ADA Compliant Website – ADA for Websites

November 9, 2022August 3, 2023 By ADA Support Articles

What Are Accessibility Lawsuits? Things You Need To Know

The web and the internet are essential in our daily lives nowadays. Everyone needs to use the web in some capacity. And that also includes people with disabilities. That’s why websites are required to be accessible under the ADA law.

There was a record number of ADA accessibility lawsuits last year. So, here is all you need to know about the ADA-compliant website law and more. If you have a website, there’s never been a better time to check how accessible your website is.

What Are Accessibility Lawsuits?

ADA web accessibility law states that places of accommodation should have equal access to their services, goods, and facilities. And this includes people with disabilities as well. Websites also fall under this rule; they are also considered “places of accommodation’ according to the law.

So, an accessible lawsuit can be filed by a private plaintiff if they feel like a website has not been designed or coded to be accessible. However, in some cases, the justice department can also file lawsuits.

If there is a “general public importance”, which means that if an act of violation affects a lot of people, the DOJ can start investigating themselves.

Recently we have seen a hike in ADA complaint lawsuits. Especially during the Biden administration. The DOJ has increased its web accessibility enforcement activities.

Is The ADA Law Being Exploited?

Business owners who also happen to have a website might think about whether it’s all a scam or not. And are these plaintiffs abusing the law to gain some kind of monetary benefit? Well, while the ADA doesn’t allow any kind of monetary gain for plaintiffs, state laws might vary.

For example, in California, the Unruh Civil Rights Act gives out $4,000 in monetary damages for each offense. Sometimes, the ADA can allow the plaintiff to cover the cost of legal services from the business.

No matter how you look at it, fighting a lawsuit can be very expensive. And this is regardless of whether you choose to settle or litigate it. Protracted litigation can go into the six figures—around $100,000. Settling can be around $14,000.

Of course, these are solid numbers. These are just from past cases. The cost will most definitely vary from case to case.

How To Ensure That Your Website Is ADA Compliant?

This is where things get a bit tricky. ADA does not provide any kind of guidelines for creating an accessible website. This makes things a bit challenging.

But the WCAG 2.1 guidelines help a lot. It stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, and it is accepted as a reasonable standard when creating an accessible website. The bottom line is that if your website conforms to the WCAG 2.1 guidelines, your website will be accessible to most users.

However, private plaintiffs can file a lawsuit for any reason. But according to historical data, most lawsuits will cite the failure to meet WCAG guidelines as the primary issue. An expert web accessibility consulting service can help you with your ADA compliance.

You need to ensure that you meet the criteria and guidelines of WCAG 2.1. And accessible websites for law firms are even more important.

Web Accessibility Is Worth It

Although web accessibility lawsuits can be a hassle, at the end of the day, an accessible web is better, whether you’re an eCommerce site or any kind of site. You might argue that web accessibility for law firms is even more important.

The point of the matter is that the internet is so ubiquitous nowys that companies and brands should provide an accessible experience. Because in the long run, this will contribute to the goodwill of the company.

Having an inaccessible website can create a negative image of the brand. At least for disabled customers. And the brand can lose a large chunk of the potential customer base in that sense. Which can result in more revenue loss in the long run compared to a lawsuit.

Wrapping Up

ADA compliant website laws help disabled people enjoy an inclusive web experience. And it’s always in a company’s best interest to give all of its potential customers a smooth experience.

Our experts at ADA for Web can help you in achieving that. So, don’t be shy to get in touch with us for a website accessibility audit.

November 2, 2022August 3, 2023 By ADA Support Articles

Needs For A Web Accessibility Conformance Statement

A web accessibility conformance statement serves as an evidence that your website is accessible. There are tons of benefits for this, starting from legal to company goodwill. The internet today is ingrained in every facet of our lives.

Different people from all walks of life rely on it in one way or another. And that also includes disabled people. With a conformance statement, you are officially ADA compliant. Here’s all you need to know about an ADA compliant website.

What Is Web Accessibility And A Conformance Statement

The ADA requires websites to be accessible for disabled users under Title III. It states that places of accommodation need to provide equal access to users. And websites are categorized as places of accommodation.

So, according to the law, a website in 2022 needs to be accessible to all kinds of users. This includes people with disabilities ranging from hearing, visual, and also cognitive.

Private plaintiffs can file a lawsuit if they find a website inaccessible. This is where a conformance statement comes in. What does conformance mean then? A conformance statement is just a simple proof that you’re doing it right.

It means that your website is accessible. To be more specific, it’s compliant with WCAG 2.1 guidelines. ADA doesn’t have any formal guidelines or criteria as to what guidelines a website should follow for ADA compliance. But the WCAG 2.1 guidelines are used as a general standard.

The Importance Of A Conformance Statement

A web accessibility conformance statement not only saves you from legal liability but also works to create goodwill as well. Legal fees for accessibility cases can skyrocket. Although most companies usually settle. And that can be around $14,000.

Litigation, on the other hand, can cost around $100,000. But the long-term impact is much more. If your website is not accessible, you might be losing potential customers. Simply because they are just unable to use your website. And that can end up costing much more.

It’s always in the best interest of any company or individual that owns a website to have an accessible one. It shows you care about your visitors. And this creates brand goodwill. In this hyper-competitive market, goodwill is priceless. That’s why an ADA compliant website, along with a conformance statement is crucial.

A Deeper Dive Into The Conformance Statement

A conformance statement is written by a third party who has thoroughly tested your websites. This is done to avoid any conflict of interest.

But that isn’t all. To receive a conformance statement, you need to keep in mind a couple of things. Let’s break these down further.

WCAG 2.1 Guideline Levels

WCAG 2.1 has multiple levels. A, AA, and AAA. A is the minimum level of accessibility requirement level. But it’s risky to only aim for the minimum. A lawsuit can be very costly. So, to cover all liabilities, companies should aim for at least AA.

