Make Your Site WCAG and ADA Compliant

Open Your Doors to ALL Customers

When I sustained a spinal cord injury in 2011, I was told I’d never walk again.

I was lucky. After 4 years bed-bound, I slowly regained mobility. But even now, more than a decade later, I require assistance if I’m going to be up and about for any length of time.

That’s how I became hyper aware of how inaccessible much of the world is. 

• Abled people using (and taking their time in) the handicapped stall in the bathroom
• Elevators that don’t work or won’t take you to the floor you need
• Doorways that have steps or other obstacles
• Store isles that are too narrow to navigate

For the millions of people with disabilities such as color blindness, visual or hearing impairment — even ADHD or dyslexia — navigating websites is just as difficult.

These people include business owners and executives who have money to spend — if they can access the information about the products and solutions they’re looking for. 

The typical website is challenging, if not impossible, to perceive, understand, or operate. It’s up to us as business owners to make up the difference, so everyone can access our products and services.

Why Compliance Is Critical

An ADA compliant website ensures everyone can enjoy your website and purchase your products. You have flexibility in how you comply, but you must ensure that the programs, services, and goods you provide — including those provided online — are accessible to people with digital disabilities.

The goal: To make the web fully accessible to all people.

• 2.2 million people have a vision impairment that requires a screen magnifier for the internet.
• 466 million people worldwide have a hearing disability.
• 19.9 million adults in the US (8.2%) have difficulty lifting or grasping, which makes it difficult to use a mouse or keyboard.
• 8.1 million people (3.3% of the population) have some sort of vision impairment (including color blindness). These people might rely on a screen magnifier or reader, or need higher contrast pages that suit color blindness.
• 2 in 5 adults aged 65 years and older have a disability.
• 75% of Americans with disabilities report using the internet on a daily basis.

Website Accessibility Is Required by Law

Title II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits government websites, universities, and businesses from discriminating against people with disabilities — in both their physical buildings and on their websites. 

And W3C’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) require all websites to be accessible to all people — which means your business is at risk if you aren’t making your website ADA compliant. 

There are four principles for website accessibility. The content on your pages must be:

• Perceivable
• Operable 
• Understandable 
• Robust

… Even for people with disabilities.

Title III Lawsuits Are on the Rise

The law firm Seyfarth has tracked ADA Title III lawsuits every year since 2013. In the eight years between 2013 and 2021, they saw a 320% increase in accessibility cases.

In 2021, more than 11,000 businesses were taken to court for violating accessibility requirements.

These are not frivolous lawsuits. Without equal access to websites, these individuals are missing out on opportunities. And the businesses running those websites are being held resp

Introducing AccessXL

AccessXL is the smart website widget that gives you a head start on making your website WCAG and ADA compliant. And it’s as simple as 1-2-3. 

When complete, a blue button will appear on all your web pages, allowing any visitor to set their own usability requirements.

The ADA is on mission to ensure people with disabilities can access all services, products, and information online.

A noncompliant website is like a store that hides its front door. 

Making your website ADA compliant isn’t just legally required. It tells anyone with a disability that you see them.

Accessibility Features at the Click of a Button 

Bottom Line, You Need To Be Compliant

Website accessibility isn’t an option. Your website needs to be perceivable, operable, and understandable to all people.

You need to stop turning away people who want to spend their hard-earned money with you.

You need to do the right thing by serving a largely ignored segment of society, people with disabilities.

Today, many businesses are ignoring ADA requirements. Many simply aren’t aware of them, but others put it off because they believe it’s a complicated, technical fix. 

First, ignorance won’t protect you in court. You have flexibility in how you comply, but you must ensure that the information, programs, services, and goods you provide — including those provided online — are accessible to people with disabilities.

And second, you can easily get started with AccessXL.

Keep in mind, this is step 1 in becoming more compliant, and it can help you improve ADA and WCAG 2.0 compliance by the end of the week — allowing visitors to change the appearance of your website so they can perceive it in the way that fits their needs best. 

Step 2 is to ensure you’re making your website fully understandable and operable. And we can provide training and audits to help you stay on top of these issues. 

Can You Afford NOT to Be ADA Compliant?

According to a 2018 report from the American Institutes for Research, the discretionary income for working-age people with disabilities is $21 billion.

Yet just 3.2% of the world’s top one million website homepages are WCAG 2.1, level 2 compliant.

Website accessibility provides equal opportunity to all of your visitors. And it’s such a simple way to be socially responsible while unlocking an untapped market for your business.

It also protects you legally.

The ADA is committed to enforcing website accessibility for all people. They’ve filed cases against the City and County of Denver, CO; Jacksonville, FL; Durham, NC; Rite Aid Corporation; H&R Block; Peapod; and Domino’s, among others.

Website accessibility is the right thing to do. And it’s legally prudent to do it right away.

Don’t put yourself at risk…

Make Your Website ADA Compliant Today

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