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What is ADA Compliance?
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) sets out guidelines for companies and organizations to follow when providing electronic information and technology, such as designing a website, to ensure that the content is accessible to all individuals.
Who must be ADA Compliant?
Ideally all organizations should strive to make their sites as accessible as possible, and it is important to remember that the sites exempt from the ADA's accessibility requirements are very much that, an exception to the rule. In fact, your company may require ADA Compliance without you even knowing.
Below is a list of the organizations required to comply with ADA's accessibility guidelines.
State & Local Gov. Organizations
Most local and even some state government websites are thought to be relatively low-budget due to almost exclusively relying on public funds and volunteer work. For this reason, ADA compliance is often given a backseat in terms of development or left out all together.
Most Private Companies
Private companies and organizations with 15 employees or more are required to have an ADA compliant website.
Places of Public Accommodation
Businesses listed under the ADA Title III such as: restaurants, hotels/motels, shops/retail, movie theaters, doctors offices, private hospitals, day-care centers, gyms, etc.
What happens if I don't address my site's ADA Compliance issues?
If your company or organization requires an ADA compliant website and fails to meet the accessibility guidelines outlined in the ADA, your company could be sued for discriminatory practices. Similarly to how the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prevents businesses from denying service on the basis of race, the ADA considers the lack of accessibility features discrimination, even when done unintentionally.
How do I know if my site is ADA compliant?
Unless set up intentionally, the majority of websites are NOT designed ADA compliant by default, especially if your site was designed custom or for specialty applications.
You can find web guidance on the ADA's website here.
Castle Interactive offers free website audits to check if your site is ADA compliant. Simply schedule a call with one of our experts and ask for the audit! We will look at your site in real time and help you determine the best course of action to address any non-compliance issues.