Multiple Pages

Some might think that only the home page needs to be accessible. That isn’t the case though. If a visitor needs multiple pages to complete a task. All of those pages need to be compliant. For example, if a visitor is to sign up to your website.

They might need to click the sign-up button on the home page. And then navigate to a page where they will create an account. And finally, finish signing up. All the pages involved in this process should be accessible. That means it needs to follow WCAG 2.1 guidelines.

Third-Party Content

If your website has third-party content, it needs to be compliant and accessible as well. Monitoring systems will help identify any parts of the website that don’t meet ADA compliance.

This will help companies to catch liabilities much more quickly. An expert ADA compliance consultancy service can also be very helpful. You can check the WCAG 2.1 guideline yourself for specific web accessibility terms.

Wrapping Up

An accessible website creates a better and equal opportunity for everyone. At ADA for Web, our experts can help you with everything related to web accessibility and ADA compliance. When you have the right partner, then you don’t need to worry about accessibility-related issues.

October 27, 2022August 3, 2023 By ADA Support Articles

10 Examples Of ADA Compliant Accessible Web Design

In this modern era of technology, everyone has access to the internet. As a result, every business nowadays has a website. This is why it has become important to have an ADA compliant website. So, what are 10 examples of ADA compliant accessible web design?

There are a lot of examples of ADA-compliant website development. For instance, contrast and color work together to make the website easier to read. Labelling boxes properly makes it easier to see. These are some of the examples followed during ADA compliant website development.

You need to know the ADA compliant website law. It is also important to see if your website meets the standards. Reading the full article will allow you to learn more about these examples.

What Is ADA Compliance?

ADA Compliance stands for Americans with Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design. This law states that all information technology must be accessible to people with disabilities.

Many ADA companies help with consulting to meet these standards. You can learn more about ADA website laws on the internet. Your website must meet the standards because it will help avoid lawsuits.

10 Examples of ADA Compliant Web Design

You must know the common terminology that is used. Because these terminology definitions can help you build the best website possible. Here are 10 examples of ADA compliant web design –

Contrast

Your website should maintain a proper contrast ratio. For instance, having a high-contrast color on a bright background will make it harder to read.

Some people have visual impairments. They might find it difficult to read the text without proper contrast. WCGA 2.0 requires a website to follow a contrast ratio of 4:5:1.

Color

People who are colorblind do not see the same way we do. So, you cannot rely on color alone. You need to employ other measures to increase readability.

Employing different accessible design tactics can help with that. This will help users identify website elements properly.

Labelling

Labelling forms are important. You should provide descriptive labelling in all fields. For example, if your website has a register page, it will ask for visitors’ information.

Placing the labels inside will cause issues for people with visual impairments. As a result, it will be much more difficult to read.

Keyboard Navigation

People with mobility issues or disabilities may find it easier to use a keyboard than a mouse. Hence, designing your website to be properly navigated using a keyboard is a must.

By providing keyboard navigation, you are ensuring a more inclusive experience. Your website must also feature color-changing fonts if a link is active.

Table of Contents

If your website contains large amounts of information, a table of contents will help. Your website needs to be digestible.

Instead of making the structure complex, you can design your website with a table of contents. This will make finding specific information easier for the reader.

Properly Structured

You must make information easy to understand. People might find your website too overwhelming if it is not properly structured.

You should design the website to properly communicate what it is about. The search box, labels, styles, and headings must be formatted in a uniform manner.

Breadcrumb Trail

Breadcrumb trail helps people visualize how website information is structured. Because it helps people with disabilities navigate easier.

Your website should not force users to go back to the home page to continue browsing. Users should be able to visit any page, then navigate from there to other pages.

Design for Different Devices

Your website must have different designs for different devices. For instance, visiting a website from a phone should show the website’s handheld device UI.

Some might find it easier to use a phone than a PC due to their disabilities. So, it is imperative to have different designs for different platforms.

Headings and Spacing

Your website must have simple headings and proper spacing. This helps with the readability of the website.

Using clear headings will help people understand what the writing is about. Using proper spacing within the texts will help declare a clearer relationship.

Alternative Texts

Many people rely on assistive technologies. Screen readers are one such example. This helps people with visual impairments read texts that are displayed.

The use of appropriate tags and alternative texts on your website is a must. These help screen readers read the texts.

Conclusion

So, now you know what are 10 examples of ADA compliant web design. You should also understand why it is important to meet these standards. Thank you for reading through the entire article.

October 9, 2022August 3, 2023 By ADA Support Articles

Risks of Not Having An ADA Compliant Website

ADA-compliant websites are assets to an organization. They can ensure better service, user experience, and overall performance of your websites. Many of us are familiar with the ADA compliance feature for websites. If you are unaware of ADA accessibility for websites, you may be wondering about the risks of not having an ADA-compliant website.

There can be multiple risks to your website and organization without ADA accessibility. It is now more than a way to accessorize your websites. ADA compliance is an obligatory feature for websites to follow. Otherwise, your website and organization can be susceptible to ADA lawsuits, penalties, and many other risk factors.

What Are The Risks Of Not Having An ADA Compliant Website

When a website is not ADA compliant, it fails to target a large pool and diverse customer base. This can be crucial for businesses, especially if your business is in a growing phase. Additionally, there are multiple other risks associated with not having an ADA-compliant website. Some of the major risks that you may face without ADA compliance are given as follows.

ADA Lawsuit

One of the biggest risks of not having an ADA-compliant website is the threat of ADA lawsuits. In simpler words, a disabled person can lodge complaints or sue your website if it is not ADA compliant.

According to the Supreme Court’s decision in 2019, all firms and organizations must have ADA-accessible websites. So, if you are not following the ADA guidelines, you are not complying with the law either. In such cases, a disabled person has the right to file a lawsuit directly to the federal court for violations of the ADA. So, you may face ADA lawsuits without ADA compliance.

