How to Make your Website ADA Compliant

Is making your website ADA compliant causing your stress? The majority of websites fail an accessibility test in at least one category. You don’t have to be part of that statistic.

Drive Social Media has partnered with accessiBe to give you an AI-powered accessibility solution. You know that diversity and inclusion are paramount.

Learn more about how Drive Social Media and accessiBe can help your website meet ADA compliance standards, increase your customer base, and protect you from lawsuits.

ADA Standards for Website Accessibility

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) doesn’t provide specific guidance for websites. Many organizations use the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) as a reference for best practices.

In fact, compliance with the latest WCAG is mandatory for US government websites. The websites of organizations that do business with government entities or that receive government funding must also comply with WCAG.

WCAG 2.1 is the latest version of these guidelines:

WCAG 2.1 Standards

WCAG 2.1 focuses on making your website perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust.

An easily perceivable website presents content in a way that all users can perceive. Non-text content needs a text alternative and vice versa. For example, an audio alternative lets people with sight impairments perceive text on the website.

An operable website means that navigation is easy to operate. Someone using only a keyboard should be able to navigate the site and access content easily.

Making a website understandable means that the content is readable and operates in predictable ways.

Finally, website content needs to be robust enough that a variety of users can interpret it. Assistive technologies must also be able to interpret content. Content should be compatible with as many users as possible.

Levels of WCAG Compliance

Websites can fall into one of three categories of compliance with WCAG. Level A is the minimum level of accessibility that complies with the guidelines.

Level AA is mid-range compliance. This level is the target for most situations.

Level AAA compliance is the highest. Some types of content can’t meet all the criteria, though. For this reason, entire sites are unlikely to have Level AAA compliance.

Which Businesses Need to Comply With the ADA?

The ADA doesn’t specify which businesses need to make their websites accessible. However, courts have ruled that Title III of the ADA applies to websites as well as physical locations.

Title III prohibits discrimination based on disability in places of public accommodation and commercial facilities. Public accommodation means businesses that are generally open to the public and fall into one of 12 categories that the ADA lists. Some examples of Title III businesses are restaurants, hotels, banks, and clothing stores.

Title I of the ADA states that any business with at least 15 employees that operates for 20 weeks or more per year must comply with ADA standards.

ADA compliance is always a good idea. If your business falls under Title I or Title III, you should be sure your website is accessible. You can test the accessibility of your website for free.

Why Is Having an ADA Compliant Website Important?

Having an ADA compliant website is important for your business. You wouldn’t refuse to serve someone with a disability who came into your establishment. You don’t want to turn them away from your website either.

According to the CDC, 61 million adults in the US live with a disability. Inaccessibility could be excluding millions of your potential customers.

In addition, proper web accessibility improves your SEO. You get better site time and bounce rate as well.

True web accessibility differentiates you from your competitors. The current focus on diversity and inclusion makes most people look positively on actions like making your website ADA compliant.

Finally, ADA compliance also protects you against the threat of lawsuits. The number of lawsuits and demand letters tripled in 2019 compared to 2018. Most demand letters settle out of court for an average of $20,000 to $150,000.

A potential lawsuit is costly and time-consuming. Protecting yourself with an ADA compliant website is well worth the effort.

Meeting ADA Compliance Standards With AccessiBe

With the ambiguity surrounding what ADA compliance requires, you may wonder how you can make your website accessible. Drive Social Media in partnership with accessiBe has the accessibility solutions you need.

AccessiBe uses artificial intelligence (AI) to scan your website and make it accessible and compliant:

Installing AccessiBe

Installing accessiBe on your website is easy and takes only minutes. First, you paste a single line of JavaScript code on your site. The accessibility interface appears instantly.

After that, accessiBe’s AI starts scanning and analyzing your website. Then it applies the necessary adjustments to become WCAG 2.1 and ADA compliant.

The accessibility interface makes 30% of the corrections right away. These issues are primarily user interface and design features like sizing, colors, and spacing.

The AI makes the rest of the adjustments within 48 hours. These changes optimize your website for screen readers and keyboard navigation. After this initial remediation, accessiBe’s AI will scan your website every 24 hours for any new or revised content that needs accessibility adjustments.

Importantly, accessiBe is only activated when the interface or screen reader turns it on. It’s an overlay to your website for the user’s specific session. AccessiBe doesn’t change your website’s design, codebase, UI, or performance.

In addition, accessiBe doesn’t collect user data. It doesn’t affect your GDPR compliance.

Accessibility Profiles

Users can enable the accessibility adjustments necessary for their particular situation quickly and easily with accessiBe’s accessibility profiles. Each profile enables a suite of accessibility options with a single click.

Users can currently choose from six profiles that cover six categories of disabilities:

Visually impaired
Cognitive disability
ADHD friendly
Epilepsy safe
Blind (screen readers)
Keyboard navigation (motor impaired)

Additional features beyond these profiles are also available. For example, someone who chooses the visually impaired profile can also choose to use the website with a light or dark contrast mode.

Becoming ADA compliant with accessiBe does more than just fulfill your legal obligation. It makes your website truly functional for everyone.

Proof of Compliance Work

You’ll receive an accessibility statement that explains the adjustments to your website. This statement will also be displayed within the accessiBe interface. It doubles as a certificate of performance and serves as proof that you’ve done the necessary compliance work.

You’ll also receive monthly compliance audits that you can use as proof of ongoing compliance.

Making Your Website ADA Compliant

Drive Social Media is proud to bring you accessibility tools that empower you and your customers. Our partnership with accessiBe gives you an affordable and user-friendly solution to make your website ADA compliant.

You’ll be tapping into a broader client base. You’ll give your business a new marketing tool and differentiate yourself from your competitors. You can improve SEO.

You’ll also be protecting your business from potential litigation.