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Understanding Notable Court Cases Related to Web Accessibility and How They Can Guide Your Small Business Website
Posted on By Author ADA Support Categories Court Cases

Understanding Notable Court Cases Related to Web Accessibility and How They Can Guide Your Small Business Website

Web accessibility is gaining traction as a crucial SEO factor, so it’s important for small businesses to understand the legal implications of making their websites compliant. One of the key indicators of web accessibility’s relevance is the number of notable court cases related to the issue.

Over the years, a number of court cases related to web accessibility have been brought to the forefront. Understanding these cases can help to provide small business owners with valuable insight into how their own websites should be compliant.

In 2018, Domino’s Pizza argued against blind plaintiff Guillermo Robles to the U.S. Supreme Court, claiming that its website didn’t need to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Supreme Court sided with Robles, setting an important precedent for small business web accessibility. This court ruling has become known as the Robles v. Domino’s Pizza case, and it established that the ADA’s provisions apply to the digital space.

In another key court case, US Airways was sued in 2016 by a visually impaired user who argued that the airline’s website didn’t provide enough accessibility for her to fully use the site. The court ultimately found in favor of the user and argued that the website was not sufficiently accessible as it was not in compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.

Finally, in 2018, Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. were sued by two blind users for not providing an accessible website and mobile application. The court ruled in favor of the users, citing that their website was not compliant with the ADA.

These court cases are some of the most important when it comes to small business web accessibility. While it may not be applicable in all cases, understanding the legal implications of these major decisions can provide small business owners with valuable insight into their own website’s level of accessibility.

Small businesses should take heed of these major court cases and use them to guide their own website designs. By ensuring that their websites adhere to the latest web accessibility standards, small businesses can ensure that their digital assets are both SEO-friendly and legally compliant.

Increase Your Business Success with ADA Compliance: How Web Accessibility Benefits Small Firms and Law Practices
Posted on By Author ADA Support Categories Articles

Increase Your Business Success with ADA Compliance: How Web Accessibility Benefits Small Firms and Law Practices

The law is constantly changing, and it can be hard to keep up with all of the new regulations. One of the most important changes of the last few years has been complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA requires businesses, including law firms, to make their websites and other digital content accessible for people with disabilities. While ADA compliance may seem like yet another burden for small firms and law practices, the truth is that accessibility can deliver long-term success and help your business grow. Let’s take a look at why.

ADA Compliance Web Content

First off, making your web content accessible to all by complying with the ADA ensures that everyone can access and use your services, not just those with disabilities. This gives you access to a wider pool of potential customers who may not have otherwise considered doing business with you. This can only be a positive for your business, as it will enable you to tap into a larger market, increasing your visibility and reach.

Indexed On Search Engines

Second, ADA compliance makes it more likely that your website will be indexed by search engines. Websites that are not accessible to all can be filtered out of search engine rankings, which would make it harder to find your business.

Potential Customers 

Third, ADA compliance indicates to potential customers and clients that you are socially responsible and proactive, which will help to build trust. Potential customers want to know that their service provider is committed to creating a better world and providing access to all.

Compliance with law

Finally, if your business does not comply with the ADA and a customer with a disability files a lawsuit against you, it can be incredibly expensive. Non-compliance can put a serious dent in your business’s financial health and could even potentially put you out of business. Making your website accessible and fully compliant is the best way to ensure that this doesn’t happen.

At the end of the day, ADA compliance is an absolute necessity in today’s world. Whether you’re a small firm or a law practice, it is imperative that you make the necessary changes to ensure that your website and digital content are accessible to everyone. Doing so will open up potential business opportunities, improve your search engine ranking, increase customer trust, and protect you from costly lawsuits. Everyone deserves access to the web, and making sure that your business is ADA compliant is the best way to make sure that happens.

Understanding Web Accessibility: Notable Court Cases and How They Affect Your Small Business Website
Posted on By Author ADA Support Categories Court Cases

Understanding Web Accessibility: Notable Court Cases and How They Affect Your Small Business Website

Are you looking to ensure your website is accessible to all users, regardless of disability or disability status? If so, it’s important to familiarize yourself with legal cases that have furthered the cause of web accessibility. Understanding the impact of such cases can help you better understand the level of compliance that is expected of your small business website.

Web accessibility has become an increasingly important issue for businesses of all sizes. Even though there have been no clear guidelines for creating accessible websites, the courts have played a crucial role in determining the standards for online accessibility. Several famous legal cases have already been heard, with some resulting in hefty fines for companies that failed to comply with web accessibility regulations.