Non-Compliance Penalties

Similar to ADA lawsuits, another major risk that you face without ADA accessibility is non-compliance penalties. For violating the ADA compliance guidelines, your business may need to pay penalties.

An ADA inaccessible website can have severe penalties. The penalty fines can go as high as $75000 for the first violation. In case of subsequent violations, the fines can go up to $15000. Not only that, these fines are reviewed annually to match the present inflation. Hence, paying these penalties can be a serious risk for businesses.

Missing Opportunities For Brand Exposure

The opportunity cost of not having ADA compliance for your websites is a non-quantifiable risk. That is, when your websites are not ADA accessible, it drives away potential buyers and customers.

Your organization fails to attract a diverse pool of customers when the website is not ADA compliant. A lion’s share of those people is disabled people. So, you immediately lose all disabled people as your customers. This can have many negative impacts on your organization. So, the opportunity cost is a major risk of not having ADA-compliant websites.

Discrimination Against The Disabled People

According to the reports of the CDC, 1 in 4 adults in the USA lives with a disability. That is nearly 61 million Americans living with one or more than one form of disability. So, when your websites are not ADA compliant, such a large population of disabled users fails to access them.

Screen readers, people with assisting devices, and other restraints can not receive your services and features as easily as other users. This creates discrimination against disabled users. Thus, your organization can cause discrimination against disabled people without ADA accessibility.

How Can You Have ADA Compliant Websites?

ADA-accessible websites are now a necessity for organizations and business firms. You can mitigate the risks of not having an ADA-compliant website by simply following the ADA accessibility guidelines on your website. It is one of the smartest investments that you can make in your website.

To have an ADA-compliant website, make sure that you are aware of the ADA compliance guidelines and checklists. You can follow the checklists and add the recommended features to your website accordingly. Finally, you can check your website’s accessibility with tests and checkers.

Additionally, you can also consult with firms that have expertise in creating ADA-compliant websites for you. You can also test and audit your websites with these firms. Thus, you can easily have an ADA-compliant website and rule out all the risks of not having one.

Conclusion

ADA website accessibility is an obligatory feature for your websites. By knowing about the risks of not having an ADA-compliant website, you can understand its necessity.

So, make sure to keep your websites ADA accessible. Contact us to learn more about ADA accessibility for your websites.

June 29, 2022August 3, 2023 By content@adaforweb.com Law Firms

Why Is ADA Compliance Important For Law Firm Websites?

In this era of technology, it would be hard to find law firms that don’t have websites. Knowing your rights and obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act is important if you happen to own a law firm. Making your website as inclusive as possible should be one of your top concerns since a wide range of people will visit it.

Since it makes your service user-friendly and accessible to everyone, ADA compliance is more important than you might think. It is also an essential element of your marketing strategy and how you present yourself to visitors and potential clients.

The website of your law firm should be designed in a way that makes navigation easy for those with disabilities. This article will dive deep into the reasons why ADA compliance is a must for law firm websites. So, stick around till the end!

Importance Of ADA Compliance For Law Firms

The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) is a landmark civil rights law. The goal of the ADA is to protect people with disabilities from discrimination in State, and local government services and employment. The reason why ADA for websites is so important is that it takes away the mystery.

Accessibility
ADA Compliance is important because the law firm has legal responsibilities to its clients. Among other things, a law firm must ensure that its clients can utilize all of the firm’s services and products as needed.

Ensuring proper access allows for full access to all of a client’s legal matters, whether in-person or on an electronic device. Without accessibility, many individuals with disabilities are unable to fully participate in processes such as depositions, pleadings, and motions.

Ensures Equality
ADA Compliance is also important because it ensures that all of the firm’s clients are treated equally. One of the fundamentals of the Americans with Disabilities Act is that individuals with disabilities should be afforded the same opportunities as others.

The laws and regulations that require people with disabilities to be able to access buildings and facilities should not be ignored. It is just as important for a law firm, as any other business entity, to serve its customers effectively and efficiently.

Investment
Finally, being ADA compliant is a monetary and reputational investment. In other words, just as a law firm would not solicit clients who do not have proper documentation for legal representation. It should not also solicit clients who have physical impairments if the firm doesn’t take steps to ensure access.

The law firm should make good-faith efforts to provide physical access to all of its offices as needed by individuals with mobility impairments. If a particular office is in an inaccessible space, it should be moved or modified so that it is accessible. The law firm might also consider moving all of its offices to a more accessible location.

How To Know If Your Law Website Is ADA Compliant?
The ADA helps you understand what’s required of you as a law firm, and then you can decide how to implement these features into your website. When people visit your website, they do so with you in mind.

They would like to feel welcomed and connect with you. And when they find that yours is not an ADA compliant website, this has a negative impact on how they view you and your law firm. Here are some general ADA compliance tips that’ll help you identify whether your website is ADA compliant.

Menu Options And Menu Location
Menu options should be listed in a logical order to reduce confusion. The menu should be visible on all parts of the site, including the homepage and inner pages. The menu location has to be high enough for all users to access easily.

Menus should have a character limit long enough to list all options on the same page. Menus should be labeled with general descriptions, not with technical jargon. These general descriptions need to be in a different color and font size/style than the main text on the site.

Text Size
The text should be at least 14 points in size when displayed at 100%. The 14 point minimum is an ideal recommendation, and it’s based on what most users can comfortably read.

Text Contrast
Contrast is the difference between two contrasting colors. They need to have a difference of at least 35%. This concept applies to both images and text. If you’re using a light color for the content, you can consider using a darker color for the background. If you’re using a dark color for the content, use a lighter color to make the reading easier on your users.

Text Color
The text should be 13 to 15 shades of gray. White text on a black or dark background would be fine for your main content, but for footnotes and the like, you should use a darker color that can stand out better against the white background and make it easier to read.

