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ADA Compliant Website Checklist


	In today's digital age, having a website that is accessible to everyone is not just a good practice; it's a legal requirement. Whether you're a small business owner, a nonprofit organization, or a large corporation, creating an ADA compliance checklist is essential for ensuring that your website meets the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and provides equal access to all users, including those with disabilities. In this article, we'll discuss the history of the ADA, its relationship with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and provide the necessary steps for achieving an ADA compliant website, with a following list of tips. Let’s begin with the history of the ADA. ADA history: lawsuit explosion against inaccessible websites The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a groundbreaking law designed to prevent discrimination against individuals with disabilities, promoting equality across various aspects of public life. Although the law was drafted before the advent of the internet, its broad language underscores the importance of accessibility principles rather than specific guidelines, extending its reach beyond physical spaces to encompass digital environments. Evidently, suit claims filed in federal courts have grown exponentially since 2018, with 10,982 ADA Title III cases filed in 2020. The trend only continued to grow in early 2021 (according to a Seyfarth report). The precedent for web accessibility-related claims was set in 2006 with National Federation of Blind v. Target Corp., 452 F. Supp. 2d 946 (N.D. Cal. 2006). The plaintiff sued national retail chain Target for not providing accessibility on its website to the blind. The case tested Title III of the ADA, as Target argued that it applies to physical spaces only. But the Superior Court of California disagreed. It held that there was a sufficient “nexus” (a connection linking two or more things) between Target’s physical and online services. The court concluded that many of the website benefits were services “heavily integrated with the brick-and-mortar stores” and therefore should be accessible as required by Title III. Target and the National Federation of the Blind struck a civil action settlement in August 2008. Over time, the interpretation of this ruling broadened as more companies recognized that although the ADA doesn’t outline precise web accessibility standards, courts have held them accountable for ensuring access to individuals with disabilities. Courts often cite the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) as the benchmark for ADA compliance. How does WCAG relate to ADA compliance? The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) serve as a crucial reference point for ADA compliance in the realm of web accessibility. Although the Americans with Disabilities Act does not explicitly outline specific web accessibility standards, courts have frequently referenced the WCAG as a measure of ADA compliance. The WCAG provides comprehensive guidelines and criteria for creating accessible web content, covering various aspects such as perceivability, operability, understandability, and robustness. By adhering to the WCAG standards, businesses and organizations can ensure that their websites are accessible to individuals with disabilities, aligning with the spirit and intent of the ADA to provide equal access to goods, services, and information for all individuals in society. WCAG conformance levels for an ADA-compliant website WCAG defines three conformance levels to provide flexibility for different situations and levels of accessibility: Level A (Minimum Level): Level A conformance represents the minimum level of accessibility that websites should strive to achieve. Meeting Level A criteria ensures that the most basic accessibility requirements are met, making content accessible to some users with disabilities. While Level A compliance is an important first step, it may not fully address the needs of all users with disabilities. Level AA (Mid Range): Level AA conformance represents a higher level of accessibility that builds upon Level A requirements. Meeting Level AA criteria ensures that websites are more accessible to a wider range of users with disabilities, and will more likely prevent legal action against websites for ADA violations. Level AAA (Highest Level): Level AAA conformance represents the highest level of accessibility, providing the most comprehensive accessibility features. Meeting Level AAA criteria ensures that websites are accessible to the broadest range of users with disabilities, including those with more severe impairments. 5 steps for gaining an ADA-compliant website Now that we have a better understanding of the history and the requirements standardized by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, let’s review the steps necessary for achieving ADA compliance. At the next section, we will go over 10 tips for a comprehensive ADA-compliant website checklist. Step 1: Understand ADA compliance First and foremost, it's crucial to understand what ADA compliance means for your website. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities and requires businesses and organizations to provide equal access to goods, services, and facilities, including websites. ADA compliance for websites involves making sure that people with disabilities can navigate, understand, and interact with your website effectively. This includes considerations such as providing alternative text for images, ensuring keyboard accessibility, and maintaining sufficient color contrast. Even though the ADA does not explicitly refer to information on the internet, the Department of Justice “has taken the position that Title III [of the ADA] covers access to Web sites of public accommodations.” Since this statement in 2017, lawsuits against inaccessible websites for ADA violations have increased rapidly, with hefty costs slapped on businesses in the private sector for noncompliance. Step 2: Conduct an accessibility audit The next step is to conduct a thorough accessibility audit of your website to identify any existing accessibility barriers. This involves using tools and guidelines such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to evaluate your website's compliance with accessibility standards. WCAG guidelines outline technical requirements and best practices for creating websites that are accessible to people with disabilities. These disabilities include visual, auditory, cognitive, motor, speech, and neurological impairments. The purpose of an audit is to objectively measure what accessibility features are missing from a website, or which accessibility features can be improved. An example might be a site that no longer includes visible content (which may be presented as “content hidden” in a screen reader), truncated text, blocks of text that cannot be focused on with the mouse, and any other number of errors or deficiencies. EqualWeb’s auditing services include a Web Accessibility Evaluation Report that provides a detailed assessment of a website’s accessibility status, generated after the audit is completed. The audit report typically includes an analysis of various aspects of the website, such as its structure, design, content, and functionality. Step 3: Implement accessibility features Once you've identified areas for improvement, it's time to start implementing accessibility features on your website. This may include adding