How To Avoid An ADA Website Compliance Lawsuit
The worldwide web was created to make life better for everyone. Unfortunately, some digital accessibility issues exclude millions of people from this spectrum of the economy. Whether this is deliberate discrimination or negligence is a discussion for another day. The point is that when your company’s website is not conforming to web content accessibility guidelines (WCAG), you might be at the risk of ADA Compliance Lawsuit. Perhaps, this is something you want to avoid. In the business sense of it, dealing with your site accessibility issues is cheaper than an ADA website compliance lawsuit. It doesn’t matter whether you are running a brick-and-mortar business or not. Just like the future itself, dealing with website accessibility lawsuits is unpredictable. And that’s why you shouldn’t ignore it. But before we move into how to avoid them, let me highlight the core basics first!
What Is ADA Website Compliance?
The term ADA stands for Americans With Disabilities Act. Established in 2010, ADA is a legal act created to prevent discrimination against people with disabilities and to ensure equal access to web content, products, services, and opportunities that unfold in the new digital economy. Bearing in mind that over 60 million American adults live with some form of disability, this is an important act that promotes equal opportunity for all!
One prominent area of focus is the plight of visually impaired people. Even though a screen reader can be used by some of these people, many websites and mobile apps are still not accessible in accordance with the law. In other words, making your websites accessible is no longer a matter of business concern. It is part of the civil rights of all disabled people in the United States!
Though the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) was established by the U.S Department of Justice, many state courts support its content. That’s why it’s easy to find website accessibility litigation to be a common occurrence within state courts and the court of appeals!
The Rise of ADA Compliance Lawsuits
Every year, millions of people are building new websites for their businesses. But the unfortunate thing is that the majority of these websites still have some digital accessibility issues. In most cases, neither the business owners nor the website designer understands the intricacies of ADA compliance requirements. That’s why it is important to hire experienced digital accessibility solutions experts to put you and your business on the right track!
While it is easy to ignore this fact about your company’s website, you might be at the risk of rising ADA web accessibility lawsuits related to ADA. For example, back in 2019, thousands of plaintiffs filed over 11,000 title III ADA lawsuits. In the year 2020, web and mobile accessibility cases filed across federal courts stood around 2,523, which is higher than 2019 figures!
Whether you are aware of the reason why this happens or not, there is a likelihood that this trend will continue, given the rate people are building new websites mobile apps for their businesses!
In today’s digital economy, it is no longer about places of public accommodations. Even your mobile apps ought to be accessible to people with disabilities. Whether you are aware of the fact or not, ADA prohibits discrimination relating to accessibility on the web and mobile landscapes!
How To Test Your Website To Avoid ADA Lawsuits
In this case, the best starting point is to test your website for being ADA compliant. Before you get yourself into legal claims that will lead you into spending money in a federal or state court, consider these testing options to get clarity first!
1. Automated Testing
2. Manual ADA Website Accessibility Testing
Platform Considerations For Web Accessibility
Most business websites are rarely built with the same platform technology. When you are interested in how to hire a website accessibility expert, this is something you shouldn’t ignore in a hurry. The key point I want to make is that a developer who is an expert in one platform technology might not have sufficient experience in another area. Before you hire an expert to make your website accessible to the blind and other people with disabilities, consider the following platform differences!
1. ADA Accessibility Testing For WordPress Websites
2. ADA Accessibility Testing For Shopify Stores
3. ADA Accessibility For Squarespace Websites
4. ADA Accessibility For Mobile Applications
The Best Ways To Avoid ADA Lawsuits
Below are some of the best ways to make your website accessible and avoid title III-related litigation without alienating blind users who may become plaintiffs tomorrow!
1. Understand The Requirements
2. Request A Professional Audit
3. Hire Website Accessibility Experts
4. Use ADA Dedicated WordPress Plugin
While you are reading this post, your website might be violating the provisions of the act. But since you have taken the time to read this post, I’ll say this is a good step in the right direction. Having reached this section of the post, you now have a better idea of how to avoid expensive court cases!