You don’t have to go crazy with the color scheme you choose. For example, if you’re using a blue background with yellow text, this may not be accessible by all users because blue is something they can’t see.
Style, Size, And Location of Links

Users should be able to navigate the website without confusion. When it comes to links, you should describe what is at the other end of the link. This will create non-visual clues that indicate where the link goes.

Having a strong link color coded with the background will help you differentiate between primary content and secondary links. As an example, you can have a light-colored background that is followed by an underline to indicate that it’s clickable.

Tools For Third Party Assessments

There are many ADA compliance software out there that can be useful in evaluating your website accessibility. One thing you have to keep in mind is that they’re not all equal and there are some tools out there that are better suited for certain purposes.

Conclusion
To provide and ensure service for the handicapped, ADA compliance for your website is a must. Now that you are aware of the significance of ADA compliance for law firm websites, don’t waste any time and focus on making your website ADA compliant right away!

June 22, 2022August 3, 2023 By content@adaforweb.com Law Firms

Digital Accessibility For Law Firms: Why Lawyers Need To Prioritize Accessibility

Law firm websites are some of the most common service websites for the more significant population. When these websites are inaccessible to a large population, the firms are bound to face the consequences. If your law firm has an inaccessible website, you may face website accessibility or ADA-compliant website lawsuits.

Since law firm websites give help-seekers a chance to get information regarding the law – everyone would visit them. But having your website be inaccessible to disabled people can violate ADA regulations. Not only that – having an accessible website can help your firm in many ways other than avoiding lawsuits. So, let’s check out why accessibility should be a priority.

How Does Website Accessibility Help Law Firms?

An accessible website can improve the experience for any website visitor by a wide margin. Since law firm websites are public service sites, they should be accessible to everybody. Since making your website accessible can give you legal and financial benefits, law firms also have something to gain from website accessibility.
Improved User Experience For All Users
Whether your user base requires additional aid to use law firm sites, accessibility can ensure they have a better experience. Your website should be able to cater to most of the population, including people with disabilities. Only about one in five people in the USA have a disability.

Fortunately, adding accessibility tools such as alt text can also help abled users in times of need. Overall, ensuring your website is accessible can bring in more visitors crediting to its easy user experience.
Complying With ADA Regulations – Avoid Lawsuits
Website accessibility lawsuits are more common than you think. In 2017, the USA saw around 814 cases directed toward websites that the masses could not access. The suits result from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)’s Title III.

The ADA’s Title III protects people with disabilities from discrimination in a place of public accommodation. Since law firm websites are a place of help and information, one could easily consider them a place of public accommodation – even a court judge.

Therefore, per the ADA regulations, your website requires tools for accessibility. Not only does it ensure upholding civil rights, but it also helps your firm avoid any additional legal battles.
Boosting SEO Advantages
When you make your website more accessible, search engines pick up on it. Leading search engines like Google are more likely to put accessible websites to the forefront – boosting SEO for your firm.

The programs that decide which websites get more hits tend to pick up on better visual information and accessibility options. So, as you improve user experience – you can ultimately enjoy SEO benefits for the site.
Financial Returns
Accessible websites do not directly benefit financially from accessibility tools. It is more of a result of all the efforts. Since your website’s accessibility options bring in more visitors, you can earn better from the website over time.

Additionally, lawsuits are common for accessibility concerns on law firm websites. By providing users with an accessible experience, you can avoid the legal expenses of handling a case. Therefore, accessibility will also favor you financially.

What Is An ADA Compliant Website Accessibility Lawsuit – And How Can It Affect You?

The ADA-compliant website accessibility lawsuit holds websites accountable for not complying with ADA guidelines. Suppose your law firm’s website does not provide accessibility tools for every user. In that case, a disadvantaged user can issue a lawsuit against you. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)’s Title III protects the right to accessibility in spaces like public info websites.

Title III protects the right of people with disabilities to have proper access to any public domain as an able-bodied person. While the grounds are unclear whether it is okay to consider a public domain website, perspectives are changing. It is more than likely that a civil judge will consider a law firm’s website as public domain.

Therefore, if your website does not employ tools to help every user equally, it can risk a lawsuit. From then on, not only will your law firm website be liable for losing a part of your client demographic – you can potentially lose money as well.

Ways To Prioritize Website Accessibility For Your Law Firm

As a lawyer, there are methods to ensure your law firm’s website passes accessibility checks on all grounds. It must follow accessibility guidelines – and then you can make sure to check it using evaluation tools.

Comply With Accessibility Guidelines
The existing Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) can make your job more manageable.

1. The user interface must be designed so that every user can perceive the components of the website.
2. Every user should be able to navigate parts of the site, and every feature should be operable universally.
3. The information on the site should be presented in a way that every user can understand.
4. The website should be dynamic and well-built with accessibility tools. Assistive technology should complement the website’s structure so users can have the whole experience.

Within WCAG standards, there are levels to ensure how well your website can help the overall population. The classes are named A through AAA, where AAA is the highest standard of digital accessibility.
Evaluate Your Website
Currently, it is easy to check whether your website follows ADA-approved guidelines. Online tools are less reliable but easy to use in the evaluation process. And in case you want a more reliable evaluation, you can look up services built by experts to check your site.

Make Your Website More Disability Inclusive

At ADAforweb, we have created an informed solution to make digital accessibility more manageable than ever. We can evaluate your website to look for digital accessibility compliance, deliver accessibility statements, and provide remediation services.

Our goal is to create a more disability-friendly digital space. If your website needs some touch-up on accessibility – or you are simply worried about it being accessible enough, schedule a call with us.

Conclusion

If not for simply avoiding ADA-compliant website accessibility lawsuits, an accessible site can open the door of information for many of the population. So while you build a public service website, check all the boxes to ensure everyone can receive help from it.

February 12, 2022August 3, 2023 By content@adaforweb.com Articles

How do you test a website for ADA compliance?

