawsuits (though that is a major benefit) — it’s about opening your digital doors to everyone, including the billions of people worldwide with disabilities.
From a legal standpoint, non-compliance can lead to expensive fines or penalties and reputational damage. But here’s the good news: creating an ADA-compliant website isn’t as difficult as you might think — and it can bring numerous benefits to your business, including a broader audience, new revenue opportunities, and an enhanced brand reputation.
Below, we’ll break down the practical steps to make your website ADA-compliant and how an accessibility partner like AudioEye makes the process fast, easy, and cost-effective.
The Americans with Disabilities Act: An Overview
Enacted in 1990, the ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including employment, education, transportation, and access to public and private spaces that are open to the general public.
While the ADA previously focused solely on physical spaces, the Department of Justice has repeatedly stated that online spaces are considered “places of public accommodation” and must be accessible to individuals with disabilities. More simply, the ADA requires websites, mobile apps, and online documents to be accessible.
To be considered compliant with the ADA, organizations must follow the accessibility standards outlined in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA. Created by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), WCAG outlines technical and design standards that enhance accessibility for individuals with disabilities.
Failure to comply with ADA website compliance requirements can result in legal risks, including lawsuits and expensive fines, damage to your reputation, and loss of user trust.
7 Steps to Make Your Website ADA-Compliant
Meeting ADA standards in your digital content involves a combination of understanding accessibility standards, implementing best practices, and committing to ongoing improvements.
The steps below are a good starting point for ADA compliance; for a more complete list of ADA compliance standards, check out our ADA Compliance Checklist for Websites.
1. Familiarize Yourself with WCAG 2.1
WCAG is considered the international standard for accessibility and is used in numerous accessibility laws, including the ADA. These guidelines include technical specifications and design principles that ensure content is perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust (commonly known as the POUR principles) for all users, including those with disabilities.
Be sure you and your team are familiar with the standards outlined in WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Using a WCAG checklist or completing regular accessibility training can deepen your understanding of WCAG and help you stay on top of changing accessibility standards.
2. Conduct Accessibility Audits
Once you have a better understanding of WCAG, assess the current state of your website’s accessibility. Free accessibility tools, like this one from AudioEye, can help you identify common accessibility issues like poor color contrast or missing alt text. The results from your accessibility audit can give you a clear starting point, help you prioritize improvements, and meet ADA requirements.
3. Follow Accessible Website Design Best Practices
Now, it’s time to implement accessible design best practices into your web design and development processes. Below are just some of the accessibility principles your digital content should include.
Ensure Appropriate Color Contrast
Ensure text and background colors have sufficient contrast to be readable by those with visual impairments, including low vision and color blindness. WCAG Success Criterion 1.4.3: Contrast (Minimum) recommends a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text. A color contrast checker can help you strike the right balance.
Ensure Text can be Resized
Users should be able to enlarge text by up to 200% without breaking the design or the functionality of your site. This ensures those using assistive technologies or who have visual impairments can adjust text size based on their specific needs.
Include Alt Text for Images
All non-text content, including images, charts, and graphs, should have descriptive alt text to ensure they’re accessible for screen reader users.
Add Captions or Transcripts
Ensure all video and audio content are accessible to those with auditory disabilities (such as deafness or hard of hearing) by including captions for videos and transcripts for audio files.
Create Accessible Forms
ADA compliance standards also apply to online forms, which means they need to be accessible as well. Ensure all form fields are labeled clearly and include descriptive error messages to help users complete forms successfully. This is especially important for assistive technology users.
Ensure Online Documents are Accessible
PDFs and other online documents are also required to be accessible under the ADA. Descriptive tags, headings, and proper formatting can help enhance online document accessibility.
Use Accessible Fonts
Use an accessible font to enhance readability for all users, especially those with disabilities. Sans-serif options, such as Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, or Times New Roman, are strong choices for those with cognitive disabilities. Avoid using overly decorated or script fonts, as these can decrease readability.
Use ARIA Roles and Properties Appropriately
ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) roles can enhance accessibility; however, they must be used appropriately and sparingly to avoid negatively impacting the user experience.
Keep Navigation and Structure Consistent
Your site’s navigation and layout should be consistent across pages to reduce website visitors’ confusion. For example, buttons, menus, and other interactive elements should be the same across your entire website.
