Should you be concerned about your website’s accessibility?
With 1 in 5 Americans living with disabilities, it is reported 71% of web users with disabilities leave sites that are inaccessible. More importantly many of these individuals have turned to their lawyers for help in making website accessibly changes happen.
In 2021 there was a 14% increase in lawsuits against organizations whose websites were not ADA compliant. This is due to both the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and the Section 508 standards of the Rehabilitation Act (which requires all federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities), both of which were updated in 2018. As such, Section 508 accessibility remediation services are becoming more valuable than ever.
WCAG Areas of Coverage
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination “on the basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations” offered by places of public service, and the Department of Justice has taken deemed that websites are considered places of public service.
ADA compliant website design is a requirement for three main types of organizations:
- Businesses that exist to benefit the public, including education, transportation, and telecommunication
- Local or state government agencies
- Private employers with 15 or more employees
However, abiding by WCAG standards is always a good idea because it ensures that all visitors to your website are able to experience the full scope of the site, and no one is left feeling alienated or confused by what is happening on the screen. Becoming ADA compliant your site will be accessible to over 66 million potential customers with disabilities. According to the latest WCAG guidelines, known simply as WCAG 2.1, accessibility involves a wide range of disability types, including:
- Visual
- Auditory
- Physical
- Speech
- Cognitive
- Language
- Learning
- Neurological
ADA Accessibility Assessment
Ensuring accessibility in web design can be an intimidating undertaking, but you can’t have a website that is just “a little bit compliant.” You either do it right, or you don’t do it at all.
At Paradigm, we partner with ADA-certified auditors who are leaders in ADA compliance. When it comes to ensuring your digital properties are usable for people with disabilities while also providing unmatched Risk Mitigation support as the industry’s only court-certified accessibility auditing firm. Whether you have a website, a web application, native mobile apps, Kiosks or IoT products or you offer a platform of your own, our partners proven process will guide you every step of the way teaching you how to meet global accessibility requirements.
Contact us today and we’ll help you get your site on track to WCAG compliance.
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