If you have a website, it’s important to make sure that it is ADA compliant. But how do you test for that?

This blog post will go over the steps you need to take to make your website accessible for everyone.

We’ll also discuss some of the people’s common mistakes when designing their websites. So if you’re looking to make your website more inclusive, keep reading!

How do you test a website for ADA compliance?

Steps for making a website ADA compliant:

Check for color contrast:

One of the first steps to take when testing your website for ADA compliance is to check for color contrast. To meet ADA standards, text and background colors need to have enough difference to read people with low vision or color blindness.

This means that you should avoid using grey on blue or yellow on black since those are colors that are hard to see. If you’re not sure what good color contrasts look like, the W3C has some great resources.

According to the W3C, there are three standards for color combinations. So if you’re using any of these following combinations on your website, you comply!

Test with a screen reader:

Another great way to test if your website is ADA compliant is by trying it with a screen reader. These tools work just like they sound: they read aloud everything that appears on your screen. If you’ve ever used Siri or Google voice search, this concept should be familiar!

This can help you identify problems because some features might not be accessible through standard navigation. The text content might not always align with images and other elements on the page. You’ll want to check things like: Are all links readable?

Does your navigation make sense to someone who can’t see the page? Is anything you’re trying to communicate through images or other non-text elements readable by a screen reader?

Test with JAWS:

The third way you should test for ADA compliance is with JAWS, the most common screen access program in North America. If you’ve ever used a Mac and missed Voiceover, this is the Windows version!

This software will read everything on your monitor aloud just like a screen reader does. Using this tool, you’ll want to test all links, headings, forms, etc., using this tool because that’s how blind people are likely to interact with your website.

Test it yourself!

You should also test your website yourself, following the guidelines above. You’ll want to check out your website in both Safari and Chrome since that’s how most people view websites these days.

You should also run through all the steps listed above while you’re checking for compatibility since this is an excellent way to identify problems!

Make sure it’s mobile-friendly

We’ve talked a lot about desktop testing so far, but what about mobile? If you’re designing a new site or working with a designer on an update, it’s essential to make sure that the layout of your site is responsive so it can be viewed from any device.

Google recommends using tools like Google’s Mobile Guide, which provides specific information on optimizing content for mobile devices.

How do you do ADA testing?

Here are the 6 Simplest Web Accessibility Tests Anybody Can Perform:

Unplug your mouse and turn off your trackpad:

The quickest and easiest way to test how accessible your website is is to disable any accessibility features on your computer. If you are using a mouse, unplug it, and if you are using a trackpad, turn off the tapping function in settings.

This way, you will have to rely only on the keyboard interface designed for people with disabilities to use when navigating your website or mobile app.

Use only tab to navigate:

Many programmers nowadays utilize tab indexes when developing websites to re-arrange content on the page.

However, this creates difficulties for people who want to navigate by pressing the Enter/Return key on their keyboard since it will not be possible without this feature enabled.

Navigate through every link and button on your website with only the tab key to test how well it works.

Use only the arrow keys to navigate:

Like tab, programmers nowadays utilize their arrow keys to re-arrange content on the page. However, this creates difficulties for people who want to navigate by pressing an alternate set of keys on their keyboard since it would not be possible without this feature enabled.

Navigate through every link and button on your website with only the arrow keys (up, down, left, right) to test how well it works.

Turn off Images:

This test is very similar to the previous one, except you turn off images instead of removing features that may interfere with navigation.

Navigate through every link and button on your website without having any images appear on the page at all.

This way, you can get an idea of how helpful your website would be for people who suffer from impaired vision or even color blindness.

Turn off JavaScript:

One of the most known issues with web accessibility is that some JavaScript can block certain types of access, especially when they’re poorly programmed.

Navigate through every link and button on your website without having any JavaScript appear on the page at all.

This will give you a good idea about how usable your site is for people who do not have JavaScript enabled.

Turn off CSS:

Similar to JavaScript, CSS can cause many issues with website accessibility because it’s possible for specific styles to get in the way of others when poorly written, mainly if they are used in the same element.

Navigate through every link and button on your site without having any forms of CSS appear on the page at all.

This will give you an idea about just how functional your website/ mobile app is for people who do not have CSS enabled or even blocked.

Now that you’ve tested your site for these 6 things, you should be able to tell whether or not it will function well for people with disabilities so long as it is appropriately coded (which is something else entirely).

If this was easy for you, congratulations! You’re already doing better than most websites.

However, if it was difficult at all and many things blocked your access to the content on the site (not necessarily in a negative way).

Be sure to re-visit your website and make some changes before launching it to avoid problems with web accessibility compliance after launch.

Conclusion:

Testing your website for ADA compliance can seem daunting, but a few methods can simplify it.

In this article, we have discussed some of the most common ways to test for ADA compliance and some of the most common issues that can occur.

If you are unsure about how to proceed or need help to fix any potential issues, our team is here to assist you.

January 7, 2022August 3, 2023 By content@adaforweb.com Law Firms

How ADA Compliance Can Affect Your Law Firm Website Ranking?

If you’re a law firm with a website, it’s important to make sure that your site is ADA compliant. Otherwise, you could face some severe consequences.

This blog post will discuss how ADA compliance can affect your law firm’s website ranking.

We’ll also offer some tips on making your site more compliant. Keep reading for more information!

What is ADA Compliance?

ADA compliance refers to the regulations laid out by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Webmasters must follow these regulations so that sites can be more accessible for people with disabilities.

Failure to do so could result in significant penalties and fines! So, if you’re a law firm trying to rank high on search engine results pages, it’s important to make sure your website is ADA compliant.

Benefits of Compliance:

When you make your site ADA compliant, you improve its overall user experience and give every visitor access to the content they can enjoy.

Making your site accessible for everyone gives users a better browsing experience and ensures that all potential clients will find what they’re looking for when they visit.

