The solid requirement of the ADA recommendations is the most technical. It means that the code must be readable by an assistive reader. Your website code must use standard HTML tags. You must also provide documents in text format at all times, even when you also offer a PDF.
An estimated 22 percent of adult Americans have at least one disability. From mobility problems to visual impairments, disabilities can create significant challenges for accessing the Internet. Many Internet users with disabilities cannot use the mouse to browse because they rely on keyboards or other input devices. Unfortunately, keyboard-only navigation is often overlooked.
In fact, an analysis of 10 million web pages by AccessiBE, an AI-powered web accessibility platform, found that 98 percent of website menus are not fully accessible, largely because there is no way to navigate their websites with just the keyboard.
Compliance with the ADA
is short for Accessible Design Standards of the Americans Act. What that means is that all information and electronic technology, that is, your website must be accessible to people with disabilities. Fortunately, most website platforms like WordPress automatically use standard HTML tags, so you're likely to already meet that WCAG requirement.To maintain compliance with the ADA website, you must follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). We've covered the WCAG guidelines extensively in other articles, but here's a quick summary of the basics of maintaining a WCAG and ADA compliant website. By following these guidelines, your website is more likely to be ADA compliant than if you don't implement these practices. Through WordPress, you can access several ADA compliance plugins, such as Accessibility Suite and WP Accessibility Helper.
However, ADA regulations also extend to the online world, meaning that your website must be accessible to all Internet users. If your company has the resources and talent, you could set up a design and development team to audit your site and ensure compliance with ADA regulations. While the ADA does not provide established guidelines for website compliance, many organizations follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Last year, the Supreme Court awarded ADA advocates a big victory when it ruled against Domino's in a lawsuit filed against the pizza giant by a blind man who couldn't use the network's website.
Compliance with the ADA refers to compliance with the standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act for Accessible Design If your website complies with the ADA, it means that people with disabilities should be able to use it in a way that works for them, while those without disabilities can use it and navigate in a way that works for them as well. Even if the ADA doesn't apply to your company (let's say you employ 10 team members), you need to make ADA compliance part of your operations. To meet the “strong requirement” for ADA compliance, your website must be formatted so that it can be read by various devices and platforms. In addition, ADA compliance makes it easier for search engines to crawl and index your website, elevate it in rankings, and make your web content reach more users.
