Does My Website Need To Be ADA-Compliant?
Does My Website Need To Be ADA-Compliant?
Last week, we kicked off our FAQ series talking about SEO. Today, we’ll look at another acronym that I get asked about often:
“Does my website need to be ADA-compliant?”
This question comes from almost every type of client that I have. Part of delivering the best possible customer service includes placing a high value on how your website is accessible to visitors with disabilities.
This is kind of a loaded question that needs to be broken down in bits, so I’ll try to answer one step at a time.
What is ADA compliance?
ADA (American with Disabilities Act) was instituted in 1990 in effort to provide accommodation to people with disabilities.
Is ADA required for my website?
For architects designing a commercial building, there is a clear set of black and white regulations and design guidelines that need to be followed. The architectural plans will be thoroughly reviewed and approved by the city, county or whatever the governing body is for the construction location. Then, during construction and even after the projects have been completed, the final stamp of approval will be required for the building to be open and occupied. Easy, right?
Well, not so easy for websites. In fact, ADA’s relationship with websites has been complicated and confusing – not so black and white. Although they’ve taken the time and effort to create the standard guidelines for website compliance (WCAG 2.1 Level AA), ADA currently does not explicitly address online compliance. The U.S. is in pursuit of adopting more comprehensive accessibility requirements (especially for federal websites), but at the same time has withdrawn this requirement as a general push towards deregulation. So, basically, rules are established but the governing body that police the rules are a bit fuzzy. Confused? Yes, clear as mud. You can read more about it here.
Why should I still make my site be ADA compliant?
Well, for many reasons. For one, it’s humanly kind to offer accommodations to those who do not have access to your online information. Also, although the ADA compliance is not mandatory, it’s generally a good idea to err on the side of caution. Many states have adopted their own laws and the volume of accessibility-related lawsuits filed against websites is rising.
What type of compliance do you offer?
We offer WCAG2.1 Level AA compliance, and we offer a written certificate showing that your website meets all the criteria.
How much does it cost?
It costs $490/year, as long as your website is under 1000 pages. New pages and new content that get added will automatically get scanned and fixed to meet the compliance within 24 hours.
Okay, I am interested. What do I do?
Click on this affiliate link to learn more: https://accessibe.com/a/bosmediagroup
You can even do a 7 day FREE TRIAL!
At the heart of everything we do at BOS Media, it’s always about relationships. How we treat the people we serve, and how we equip businesses to offer the highest level customer experience. I hope this FAQ series is helping with that. Whatever the next acronym you’re struggling to understand, we’ll be here to make it simple and support your business growth.
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