Ultimately, this can help you rank higher on search engine results pages. In addition to giving you a better ranking on SERPs, ADA compliance also allows you to enjoy other benefits. These include:

Better user experience.
A better chance of getting your content shared on social media sites.
Improved conversions and revenue potential.
Higher rankings for local listings.

How making your site compliant can affect your law firm website ranking?

It’s important to know how to implement these changes to ensure they’re successful. Luckily, there are some simple steps you can take to make this process run smoothly:

Do a Site Audit.

Before doing anything else, go through your site and check for any issues. Ensure that all of your links are working correctly, there aren’t any broken images, and that the content is accessible to everyone.

Fix Issues With Your Current Content.

You must fix any issues with existing content before it goes live on the internet so you can avoid public embarrassment or legal action later on.

Implement Changes to Future Content.

Once all of your current content has been fixed, implement changes to future posts, so they comply with ADA regulations as well! This ensures even more consistency across the board and makes it easier for web crawlers to find your new content in the future!

Improve SEO:

Title Tags: When you’re trying to rank for competitive keywords, title tags are one of the most important elements to optimize for search engines.

Many people overlook them because they’re not as flashy as other SEO strategies, but these simple tweaks can do wonders for your law firm website ranking!

Make sure that all titles have a clear call to action and use relevant keywords throughout. This will give crawlers more reasons to link back to your site and improve its overall SEO value!

Meta Descriptions. Meta descriptions influence how searchers find your content, so yours must be optimized for maximum impact.

Try using a few descriptive sentences followed by your target keyword so web crawlers know precisely what to expect when they click on your content.

Use Webmaster Tools.

You can help improve the chances of your law firm website ranking high by submitting a sitemap through Google’s Webmaster Tools. This will ensure that all pages are indexed and easier to access for crawlers.

Additionally, you should always use relevant keywords in your URL structure, so search engines know exactly where each link leads! And don’t forget to add social media tags to share your site on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc.!

Improve Your Page Speed.

There are plenty of factors known to affect rankings, but page speed is one of the most important! If you search engines to rank your law firm website higher, you need to make sure that your pages load quickly. Google has even recorded that slow page speeds can lead to a demotion in search engine results pages!

Avoid Duplicate Content.

Having too much duplicate content on your site will not only hurt your law firm website ranking but also violate Google’s guidelines for web admins. There are several ways you can avoid this problem.

Auditing Your Law Firm’s Website Accessibility

Websites are now legally required to provide equal access, and having an ADA-compliant site also improves your search engine visibility. 98% of websites aren’t currently in compliance with these laws, which means they could be sued by anyone who visits them!

Every image on your site should have an equivalent text description. This is important for screen readers, who can use this information to read and understand what you are attempting to display visually.

Your alt tags will help describe the images so that people with disabilities have access!

Make videos more accessible by adding audio descriptions and captions. This will allow everyone, not just those with disabilities or limited hearing abilities, an opportunity to enjoy your content as you intended!

It’s also important to avoid dictating colors and font settings. It may be challenging to read, especially for vision difficulties, if you utilize complicated fonts and hues.

Auditing Your Law Firm’s Website Technical SEO & Content:

SEO is more important than ever because most people are searching for lawyers on Google when it comes to the legal space. Suppose you aren’t at or near top rankings in your niche.

So, what should you do first? We provide a FREE SEO/Website Review that details your law firm’s SEO and content problems if you need some quick assistance.

You may also use paid tools such as aHrefs, Moz, or SEMrush to perform similar activities, as well as keep an eye on your SEO elements.

Once you’ve identified your SEO mistakes, it’s critical to address them; that’s precisely why we audit your law firm’s website.

The most significant SEO/content issues can be quickly fixed for many companies by refreshing content, employing plugins, and altering your link-building approach.

Do law firm websites need to be ADA-compliant?

Yes, all websites need to comply with the ADA. If the site is not ADA compliant, it could put your company at risk of being sued or fined for discrimination.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ensures that less fortunate citizens have equal access to public places and facilities.

The Act was passed so that people who may be differently-abled can pursue educational, professional, or personal goals outside their homes without having barriers present provided by physical obstacles in their way.

What happens if your website is not ADA-compliant?

If someone with a disability claims that your website is inaccessible, you may be sued. You may face legal costs, a possible settlement, a potential public relations crisis, and the expense of rebuilding your website to meet the ADA’s standards.

Does ADA compliance affect SEO?

Yes, ADA compliance can indirectly affect your website’s SEO ranking. The long answer is that there are a number of ways in which your website can be compliant with the ADA, and each of these will have a different impact on your SEO.

In general, following ADA regulations should help improve your website’s rank by making it easier for search engines to crawl and index its content.

What does ADA-compliant mean for websites?

Making a website ADA-compliant means it has Home and End buttons, enlarged text and images, easy-to-follow formats for navigation, etc.

These features can help people with disabilities get the most information they need from your site without too much difficulty.

Why do websites need to be ADA-compliant?

All entities with a physical presence are legally obligated to make their websites ADA compliant. Website owners must also comply with federal regulations set out by the Section 508 Amendment of Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which outlines standards for web accessibility.

As content providers, it is our responsibility to ensure that websites adhere to these regulations to provide all levels of disability access.

Does ADA compliance apply to websites?

ADA compliance is a legal requirement for most businesses, including websites. To make your website ADA compliant, you’ll need to ensure that all content is accessible to people with disabilities and that all functionality works properly when accessed via a screen reader or other assistive technology.

Does accessibility affect Google ranking?

It is speculated that ADA-compliant websites accessible to everyone have a higher chance of ranking better in search engine results pages.

This is because making your website accessible to everyone shows that you care about your potential customers and are not just targeting those who don’t have any disabilities.

Additionally, following ADA compliance can help you avoid any legal issues that could arise from non-compliance.

How does a website comply with ADA?

