Everyone should be able to enjoy your website, regardless of ability!
take the inclusive approach and comply with ADA & WCAG.
- Inclusivity for everyone
- Comply with legislation
We live our lives online. It’s where we read the news, order groceries, and connect with people. But 20% of the population has disabilities that exclude them from using it. Make your brand’s online presence inclusive.
Can you imagine your life without it? Accessing what the internet offers should be a basic right for everybody, regardless of their abilities.
What is web accessibility?
Web accessibility is essentially a set of rules, behaviors, code standards, and design guidelines that were created by the W3C and are called the WCAG 2.1.
The WCAG 2.1 is a massive 1,000-page guidebook that encapsulates a range of disabilities that go from hindering internet use to making internet use impossible without adjustments. This spectrum actually comprises 20-25% of the general population depending on if we're going with the CDC or WHO.
There are many disabilities covered, and the primary categories that require attention are:
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blind people using screen-readers,
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the motor-impaired using only the keyboard to navigate,
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epilepsy, color blindness,
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cognitive and learning disabilities,
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visual impairments, and more.
Why is web accessibility
so important?
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES IS A BASIC CIVIL RIGHT
Making the internet accessible is about leveling the playground for 20% of the world's population. The internet has become the most important innovation of our lifetime. Making it inclusive is the most significant step towards achieving a society that prioritizes the inclusion of all its people and values, everyone, for who they are, regardless of abilities.
ENFORCING AN INCLUSIVE INTERNET
What is web accessibility
legislation?
Due to the increased internet usage, many countries have incorporated web accessibility into existing civil rights legislation that protects people with disabilities or created new ones.
ENFORCING AN INCLUSIVE INTERNET
Who has to be ADA compliant?
There’s a common misbelief that ADA only applies to very large corporations, but that’s a serious mistake. All types and all sizes of businesses have to comply with ADA legislation, for their customers, and for their employees if there are over 15 employees. That means that ADA affects:
- Places of entertainment like theaters, movie theaters, and concert halls
- Restaurants and eateries
- Small and medium businesses of all types
- Large enterprises
- Retail stores
- Local government offices, employment agencies, and labor unions
DOJ AFFIRMS ADA COVERS WEBSITES
How does legislation impact
my website?
In 2018, the DOJ clarified that websites are considered places of public accommodation and must comply with ADA Title III. In 2022, the DOJ reaffirmed it and recommended WCAG 2.1 AA as the best practice.
The benefits of an accessible
website
- Extend market reach
The spending power of people with disabilities is more than $6 trillion - Mitigate legal risk
Mitigate the risk of lawsuits by complying with accessibility legislation - Boost brand perception
Showing that accessibility is important to you will enhance your reputation
The dangers of an inaccessible website
ADA’s relevance to web accessibility isn’t just theoretical. Since 2017, the number of ADA title III-related lawsuits has skyrocketed. In 2017, 816 ADA Title III lawsuits were filed, but in 2018 that number rose to over 2,200 cases. That’s a rise of 180%, and it’s only the tip of the iceberg. It doesn’t reveal the increasing number of ADA legal complaints and lawyers’ demand letters that were filed against businesses with non-accessible websites in the last few years, because they never become part of the public record.
Experts estimate that approximately 40,000 demand letters were sent in 2018, and 2019 has peaked with over 100,000 demand letters and over 10,000 lawsuits.
In 2020, 265,000 demand letters were sent. This represents a steep incline in legal actions pursued following the notice of non-accessible websites on the internet. The number of Title lll ADA lawsuits also climbed in 2021, with at least 11,452 federal filings documented. Overall, web accessibility lawsuits have seen a 320% increase over the past eight years.
HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?
Want a compliant website?
Get A Free Audit and learn what is required to make your website accessible for people with disabilities and compliant with legislation.
Or learn ow we can help you make your website accessible and compliant for as low as $490/year.
