ADA Website Compliance in 2018: What You Need to Know
You may have heard about the increase of lawsuits being filed about websites not being compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
However, regulations have not been set determining what makes a website ADA compliant. Initially, the Department of Justice (DOJ) stated they would have rules in place for ADA regulations by January 2018. However, in late 2017, the DOJ moved website accessibility standards to their inactive list. This has left our court systems to decide what’s ADA compliant, leaving conflicting rulings (and more confusion).
What does this mean for you?
While the DOJ has delayed the rules and regulations for ADA compliance, it doesn’t mean you should sit back and wait for rules to develop. Organizations are encouraged to adjust their websites through the WCAG 2.0 level AA guidelines to help stay ahead of the curve.
Here at Roadside, we’ve been doing extensive research into ADA compliance and are continuously updating our websites to meet those WCAG 2.0 level AA standards. This includes:
- Adding descriptions to images for screen readers (alt tags)
- Creating clear call to actions
- Producing readable content
- Incorporating code that’s accessible for disability tools, such as screen readers
What can you do to stay ahead of the curve?
If you haven’t, we encourage you to add a Website Accessibility landing page on your website. This landing page should address you’re working to make your website ADA compliant, provide multiple resources for anyone with disabilities to better access your site, and present your contact information if anyone needs to report an issue.
How does this benefit you?
- This landing page sets your practice ahead of the curve for future updates and may prevent drops in rankings and blockages of your site.
- This addition to your website helps further attract minorities in the area and gains their trust as you cater to their specific needs. It also sets you apart as a true caregiver in the community.
- While this landing page does not make your website 100% ADA compliant, it does demonstrate you’re working towards making your website accessible to everyone.
You can also take advantage of our ADA Compliance Package, which includes multiple items to help make your website more accessible. This package includes:
- The creation of a Website Accessibility landing page (including optimization and indexing for easy access to webbots)
- Adding in a translation plugin to cover the top languages in your area
- Add a button to the landing page in the footer to direct webbots and users to your landing page
- BRAND NEW: Installation of an accessibility plugin to conveniently provide the tools anyone with disabilities need to access your site.
The Internet is constantly changing and is an influential factor in our everyday lives. Don’t panic with all these reports of lawsuits. Instead, roll out the welcome mat on your website to give your users the information they need to learn about your services and how you can solve their problems.
We’ll continue to keep you updated with the latest developments in ADA Website Compliance, and what steps you need to take.
Interested in our ADA Compliance Package?
Full disclosure: We’re not lawyers! The content in this blog should not be substituted for legal advice. You should always consult advice from a qualified legal professional to answer all of your legal questions.