The ADA is a federal statute that forbids discrimination based on disability. A website must be accessible to persons who use assistive technology while online to meet the ADA’s accessibility requirements. Your website is not in compliance with the law if it is not accessible to persons with disabilities.

Is ADA compliance mandatory for websites?

ADA compliance is not mandatory for websites, but it is strongly recommended. Non-compliant websites can face legal penalties, so it’s important to make sure your website meets all ADA requirements.

For more information on ADA compliance, please contact an attorney or web Development Company.

Is GoDaddy ADA compliant?

Yes, GoDaddy is ADA compliant. ADA compliance includes ensuring that at least 20 percent of your website content is in a format that enables text reading programs to read it aloud.

If you are having trouble with this or any other aspect of ADA compliance, GoDaddy will walk you through the process with resources for each step in their customer service portal.

How do I make my GoDaddy website ADA compliant?

To make your website ADA compliant, you’ll need to ensure that all content is accessible to people with disabilities.

This includes ensuring that all text is readable, making sure images have alternative text, and providing a way for users to navigate your website manually.

You can also use a third-party tool like the WAVE accessibility checker to test your website compliance.

How to Make Sure Your Website is ADA Compliant?

If you’re running a business, it’s essential to ensure that your website is ADA compliant. Here are a few tips on how to make sure your website is up to code:

Make sure all of your content is accessible to people with disabilities. This includes videos, images, and text.
Use clear and concise language on your website.
Use headings and subheadings to organize your content.
Use accessible forms and input fields on your website.
Use easy-to-read fonts and colors on your website.

By following these simple rules, you can ensure that your website is compliant with the American Disabilities Act. If you follow all of these steps, it will also help boost your website’s search engine ranking!

This is because ADA-compliant websites are easier to navigate and read for people using search engines like Google. For more information on making sure your website is ADA compliant, contact a digital marketing company today.

How much does it cost to make a website ADA compliant?

When it comes to meeting ADA standards, the first thing you have to do is assess the damage and begin at $500. And making your website accessible may cost anything from $3,000 to $50,000.

Does the ADA cover web accessibility?

The ADA does not mention the term web or mobile accessibility. However, the Department of Justice has said on numerous occasions that ADA compliance includes access to websites that provide services, public accommodations, and other capabilities already covered by the ADA.

Can a website be sued for not being ADA-compliant?

Yes, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has warned that it “may seek monetary damages, injunctive relief or other appropriate remedies” for violations of ADA Title III that are found to exist on any Web site, including job posting boards and bulletin boards.

The DOJ can exercise its enforcement power against individual who places content on behalf of entities covered by the ADA, and even if they are unaware, the sites contain accessibility barriers.

Conclusion:

So, now that you know how compliance can affect your law firm website ranking, it’s time to make the changes happen! If you need help preparing your site for ADA compliance, download our checklist here, which will walk you through each process step.

We hope this blog post has helped you gain more insight into how ADA compliance can affect your law firm website ranking.

If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to contact us or comment below. Thanks for reading, and good luck with all of your future SEO work!

December 22, 2019August 3, 2023 By ADA Support FAQ, Learn About Web Accessibility

Is Your Website Compatible? Let’s Have ADA Compliance Checklist

With the increasing competition in businesses for the public, people need to start thinking about website accessibility. As it is equally important to security and protection.

What is Web Accessibility

A practice of designing and coding the website in order to provide complete compatibility in accessing it by people with disabilities. In addition, it is a way to improve search engine optimization only an ADA Compliant Web Designer will help you to make your website Compliant. Is your website compatible? By going through the checklist below, you can get the answer.

Assessing Current Web Pages and Content

The website must include a feature like a navigation link at the top of the page. These links have a bypass mechanism such as a “skip navigation” link. This feature directs screen readers to bypass the row of navigation links and start at the web page content. It is beneficial for people who use screen readers to avoid to listen to all the links each time they jump to a new page.
All the links should be understandable when taken out of the context. For example, images without alternative text and links without worded as “click here”.
All the graphics, maps, images, and other non-text content must provide text alternatives through the alt attribute, a hidden/visible long description.
All the documents posted on the website should available in HTML or another accessible text-based format. It is also applicable to other formats like Portable Document Format (PDF).
The online forms on the website should be structured so assistive technology can identify, describe and operate the controls and inputs. By doing this, people with disabilities can review and submit the forms.
If the website has online forms, the drop-down list should describe the information instead of displaying a response option. For instance, “Your Age” instead of “18-25”.
If the website has data charts and tables, they should be structured so that all data cells are associated with column and row identifiers.
All the video files on the website must have audio descriptions (if necessary). This is for the convenience of blind people or for having a visual impairment disability.
All the video files on the website must have synchronized captions. People with hearing problems or deaf can access these files conveniently.
All the audio files on the website should have synchronized captions to provide access to people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
All web pages should be designed so that they can be viewed using visitors’ web browser and operating system settings for color and font.

About Website Accessibility Policy and Procedures

One must have a written policy on website accessibility.
The website accessibility policy must be posted on the website at a location where it can be easily found.
The procedure should be developed to ensure that content is not added to the website until it has been made accessible.
It should be confirmed that the website manager has checked the code and structure of all new web pages before they are posted.
While adding the PDFs to the website, these should be accessible. Also, the text-based versions of the documents should be accessible at the same time as PDF versions.
Make sure that the in-house and contractor staff has received the information about the website accessibility policy and procedure to confirm the website accessibility.
It should be confirmed that in-house and contractor staff has received appropriate training on how to ensure the accessibility of the website.
The website should have a specific written plan if it contains inaccessible content. Also, it should include timeframes in place to make all of the existing web content accessible.
A complete plan to improve website accessibility should be posted along with invited suggestions for improvement.
The homepage should include easily locatable information that includes contact details like telephone number and email address. This is useful for reporting website accessibility problems and requesting accessibility services with information.
A website should have procedures in place to assure a quick response to the visitors with disabilities who have difficulty in accessing information or services available on the website.
Feedback from people who use a variety of assistive technologies is helpful in ensuring website accessibility. So make sure to ask disability groups representing people to provide feedback on the accessibility of your website.
Testing the website using a product available on the internet is helpful, These tools are of free cost and check the accessibility of a website. They may not identify all accessibility issues and flag issues that are not accessibility problems. However, these are, nonetheless, a helpful way to improve website accessibility.