One of the most well-known court cases is National Federation of the Blind (NFB) v. Target Corp. In this 2006 case, the plaintiff argued that Target.com was not in compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). The court reached a favorable decision for the plaintiff, ordering Target to make the website more accessible for visually impaired users. As a result of this ruling, Target was required to make changes to its website, such as adding alt-text to images and improving the accessibility of online forms.

The case of National Federation of the Blind v. Chase Bank USA is another example of a ruling that has had a huge impact on web accessibility. In this case, the court found that Chase Bank’s website was not in compliance with the ADA, thereby creating an undue burden for visually impaired users. As a result, Chase Bank was required to make changes to its website, such as adding alt-text to all images, improving color contrast, and making sure the website worked with assistive technologies.

These court cases have helped shape the landscape of web accessibility, and they demonstrate that companies of all sizes must ensure their websites are in compliance with ADA standards. It’s important to note that the level of compliance that is expected will vary from one website to another, depending on the complexity of the website and the services it provides. For example, a website with a simple contact form is likely to require considerably less effort to make it accessible than a website offering complicated online banking services.

For small business owners, the best way to ensure your website meets accessibility standards is to work with an experienced web developer. Web developers should be familiar with the latest standards for web accessibility and be able to advise you on what needs to be done to make sure your site is accessible to all users.

Understanding the importance of web accessibility and familiarizing yourself with the legal cases that have shaped the regulations can help you ensure your small business website is in compliance with ADA standards. Doing so can help you avoid costly legal battles that could otherwise result in hefty fines.

The Benefits of Web Accessibility: Ensuring Digital Inclusion for Businesses
Posted on By Author ADA Support Categories Articles

The Benefits of Web Accessibility: Ensuring Digital Inclusion for Businesses

Examples of barriers to web accessibility include: impaired vision, hearing loss, physical disabilities, cognitive impairments, poor literacy, limited tech literacy, and language barriers

As businesses continue to expand their online presence, many are not aware of the potential consequences of not making their websites accessible to everyone. Web accessibility is essential to ensuring a business’s digital inclusion. This includes enabling people with disabilities to access and interact with digital content and products. It’s also about making sure everyone has the same access to digital services regardless of geographical location, economic status, or level of disability.

By ensuring web accessibility, businesses can reap a multitude of benefits. First, it can help to increase their customer base. Studies have found that buying power of persons with disabilities is estimated to be $490 billion to $800 billion annually – an untapped market. It also helps businesses to comply with voluntary and federally mandated accessibility regulations, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

Businesses can also benefit from improved marketing campaigns. This includes better engagement with potential customers who have disabilities, improved social media presence, and improved search engine optimization (SEO). Accessible websites help to ensure better user experiences that can lead to greater brand loyalty and a better reputation.

Web accessibility also helps businesses to reduce their technology costs. Accessible website coding helps organisations maintain existing web pages and create new ones in a cost-effective manner. Furthermore, it helps to reduce the need for third-party vendors when building new websites. For example, accessible code can be used by web developers rather than hiring a specialist for the development.

Finally, reliable customer service is often facilitated by easier access to web content. People with disabilities who can use the website without difficulty will be better able to find and purchase products. This often translates into better customer reviews and repeat business.

It is clear that web accessibility is an important piece of any business’s digital marketing strategy. With the right approach to web accessibility, businesses can ensure digital inclusion and benefit from improved website usability, increased diversity of customers, cost savings, and improved customer service.

ADA Compliance: Why Your Small Business Needs To Invest in Web Accessibility
Posted on By Author ADA Support Categories Articles

ADA Compliance: Why Your Small Business Needs To Invest in Web Accessibility

In today’s world, an increasing number of small businesses are recognizing the importance of ADA compliance, or meeting the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act, when it comes to creating accessible and welcoming digital spaces for individuals of all abilities. ADA compliance, which began as a physical access and accommodation law in 1990, has grown immensely in recent years, to the point that now it applies to the creating and maintaining of digital spaces.

The key component of ADA compliance when it comes to web accessibility is creating an environment that’s usable by individuals regardless of their physical or cognitive abilities. This means making sure a website is keyboard accessible, readable by screen readers, and free of images, or other components, that could potentially cause text to run together or blend into the background.

