WEBSITE ADA COMPLIANCE CONSULTANTS
EL MONTE, CA

Technology forces us to think about accessibility in a broader context than even our physical environment. It’s not just whether a person requires a wheelchair. A person could be visually impaired or have a motor disability. A person could have slower internet or an older browser. With a graying population, some are not familiar with modern user interface (UI) pattern. Disabilities may include visual, auditory, physical, speech, mental and neurological disabilities. Adherence to web accessibility standards benefits all users especially the elderly. Accessibility laws have increasingly expanded to an online context. Websites must support assistive technology such as screen reader programs, which read aloud webpages to help the visually impaired.

Web accessibility is a vast topic but some rules are constant:

Semantic, descriptive HTML that reflects intended purpose
Alternative text for non-text content
Clearest and simplest language for content
Rich keyboard interaction/navigation
Accessibility protocol tools for site
Usability testing
Capacity for text resizing
Minimizing blinking, flashing, or distracting features which can cause seizures
Color contrast mindfulness
Clear, descriptive, and easily discernable links
Make PDF content accessible in HTML
Identifying errors in forms

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, otherwise known as WCAG 2.0, are standards for web accessibility and guidance on conformance. While the question of what activities online must be made accessible is unsettled, accessibility laws have focused on WCAG 2.0 as the standard for digital accessibility compliance. It is in vein of Section 508 and Section 504. It covers a wide range of recommendations for making web content more accessible. The success criteria are written as testable statements that are not technology-specific and are categorized into three levels of compliance: A (basic or minimal impact), AA (mid-level or “happy medium”), and AAA (advanced). WCAG 2.0 was produced by the Web Accessibility Initiative, part of W3C–the group of developers who establish a lot of the mechanics of the modern internet.

Usability testing is a technique used to evaluate a product by testing it on potential users. Accessibility testing is a subset of usability testing. It is used to determine whether the product will be able to be used by individuals with disabilities whether with the help of automated accessibility testing software or sample workflow audits performed by web engineers or blind individuals.

Individuals with visual disabilities use assistive technologies like screen reader programs to help them read the text that is displayed on the screen. An assistive technologies are equipment or system used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities. These types of assistive technologies are generally always used during usability testing.

Absolutely. The Department of Justice issued an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in 2010 to ensure that ADA applies to all business with more than 15 employees and its respective websites public and private. Just as your brick-and-mortar business must be accessible to all customers, the same goes for your website. Each year ADA compliance litigations filed by advocacy groups and law firms across the U.S. are on a significant rise, and your company is also at risk of possible lawsuits.

The following are other reasons why ADA compliance is important:

Improved lives of people with disabilities
Better usability for all visitors
Improved metrics (ex. less time spent on the website, higher rate of completed tasks, etc.)
Minimized risk of bad press and litigation
Increased sales revenue and new customers
Quicker adoption of the site

Taking a closer look into section 508, it not only wraps around website content. It goes beyond just a mere website. The department of justice was too keen to make sure that it involved a wider part of digital communication. These include emails, PDF, gaming software, mobile apps and any other form of digital information that persons with disabilities interact within their day to day lives. Even though a wide variety of particulars are covered, more emphasis has been based on website content.

What has made website ADA compliance act seem very hard to website owners is that they are taking it as a task and not an opportunity. Having your website meet section 508 compliance means that anyone can access your website. You get to increase your traffic and coverage alike.

Many people are seeing it as a way of limiting them and tying them down to some specific rules that don’t make sense. The department of Justice is trying to make websites accessible to everyone and not just specific groups of people.

Online accessibility standards are complex and at times, subjective. Many companies are not aware that their sites are required to be ADA site compliant. Unfortunately, many businesses have learned of this requirement via contact by an advocacy group or law firm for remediation.

Be Accessible, Inc. will provide your company a low cost website and mobile application audit that will bring your business towards website ADA compliance. With our 3-Step Solution, we’ll first utilize top rated automated software to log the location of distinct errors on your site.

Next, our experienced web auditors will manually inspect a representative sample of your website or app to identify greatest accessibility issues.

Lastly, we’ll bring blind individuals into a lab and conduct usability testing of your website or mobile app. We aim to repair your site with a little effect on your development team as possible. We’ll work closely to train how to integrate accessibility into your online processes. We also can provide on-site ADA training for your business in order to spread awareness about disabilities in the workplace and teach you how to eliminate accessibility issues.

We reduce your legal risk, bring you to website ADA compliance, and broaden the circle that can fully benefit from your site.