alternative text to images, ensuring keyboard navigation, and providing accessible forms and controls. The remediation process may be time-consuming and energy-exhausting. After all, adherence to web accessibility standards involves many intricacies, as remediation can be quite complex, especially with a large and complicated website. For this reason, many businesses and organizations opt for automated solutions that involve an accessibility overlay. The overlay doesn’t interfere with the website’s original code, simply “covering” the website with an added layer of accessibility. The problem with these solutions is their partiality, and sometimes even harm added for accessibility. EqualWeb offers a range of tools and plugins that integrate both AI-powered remediation tools that automatically fix the website’s ADA violations as well as a customizable manual remediation solution, performed by accessibility experts. Step 4: Test and monitor After implementing accessibility features, it's important to test your website to ensure that it is accessible to all users. EqualWeb provides testing tools and services that allow you to test your website's accessibility and identify any remaining issues. Testing a website with assistive tools requires some expertise, which is why selecting a web accessibility vendor is paramount for achieving ADA compliance. EqualWeb can perform this task, as well as run scheduled scans for accessibility maintenance and compliance assurance. See EqualWeb’s monitoring or crawling solutions for more information. Step 5: Educate and train Finally, it's essential to educate yourself and your team about the importance of web accessibility and how to maintain ADA compliance. EqualWeb offers training and educational resources to help you and your team understand the principles of web accessibility and how to implement them effectively. ADA compliance checklist: 15 key tips on the road to ADA compliance Alright, now that we really understand what’s required and the path toward accessibility, we are ready for web accessibility practices! How is the remediation process for an ADA-compliant website actually done? Here’s a 15-point checklist to help guide you through the process: Alternative Text for Images: Ensure that all images on your website have descriptive alternative text (alt text) that conveys the content and purpose of the image to users who are blind or visually impaired. Keyboard Accessibility: Test your website to ensure that all functionality, including links, buttons, and forms, can be accessed and operated using only a keyboard. Users should be able to navigate through your website and interact with all elements without the need for a mouse. Color Contrast: Check the color contrast between text and background elements to ensure readability for users with low vision or color blindness. Text should have sufficient contrast with the background to be easily legible. Headings and Structure: Use proper heading tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to structure your content hierarchically and logically. Headings help users understand the organization of your content, especially when using screen readers. Form Accessibility: Ensure that all forms on your website are accessible to users with disabilities. This includes providing clear labels for form fields, grouping related fields together, and ensuring that form elements can be easily navigated and completed using a keyboard. Accessible PDF Files: Ensure your PDF documents have proper tags, labels, and structural order, including Alt Text for images, so people with disabilities can access them just like accessible HTML pages. Multimedia Accessibility: Provide captions or transcripts for videos and audio content to make them accessible to users who are deaf or hard of hearing. Additionally, ensure that multimedia players are keyboard accessible and support assistive technologies. Links and Navigation: Use descriptive link text that clearly conveys the destination of the link. Avoid using generic terms like "click here" or "read more" and ensure that navigation menus are accessible and easy to use. Accessible Fonts: Readable fonts that are easy on the eyes are not only good for users with visual impairments but for all users. Opt for sans-serif fonts like Arial, Helvetica, or Open Sans, as they are generally easier to read. Font Sizing: While the readability is important, customization for font size, line spacing, and letter spacing are crucial for some users with visual impraiments. Consistent Layout and Design: Maintain a consistent layout and design throughout your website to provide a predictable user experience for all users. Avoid using flashing or blinking elements that could cause seizures or other adverse reactions. Accessibility Statement: Include an accessibility statement on your website that outlines your commitment to accessibility and provides contact information for users to report accessibility issues or request accommodations. Feedback Option: Include a “Send Feedback” option on the website so users with disabilities can inform you of any accessibility issues that may persist on the website. Blinks Blocking: Avoid flashing elements or images on the web pages, which can cause discomfort and even seizures for some individuals. Regular Testing and Monitoring: Conduct regular accessibility testing of your website using automated tools, manual checks, and user testing. Monitor your website for accessibility issues and address any issues promptly to ensure ongoing compliance. By following this checklist and regularly reviewing and remediating your website, you will make significant steps toward attaining an ADA-compliant website. PDF accessibility for ADA compliance Unlike a webpage that inherently contain tags and elements that convey meaning to assistive technologies, PDF documents often lack proper labeling, headings, alt text for images, and other essential accessibility features. As a result, users with disabilities encounter barriers when trying to access and navigate inaccessible documents, impeding their ability to obtain critical information. Non-remediated PDFs are a highly risky legal issue, and may lead to an accessibility-related lawsuit, even if a website is perfectly accessible otherwise. To tackle this problem, EqualWeb is offering AI-powered remediation for PDF documents with its Auto Tag software. PDF auto-tagging is sophisticated technology that leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to automatically analyze, interpret, and tag PDF documents with semantic structure and accessibility features. This process involves identifying elements within the document such as headings, paragraphs, images, and more, and assigning appropriate tags and attributes to make the content more accessible to individuals with disabilities. Read more about how to make your PDF documents accessible with a free PDF accessibility checker report. Easily accomplish an ADA-compliant website with EqualWeb If all of this information seems overwhelming to you, fear not. EqualWeb provides affordable web accessibility solutions to make your websites up-to-date with the latest WCAG standards and ADA requirements. From automated solutions implemented on the website, auditing services, PDF remediation, and manual adjustments—EqualWeb has it all, with tailor-made solutions for websites of any size, large, medium, or small. Call or schedule a meeting with a friendly EqualWeb representative today to discuss your options, free of charge. We would love to chat with you!