Checklist of Action Items for Improving the Accessibility of a Website

In addition, while considering the above suggestions, the following checklist initially prepared by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for Federal Agencies provides further guidelines on ways to make websites more accessible for persons with disabilities.

This practical advice, as well as another checklist, are available at:

www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/making-files-accessible/checklist/html/index.html

Satisfying all of these items does not necessarily mean that a website complies with ADA, but it will improve the website’s accessibility and decrease the risk of litigation. Again, an Expert or Web Accessibility Consulting & Services provider should be engaged to conduct a comprehensive review of your website.

Nothing brings you closer to reality than actually facing it. This is the premise of my latest attempt to spread awareness about Web Accessibility.

For better understand, here is a link in which a practical example is shown to make the websites’ user experience better by following the guidelines. Also, it tells the issues affecting various users on the internet with solutions.

You can make your website ADA compliant in an easy way by consulting the professionals, who can do this job effortlessly. Also, you can get a quick website audit from To Be ADA Compliant that offers complete web accessibility consulting & services in California, USA.

Resource: https://dev.to/chinchang/an-interactive-and-practical-introduction-to-web-accessibility-22o1

December 9, 2019August 3, 2023 By ADA Support Articles

Top Reasons For Your Website To Be ADA Compliant

There are many design fashions to be aware of when building your brand’s website. A common question asked by most people is about its appearance that how it looks, or how could it convert visitors into customers. But no one asks, is your website ADA compliant? If not, what are the reason to have it?

First thing first, ADA is the Americans with Disability Act which was developed in 1990 to ensure that all people must be given equal opportunities including the disabled ones. The disabilities may be visual impairment, hearing disorder, or any physical capacities.

The rules are basically made for all the businesses that serve the public including building and website both. Thus, commercial buildings have almost all the facilities for handicapped people, what about your brand website? Is it ADA compliant? For this, the Official Standards of Website Accessibility may help you in checking your website accessibilities. In addition, here are a few benefits for having an ADA compliant website:

Expanding Your Target Audience

The figure says, there are 50 million people with disabilities in the U.S that implies there are 19% of this country has a disability. Thus, if your website is not ADA compliant then you are somewhere losing some potential users. The consequences are clear, they will opt for your competitor’s website for easy navigation because your website is not designed for them to deliver your services.

Improve Your SEO Efforts

The key element of Web content Accessibility Guidelines is the accessibility to screen readers, and these readers crawl your website that meets the WCAG, it will likely appeal to users, search engines, and screen readers. That eventually improves your SEO results. For better results, meta-tagging, alternative image text, video transcripts work best.

Hike Your Reputation

Being ADA compliant, your website is targeting more customers by which you are not only gaining more traffic on your website, side by side, you are gaining their trust as well as they also know how valuable they are to your business. This is one of a way to increase visitors as a way of recommendation. After visiting a couple of websites, a happy user surely will share their experience with their connections.

Overall Better Website Usability

A website with better navigation, good operable, designed by following the WCAG will offer easy to comprehend that will allow everyone to find what they are looking for. Thus, it is good for the disabled and non-disabled ones.

Win Over Penalties

Having an ADA compliant website, save you from penalties that several businesses like Foot Locker, Brooks Brothers, Kylie Jenner that have been sued for the lack of ADA compliant websites.

For better understanding, below are the points given for a more inclusive site and adopting the WCAG:

Analyze Your Current Site

ADA compliant website must meet the standards within these four categories:

Perceivable
Operable
Understandable
Robust

Make sure your website meets all the above requirements. Use the ADA guidelines as a starting point to create a blueprint for your own site.

Choose the Right Graphics

Carefully selection of graphics is an important part of accessible websites. The graphics must not be flashy more than three times per second. Besides, graphics should also have a description or caption with a read-aloud feature for a better understanding of visually impaired.

Alt-Text And Readable Font

Ensure to provide alt text and readable fonts to all the images in your code. Alt-text allows site readers to describe your image audibly.

Logical Website Features

Making everything easy to access is the key to a website. For example, the color combination and the color of the text must be easy to read. Also, putting a sign of “X” clearly on the upper corner of the pop-up to show how to close the window. A website must deliver clear information about what the user wants to gain.

Include Standard HTML Tags

The basic requirement is the code should be readable by an assistive reader. Also, the code must use standard HTML tags. The complex image documents can’t be understood by software that reads text aloud for visually impaired website users.

Friendly Keyboard And Pause

Not all users are able to interact with a touchscreen or a grip mouse. For instance, the reader must be able to pause content or slow down automatic scrolling/slideshow movements. Plus, eliminating videos that autoplay and have a time limit add more accessibility ease. Also, make sure that all video interactions and pausing should be completed using keyboard functions.

Remain Up to Date With Compliant Changes

Updating knowledge being in business is good for both point of views – business and consumers. Don’t forget ADA needs are ongoing. So, gain knowledge as much you can and give equal importance to every customer.

Overall, we have seen there are a lot of benefits of having an ADA compliant website that is good for the sake of easy accessibility as well as better business. In addition, having an ADA compliant website gives you more than what you think, a better accessible website with better results in point of SEO as well as building customer’s trust over you and your business.

For assistance, To Be ADA Compliant is one place that provides the best website audit for the website and design according to the guidelines to save your business hit by penalties. Make your business ADA compliant now and increase the sales along with a hike in visitors on the website with To Be ADA Compliant assistance.