Though it can seem daunting, a good place to start with ADA compliance is website auditing. There are numerous tools available to help small businesses, law firms, and lawyers audit their websites, ensuring they can identify any issues with accessibility and are able to fix them accordingly. Resources like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, or WCAG, and the Digital Accessibility Checker, or DAC, offer a number of suggestions that can help make webpages more usable and accessible, no matter the disability a user may have.

Investing in ADA compliance can bring with it a wealth of benefits, for businesses, law firms, and lawyers as well as for their prospective clients. Website accessibility can make a legal practice far more approachable and welcoming for those individuals living with a disability, making them more likely to reach out for legal help. Likewise, taking the steps to make sure websites and other digital spaces are accessible can help businesses and legal professionals both widen their reach and increase their credibility and trustworthiness.

In short, ADA compliance isn’t just a necessary step, but an beneficial one. Taking the time to invest in making web pages more accessible can not only make a business more trustworthy, but can also broaden their reach and make them a more welcoming option for clients of all abilities.

What Is Section 508 Compliance & Why Is It Important?
Posted on By Author ADA Support Categories Articles

What Is Section 508 Compliance & Why Is It Important?

Section 508 is a law that requires all federal agencies and non-profit organizations that receive financial assistance from the federal government to make their electrical, communication, and information technologies inclusive and accessible to all people, including those with disabilities.

It is important because it prevents discrimination against disabled people within a government institution. Making IT-related industries accessible to disabled persons can substantially improve their quality of life because they are crucial to people at all stages of life.

What Is Section 508?

Section 508 is actually a vital law that requires all federal agencies and organizations that receive government funding to provide accessibility for people with disabilities. We’ll be exploring what this means in practice and why it’s so important to have web accessibility.

The term “Section 508” is actually a former section of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which was amended by the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1983. This was a wide-ranging law that introduced many of the electronic accessibility standards we know and love today.

Section 508 guidelines specifically state that any federal agency or organization that receives federal financial assistance must comply with handicapped accessibility standards. It’s important to note that the ADA is a separate law and does not require any federal or non-government organization to comply with the ADA.

It can be interpreted as mandating equal access, but this is not it at all. The technology standards are set by the Access Board under Section 508 to ensure that people with disabilities are given the same opportunities as everyone else. Note that there are differences between Section 508 and ADA compliance.

Section 508 compels any information and communications technology-related agencies that receive federal aid to take the necessary steps to prevent discrimination based on the disabilities of an individual. ADA, on the other hand, is similar to this section but in a broader sense. It compels all agencies, whether government or private, to prevent discrimination in any public accommodation. A separate ruling has now included online assets.

How Does The Government Enforce Section 508?

Section 508’s enforceable portion is largely focused on procurement and is administered through the Federal Acquisition Regulations. Beginning in January 2001, Section 508 was included in the Federal Acquisition Regulations.

This implies that when the government purchases information and communication technology, it must choose the product that best fits accessibility criteria. For example, when a federal agency is buying a vending machine and has narrowed it down to five vending machines that match all the criteria. Section 508 dictates which one the federal agency must buy, the one that’s most accessible to disabled people.

Impacts Of Section 508?

The main impact of section 508 is that it made the government focus on accessibility programs and prioritize individuals with limitations and disabilities. Section 508 reshaped the government’s purchasing habits in its sector.

The private sector also took notes from this change. Another great impact of section 508 is that it forced federal agencies to establish accessibility programs. Government agencies now emphasize a lot more on accessibility and disability programs.

Why Is Section 508 Important?

Section 508 is important because it sets equal rights for people of all sorts in society. No one gets discriminated against because of their disabilities. All the government bodies present equal facilities to the taxpayers.

You cannot expect the private sector to introduce equal accessibility to all people if the federal bodies don’t do it first. Section 508 compels all government agencies and private agencies that receive federal aid to apply equal accessibility to everything related to information and communication technology.

This isn’t limited to just a webpage, but everything it is related to, such as software, mobile applications, documents, and even hardware interfaces like TVs, printers, scanners, etc.

Conclusion

For disabled people, Section 508 is important as it enables them to easily access information and technology-related resources. It compels federal agencies to abide by accessibility programs and ensures equal rights for all people. It is not limited to something trivial; it applies to everything related, from hardware like TVs, fridges, printers to websites, web content, eCommerce sites and everything in between.

ADA For Web is dedicated to ensure that website and client interactions follow accessibility guidelines. Contact us now to get a website accessibility audit.

Is Your Website Compatible? Let’s Have ADA Compliance Checklist
Posted on By Author ADA Support Categories 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

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