We’ve all seen those symbols on a website that show accessibility options. But what does it mean to make your website “accessible” and ADA compliant? Read on to learn more about the requirement and what it means to you and your customers.
What ADA Compliance Means to Your Business
Complying with the ADA in general refers to making your website, mobile apps and digital properties accessible to users with disabilities. Accessibility and inclusion are considered a human right, and therefore companies are obligated to make their businesses easy for those of all abilities to access. The ADA was passed into law before Internet use became ubiquitous, and did not directly address the technological offerings of businesses. Compliance with ADA guidelines has become an issue due to increased litigation around the act. Users with disabilities are 80% more likely to spend time and money on a business whose website is compliant with accessibility requirements. On the flip side, nearly 70% of individuals with disabilities will immediately leave a site that doesn’t meet their needs, according to the ADA. The section having to do with ADA compliance is found in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG, for short). By conforming with WCAG when designing and improving your website or mobile app, you will be compliant with the ADA. A good number of the guidelines have to do with mobile accessibility, which can’t be neglected in providing users a positive experience.
Examples of Accommodations
When creating content for their websites, companies can do a great deal to help everyone enjoy text, videos, podcasts and more. For instance, making text simple and straightforward makes it easy for those with varying cognitive levels to understand. Creating captions for videos can help people who have trouble hearing. Making links larger (and easier to click) helps people engage further with your content. These accommodations are relatively simple and easy to implement, but others require more consideration and planning.
Best Practices for Business
What can your business do to make compliance easier? To start with, incorporating mandatory training in web accessibility for those involved in your digital operations can help make them knowledgeable about inclusive websites. Including people with disabilities in the user flow training could give additional insight into what can help users access your content. Using an accessibility plug-in like One Click Accessibility on WordPress can help your efforts with readable text, varying levels of contrast, and more. Continually monitoring your website will point up any accessibility issues.
Accessibility of all users to your website and mobile applications is not just legally required, but is good for business. To learn more about working toward ADA compliance, contact ClikCloud today.