By Keira Collin
There are a number of laws that govern website design and accessibility. The most well-known is the Americans with Disabilities Act or ADA. This law requires websites to be accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. In addition, companies like accessiBe and others can help your business with website compliance.
What are the requirements of the ADA?
The requirements of the ADA are very clear. Websites need to be accessible and usable by people with disabilities. According to the ADA Standards for Accessible Design, there are five basic principles:
- Equivalent facilitation
- Nondiscrimination
- Architectural standards for new construction and alterations
- Accessible means of egress
- Usable (legible)
Companies that provide ADA website compliance services may help give your business the tools to meet these requirements to avoid legal ramifications like lawsuits.
In addition, there are some requirements for website accessibility that may be more stringent than the ADA standards. These include:
- Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
- California State Law SB-1192
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0
What Are the Penalties for Non-Compliance?
There are three different types of penalties for non-compliance with ADA website requirements:
- Civil Rights Lawsuits
- Violations of the Rehabilitation Act
- State Laws
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 4,146 private lawsuits under Title III of the ADA in 2012 alone. Many of these lawsuits were related to website accessibility. The cost of non-compliance is just too high.
How Can I Meet These Requirements?
There are many ways to ensure you have an ADA-compliant website. There are programs called screen readers for websites that are completely based on interaction through images to help the visually impaired access information just as they would with your website. Accessibility tools should be part of all software if you want your website accessible to people with disabilities.
In addition, several groups and organizations can provide consulting services if you need additional help with ADA requirements for websites:
- The National Federation of the Blind (NFB)
- Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
- Centers for Independent Living (CILs)
- American Council of the Blind (ACB)
How Can I Avoid Legal Penalties?
The answer is easy; make your website accessible and compliant with the ADA. If you don’t, then there is a chance you could be sued for discrimination in court. Not only could it end up costing you time, effort, and money to fix the problem, but it could also affect your reputation among consumers and clients. Therefore, ensuring your business is ADA compliant should be a top priority for any business that uses the Internet as part of its operations or marketing strategy.
What Other Laws Cover Website Compliance?
The ADA is not the only law that covers website compliance. Other laws like Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, which was passed in 1998 to ensure federal agencies’ electronic and information technology (EIT) is accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities.
Another law that affects your business’s website is California SB-1192, passed in 2002 and went into effect in 2003. This law requires that all internet transactions have a site with an accessible design. In addition, it also applies to state government websites and eCommerce websites. Lastly, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) offers guidelines for site development. W3C is an international organization that sets standards for the web, and sites should be built according to these standards.
Conclusion
The ADA is a law that requires websites to be accessible to everyone. This includes people with disabilities. If your website is not accessible, you may violate the law and face penalties.
