There are plenty of steps to take when setting up your website, from ensuring your external links are working to testing your embedded videos. However, one step you should always remember is to make your website fit ADA compliance standards.
This article will discuss what it means to be ADA-compliant, with examples from different ADA-compliant industries. It will then shift to what compliance looks like on website platforms. We will note the variety of barriers and stressors that can occur on an improperly designed website, and then discuss the ways of improving your website’s accessibility through different tools. It is important to remember that being ADA-compliant is not an inconvenience, and can actually strengthen your website as a whole. Plus, if you are in need of help creating the perfect ADA-compliant website, businesses like SEO Design Chicago are here to support you.
What Does It Mean To Be ADA Compliant?
One of the first questions you may have is, “What does ADA compliance mean?”
ADA stands for the Americans with Disabilities Act, which was signed into law in the year 1990. It brought about a new wave of accessibility regulations that were meant to better support people with disabilities. The law prevents discrimination based on ability and protects the rights of disabled people, but it also offers a lot of benefits to people who are not disabled, too. For example, using a ramp instead of a staircase is especially helpful for people in wheelchairs, but it is also helpful when you are pushing a stroller.
The purposes of the Americans with Disabilities Act are:
- To provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against persons with disabilities.
- To provide consistent and enforceable standards that address such discrimination.
- To ensure that the federal government plays a central role in addressing the day-to-day discriminatory practices faced by individuals with disabilities.
Being compliant simply means treating everyone with respect and giving people what they need to succeed. For every industry, this can take on a variety of different forms. You might have a compliant website, but that is only one small part of compliance. So, let’s take a look at the different forms that compliance can take.
What ADA Compliant Industries Look Like
Being compliant means that your company is taking every step possible to make your resources equally accessible to everyone. This is important both for your customers and your employees. ADA compliance can look different for every different industry. Here are a couple of ways that different businesses work to be more accessible:
Open-to-the-Public Businesses
This category includes non-profits, restaurants, grocery stores, and more. Regulations try to strike a balance between making the space accessible for all patrons, while not putting financial stress on the business itself.
Some ways that these businesses stay compliant is through the ratio of handicapped to regular parking spaces, bathrooms with grab bars and accessible stalls, and fire alarms that are easily reachable and identifiable.
Employment
Employment in all industries must be compliant. One of the primary ways that this is emphasized is through reasonable accommodations. These accommodations are easy solutions that set up any person for success, like screen readers, wheelchair ramps, and alternative computer keyboards.
Common ADA Website Barriers
One way that you can better understand ADA compliance guidelines is by learning about some of the common website features that actually create barriers for disabled people. Here are some non ADA website examples of barriers that are commonly found when your site is not compliant:
No Captions on Videos
One common barrier for those with disabilities is when videos do not have captioning. For people who are deaf or have hearing impairments, captions are necessary to fully understand the video’s content or instructions. Some people are not able to gain important information if captions are not offered on videos.
Using Only Color as an Indicator
Sometimes, instead of bolding a phrase or underlining it, color is used to make text stand out. This can be difficult for colorblind people because they cannot always distinguish certain colors from others. Using color as an indicator might mean that someone misses important information, or simply doesn’t read the information as being unique.
Additionally, screen readers, which read aloud the text written on the screen, do not indicate what text is written in a different color. This can mean that people who are deaf encounter a similar issue, and cannot determine what information is meant to stand out.
Some websites are only navigable if you are using a mouse or a trackpad. However, due to many different disabilities, some people are unable to use a mouse or trackpad, which means that they might not have access to an entire website. Opening up your website to having keyboard navigation is an important way of helping everyone navigate your website in the best way for them.
ADA Website Examples of Compliance
After seeing a few different examples of website barriers experienced by disabled persons, let’s take a look at what compliance looks like across different websites:
Text Resizing and Zoom Options
A compliant website will always offer text resizing and zooming options. For the visually impaired, sometimes text and images can be too small to comfortably read. Text resizers, which can go up to 200% in size, are able to help people clearly read the text on your web pages. Additionally, zoom features can help people more clearly see images or graphics on your website.
Prevent Unexpected Timeouts
Websites should also try to prevent any unexpected timeouts in order to help people with motor impairments, cognitive impairments, and other disabilities. Not everyone requires the same amount of time to navigate a webpage, fill out a form, or complete transactions. A time limit or sudden timeout can make people feel pressured and stressed, and it might not give people enough time to fully comprehend everything on the page. Preventing any short time limits and timeouts can help people feel more relaxed and more easily navigate the site.
Descriptive Titles
Another great example of compliance on websites is the use of descriptive page titles and tabs. A descriptive page title offers web users meaningful and significant information about what to expect from each web page. This improves accessibility because it makes your website as a whole easier to navigate, especially when people use screen readers or other kinds of assistive technology. Make sure all of your page titles are relevant to the content found on their respective pages, and make the entire navigation process smoother for everyone.
How to Build an ADA Compliant Website
ADA compliant industries are all outfitted with websites that prevent barriers and offer the necessary tools for every possible user, Here are a couple of ways that you can move towards full compliance on your own website:
Add Alt Text
One excellent way that you can build a compliant website is by adding alt text. Alt text is important for many different reasons. Primarily, it is the text that describes an image being displayed on your web page. If your web page is not loading properly for some reason, the alt text might appear instead of the image itself. This at least offers your audience some context to what the image might have been. Additionally, alt text is very helpful for people who are visually impaired. They might not be able to see the image clearly, but a screen reader will read the alt text that you offer, which helps give them an indication of the image’s context.
Work With Designers
One of the biggest website struggles for disabled audiences can be the design of your website. If your color contrast is not strong enough, or your website is not easily navigable, this can cause issues for people trying to use your website. Website design is not always easy, especially if you are building a brand-new web platform. However, you don’t have to do it all yourself! Consider looking for a team of professional designers who can help you create the best-designed website for ADA needs.
Compliance with SEO Design Chicago
If you are looking for a team of designers who can help you create the best color scheme for a compliant website, or you are looking for someone to look through your website and offer solutions to issues you may have missed, consider working with our team at SEO Design Chicago. We specialize in designing and optimizing online platforms for SEO, marketing, and compliance.
Creating a compliant website can feel intimidating at first, especially if you do not have previous experience with these regulations. We can help! By offering you website examples and design options, we will work hand in hand with you to design the website of your dreams, with everything made perfectly accessible to those who need it.
Work with us at SEO Design Chicago today for a new perspective on what a website can be.
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