Use a Logical Heading Order
Organize your headers hierarchically (e.g., H1 for main titles and H2 for subsections) to provide clear structure. This is especially important for screen reader or keyboard users as it helps them more easily navigate pages and understand a page’s order.
Include Descriptive Links
Avoid using vague link text like “Click here.” Instead, use descriptive text that clearly conveys the purpose of the link to users. For example, ‘Click here to learn more about WCAG’ is more descriptive and gives users a better idea of what will happen if the link is clicked on.
Set the Language for the Page
Specify the language of your website to help screen readers interpret the content correctly.
Keep Distractions to a Minimum
Keep distractions on your digital content to a minimum. Avoid automatically playing content, flashing animations, or intrusive pop-ups that can disrupt or disorient users.
4. Ensure Digital Content is Compatible with Assistive Technologies
Many users with disabilities rely on assistive technologies, like screen readers, voice recognition software, and screen magnifiers, to navigate online experiences. Test your website’s compatibility with these tools to ensure a seamless experience. Consider using screen reader software like JAWS or NVDA to test the user experience or testing with actual screen reader users. This hands-on testing helps you identify and address any barriers to accessibility, ensuring your website meets ADA compliance standards.
5. Test for Keyboard Accessibility
Similar to assistive technology, some users with disabilities rely on keyboard commands and shortcuts alone to navigate digital content. Ensure your website has seamless keyboard navigation by:
- Creating a logical tab order for navigation
- Avoiding keyboard traps that prevent users from moving from element to element
- All website elements, including buttons, links, and menus, can be interacted with via keyboard commands.
Testing for keyboard-only accessibility is a key component of ADA compliance as it ensures all users can access your content — regardless of their physical abilities.
6. Use Semantic HTML
Using clean, semantic HTML in your development processes ensures your web page structure is logical and understandable by assistive technologies. Focus on using standard HTML elements for headings, lists, and navigation to enhance accessibility. Additionally, semantic HTML improves your website’s compatibility with screen readers and other tools, improving the user experience.
7. Make Accessibility an Ongoing Effort
Digital accessibility is not a one-time project — it’s an ongoing process that requires regular testing and improvements. By staying informed about upcoming changes to accessibility standards, such as WCAG 2.2 and WCAG 3.0, which both introduce new accessibility requirements, can help you maintain accessibility and ADA compliance. You may also want to consider providing your team with regular accessibility training.
The bottom line: ADA compliance requires vigilance and adaptability. By committing to continuous improvement, you can create digital content that is not only ADA-compliant but also inclusive and welcoming.
The Role of Expert Help in ADA Compliance
Meeting ADA compliance standards can feel overwhelming — especially if you’re new to accessibility or who have limited resources. This is where an accessibility partner can provide invaluable support.
For example, AudioEye streamlines your path to ADA compliance with free accessibility tools, including our Website Accessibility Checker, which scans for 30 WCAG violations (more than any other tool available, that gives you an understanding of how compliant your existing digital content is. Plus, our Automated Accessibility Platform automatically resolves common WCAG issues, streamlining your path to compliance.
For more complex accessibility issues, our team of accessibility experts and individuals from the disability perform Expert Audits of your content, identifying accessibility issues and providing guidance for fixing them. Finally, with AudioEye Assurance, you’ll enjoy up to 400% more legal protection than consulting or automation-only approaches.
By partnering with accessibility experts like AudioEye, you gain a comprehensive approach to accessibility testing and ongoing support to ensure your digital content remains ADA-compliant. This partnership mitigates legal risk and demonstrates your commitment to providing equal access for all users, enhancing your reputation and audience reach.
Start Your Path to ADA Compliance with AudioEye
Creating an ADA-compliant website benefits everyone, including your business. It reduces legal risks and helps you avoid expensive legal fines or penalties, and it creates a better user experience for all. While the process may seem daunting, following the best practices above can help you get started. Plus, with the right partner by your side, ADA compliance is easier and simpler than ever. That’s where AudioEye comes in.
From our free accessibility tools and automated fixes to our legal assurance, AudioEye provides all the services, tools, and support you need to meet ADA compliance standards.
Take the first step towards compliance today with a free accessibility scan. Or schedule a demo to see AudioEye in action.
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