Over the last several years there has been increased scrutiny on website accessibility. At Motion Tactic, we have at least one conversation a week regarding accessibility with prospective clients and existing ones. Our stance is simple on ADA compliance – We believe that the internet should be accessible to everyone. For some of our B2B clientele, ADA compliance is a requirement. For others, they would prefer to address it later. Regardless of their opinion, Motion Tactic designs and develops ADA compliant websites (level AA) by default. It’s included in the scope of all our projects. If you don’t need it now – chances are you’ll need it later. We’re excited to share 3 ADA compliant website examples for you to see.
We hope this blog post helps answer some of your burning questions like: what is ADA website compliance? Does my website need to be ADA compliant? What happens if my website isn’t ADA compliant? What happens if I receive a complaint or legal notice to fix compliance issues? And finally, 3 ADA compliant website examples that we’ve designed and developed.
What is ADA compliance?
Companies that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) must ensure that all content, and functions of a website are accessible to individuals with disabilities. The process of making a website accessible ensures that individuals with disabilities have an equal experience navigating the website compared with those who do not have disabilities.
The ADA web accessibility standards cover several areas of compliance that are necessary to be included in the design and development of a website. Once implemented, these areas of accessibility allow for all website users to navigate through the website successfully, engage with content and other elements throughout the website.
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is a leading voice for internet accessibility. You can learn more about ADA compliance on the web in depth on their website. Including guidelines for each level of ADA compliance.
Does my website need to be ADA compliant?
Technically speaking, no, unless your website is of government property. The Americans With Disabilities Act, Title III speaks to accommodations that need to be made for accessible physical environments and does not specifically address websites (this act was created in 1990). However, it’s commonplace for civil lawsuits to be brought against businesses – and generally speaking, courts handle these in a variety of ways from dropping them, to mandating compliance depending on state and federal precedent.
For many businesses who do not have an ADA Compliant website, it’s a matter of time before it’s a matter of time before it becomes an issue. We worked on a website project where ADA compliance became a requirement halfway through the project out of our client’s customer base requesting their website be ADA compliant. Sometimes it’s mandated by suppliers, customers, or government agencies that your website be ADA compliant in order to work with you. That’s why, by default, we design and develop all of our websites to be ADA Compliant meeting AA standards – the primary standard expected by The U.S. Department of Justice – Civil Rights and ADA Title III. See where ADA compliance falls within our website design & development process here.
What happens if I receive a complaint or legal notice to fix compliance issues?
Several years ago, we worked with a client who had received a complaint that their website did not meet ADA compliance standards. The client hired us to rebuild the website to be ADA compliant meeting the AA standard. Upon review of the complaint, the client had 6 months from the time of receiving the complaint to prove that they were taking action to resolve the compliance issues. They had in total two years to perform the updates and send a report back to the U.S. Department of Justice – Civil Rights proving that the website has been made compliant to the best of their abilities. The best course of action is to follow the guidelines set forth in your complaint. The important thing to remember is that the investment is worth it. If you don’t do it now, you’ll need to do it later. Accessibility is all about allowing an important group of our population to successfully use your website and take actions that will ultimately be beneficial for you.
3 ADA Compliant Website Examples
1. Skybox Security
Creative exemplified on Skybox Security’s website. This is a great example of an ADA Compliant website that does not sacrifice creativity and visual usability.
2. InEight
Construction technology company with a global focus. InEight’s corporate brand guidelines did not include any ADA compliant color variations. We updated the brand standards so that the website and offline materials are in alignment with the updated ADA compliant brand standards.
3. AmeriSchools Academy
Charter school system with multiple locations in Arizona. Any school that receives federal funding is required to have a website that meets ADA standards. This website is a reflection of the fun spirited learning environment at AmeriSchools. This website meets federal ADA standards and it also provides an interesting user experience through the use of animations and line art.
Why should my website be ADA compliant?
The movement towards making the web compliant is happening rapidly. Companies are looking to rebuild their website with ADA in mind from the ground up. Attorney’s are constantly on the lookout for entities that are in violation of compliance rules. The strongest of all arguments is that all people, no matter their visual or audio impairment, should be able to consume all information on a website without issue.
Motion Tactic is a custom website design and development company in Tempe, AZ. As part of our approach, we build all websites to be ADA compliant to AA standards. The additional effort to adhere to ADA standards is built into the cost of a website build. Our design and development teams follow specific guidelines, checklist, and software checkers to verify that a website meets AA standards to the best of our ability. Feel free to contact us to talk more about how we can help ensure your new website meets compliance standards.
