Being accessible to individuals with disabilities is more than having doorways large enough for wheelchairs or a menu in available in braille. In the digital age being ADA accessbile includes your digital properties like your website and apps. Understanding the complexities of web accessibility is as simple as having the right vendor to take care of development from end-to-end.
Who Needs Website Accessibility
Every business could benefit from ADA compliance. State and local government agencies (Title II) and businesses that are open to the public (Title III) are required by the Department of Justice to remain accessible. This is to ensure that individuals with disabilities have equal access to information provided by these agencies and types of businesses. As traditionally in-person services are moved online it has beencome a priority for the DOJ to ensure agencies remain compliant. People with disabilities could find it challenging to access the resources they need for basic services such as voting information, health, safety, and even transit resources.
Individuals with different disabilities have different ways of navigating digital properties. For instance, a blind individual may need a device to vocalize the text that appears on a screen, while individuals with hearing disabilities are use captioning to read the vocalizations in videos. Other individuals may have challenges using mousepads or keyboards and use voice recognition software or other devices to navigate webpages using verbal commands. There are many different ways that individuals with disabilities are able to navigate web content when ADA compliance is incorporated into websites and mobile applications. Each compliance measure is specifically designed to break down the barriers between the various disabilities and use of digital content.
Government Agencies: Title II
State and local governments are bound by the American with Disabilities Act which prohibits discriminiation against people with disabilities in all their services. This includes programs and activities that require use of their online properties to complete. Since many programs, services, and activities offered by state and local governments are offered online, they must adhere to ADA compliance. This includes basic services such as filing tax documents and attending virtual town meetings. It may also include applications for absentee ballots, state benefit programs, or schools. Failure to apply the ADA’s requirements could land those government departments into hot water.
Public Businesses: Title III
The ADA requires that businesses open to the public, also referenced as public accommodations, full and equal enjoyment of their goods to individuals with disabilities. This includes and is not limited to goods, services, facilities, advantages, priviledges, and accommodations. This includes taking steps to ensure equal access to individuals with disabilities to use banking and financial institutions, retail establishments, hospitals and medical facilities, entertainment venues, and hospitality services. Websites and mobile applications with features that limit the ability of users with disabilities to access them can cause frustration and lead to actions by the DOJ.
Disabilities & Accessibility Roadblocks
Excluding Keyboard Navigation. Individuals with disabilities may not be able to access web content if they’re unable to use their keyboard for navigation. This type of mouse-only navigation excludes individuals with disabilities from viewing your content.
Low Color Contrast. Color blindness can make it a challenge to reach text if certain color combinations are used or if there’s not enough contrast between the text and background occurs. Dark texts on light backgrounds can help you avoid this usability roadblock.
Color Cues. Using color cues can cause usability challenges with both colorblind, blind, and other visually impaired users. Colorblind individuals face challenges when distinguishing colors and people using screen reading software may miss it entirely as readers may miss the cues all together. For instance, when creating online forms, using red text to convey required fields may be missed by both colorblind and individuals using screen readers, whereas using an “*” to convey required fields is universally acceptable.
Improperly Deploying Alt Text. Screen readers are able to convey the content contained in illustrations, graphics, pictures, and charts only when alternative text (alt text) is properly deployed on your digital content. This means properly using both captions and alt text as well as image and chart content being properly called out in the content associated with these on-page graphics.
Not Captioning Videos. Hearing disabilities are among the most common disabilities with 1 in 8 people over the age of 12 suffering from hearing loss in both ears. Providing written captions for these individuals allows it to be extended to a wider audience. While video content continues to gain in popularity, creating captions has become a necessity to penetrate audiences with hearing disabilities.
Addressing Web Content Accessibility Issues
Applying the ADA’s general requirements to your digital properties requires expertise and knowledge. While there are guidelines there is a some flexibility in becoming compliant. Currently, both government agencies and businesses have choices when it comes to ensuring that they are complying with ADA technical requirements. Existing standards offer helpful guidance in their Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and Section 508 Standards and 255 Guidelines, but don’t offer insight in how to apply them. Finding a company well versed in applying these standards from top to bottom and end-to-end on your website may require employing an agency with extensive expertise and in some instances building a new website to address all of the issues and creating a fully accessible user experience.
