Skip links

Websites Accessibility Compliance | Americans With Disabilities Act – ADA

Since the enactment of the ADA, having a visually appealing website is no longer enough; it must also be accessible to everyone, including individuals with disabilities. At Zemel Law, we are here to help organizations create accessible, user-friendly websites that meet all necessary legal standards.

Get started Today

Free Consultation With a Identity Theft Lawyers

    Relying solely on a web designer won’t guarantee compliance. You need expert legal guidance to understand and implement the complex regulations outlined in the Americans with disabilities act. Our team offers attorney-level expertise to ensure your website meets legal requirements, such as providing accessible content, compatibility with screen readers, offering alternative text for images, and implementing proper navigation. Whether it's ensuring full compliance, avoiding the risks of costly lawsuits, or prioritizing inclusivity for your audience, Zemel Law is here to support you every step of the way.

    Don’t leave your business vulnerable—take proactive steps today to ensure your website is compliant, inclusive, and welcoming to all.

    Understanding Website Compliance For Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)

    Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), enacted in 1990, is the civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities and ensures their access to public services and opportunities. It includes five titles, which address different aspects of accessibility like employment, public entities, public accommodations, telecommunications, and miscellaneous provisions. Out of which the title III, focusing on public accommodation, became particularly significant in the digital space, where, with time, it expanded to websites. It ensures that the businesses' websites are accessible to individuals with various disabilities, such as hearing loss, mobility impairments, cognitive disabilities, vision impairment, and other challenges. This includes designing, developing, and maintaining the websites, sticking to the accessibility principles, and removing all the barriers preventing people with impairments from accessing online services, goods, and information.

    Identity Theft Risks

    While the Americans With Disabilities Act does not provide a technical guideline, the web content accessibility guidelines (WCAG) are widely accepted as the standard for ADA website compliance. These internationally recognized standards, created by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), ensure that digital content is accessible to disabled individuals. WCAG contains the following levels:
    Level A (Minimum): It addresses the fundamental accessibility issues and ensures essential access for users with disabilities.
    Level AA (Mid-range): Resolves most barriers affecting many users, which is why most organizations opt for Level AA compliance.
    Level AAA (Highest): This comprehensive level of compliance seeks to address all the user accessibility barriers.

    Take action against the companies that may be violating your rights.

    How to Identify Your Website's Non-Compliant Factors

    Here's how you can identify potential ADA website accessibility problems on your site: -

    Conducting Automated Accessibility Testing

    Automated accessibility testing is one of the easiest ways to start identifying issues. There are tools like WAVE, Axe Accessibility Checker, Lighthouse (built right into Google Chrome), and Siteimprove that scan your website and point out problems, as well as common ADA-non-compliant website factor violations. These tools are user-friendly, and most of them are even free. All you have to do is plug in your website URL, and they’ll give you a list of issues to tackle.

    Performing Manual Testing

    Automated tools are helpful, but they can’t replace a good old-fashioned hands-on review. Manual testing allows you to experience your website the way someone with a disability might. Start with keyboard navigation. Can you move through your site using just the “Tab” key? Try clicking buttons, filling out forms, and accessing links without touching your mouse. If it’s frustrating for you, imagine how it feels for someone who relies on a keyboard or assistive device.
    Next, try using a screen reader like NVDA (for Windows) or VoiceOver (for Mac). Listen to how your website content is read aloud. Does it make sense? Are links and buttons properly labeled? You can also check if your videos have captions or if your text contrasts well against the background. These small actions can reveal a lot about your site’s accessibility.

    Gathering User Feedback

    One of the best ways to identify issues is to ask the people who are most affected: users with disabilities. Reach out to them, whether through surveys, focus groups, or direct conversations. Ask them to navigate your website and share their experiences. Real-life feedback is invaluable because it highlights problems you might not notice. Their insights can help you prioritize what to fix.

    Consulting Accessibility Experts

    If you're uncertain about your website’s compliance or lack the expertise to evaluate accessibility thoroughly, consider working with Zemel Law LLC’s ADA attorney for website accessibility. We identify areas of non-compliance, provide actionable recommendations, and guide you through the necessary improvements.

    Legal Parameters Defining Website's ADA Accessibility Compliance

    There are four key principles outlined by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG): Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust (POUR). These principles are designed to make digital content more accessible to users with disabilities, such as those with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive impairments.

    Perceivable

    This principle is to make sure that all users can perceive your content. For example, if you use images or videos, provide alt-text or captions so that people using screen readers or those who are hearing impaired can still access the content. For instance, instead of leaving an image of coffee blank, include descriptive alt-text like, "A steaming latte served in a white porcelain cup on a wooden table."

    Operable

    Your site should be navigable by all users, including those who can't use a mouse. This means your website needs to be fully functional with keyboard controls. Test whether you can tab through the entire site using just a keyboard. If not, you’ll need to adjust the design to make sure it's keyboard-friendly.

    Understandable

    The content should be easy to understand, even for those with cognitive disabilities. Avoid jargon and keep your language simple. Aim for a Flesch Reading Ease score of 60 or higher to ensure your content is readable and accessible to a wider audience.

    Robust

    Your website must work well with assistive technologies, such as screen readers and voice navigation tools. It's not just about what's visible on the page but also how the backend interacts with these technologies, ensuring a smooth user experience for all.

    How We Assist You With An ADA-Compliant Website

    Attorneys can be instrumental in helping individuals deal with identity theft by providing legal expertise, guidance, and representation throughout the process of resolving the identity theft issue. Here's how our team of experienced attorneys can help you

    1
    Comprehensive Accessibility Audits

    Our ADA website compliance attorneys conduct a detailed audit of your existing website to identify accessibility gaps. We assess everything from alt text for images to keyboard navigation, creating a targeted action plan to ensure your website complies with ADA and WCAG standards.

    2
    Customized Solutions for Your Business

    Based on your company objectives, target demographic, and content, we customize our strategy. Our solutions are specially designed to meet your specific needs, whether it’s streamlining forms, adding subtitles to videos, or making sure your site is mobile-friendly.

    3
    Legal Risk Mitigation

    Compliance not only safeguards your business but also reflects your commitment to inclusivity and diversity. By ensuring your website meets ADA and WCAG standards, we help you reduce the risk of lawsuits, legal challenges, or court-ordered penalties.

    4
    Documentation and Training

    We provide detailed documentation of the accessibility features implemented on your website. Additionally, we train your team on maintaining compliance when updating or adding new content, ensuring your site remains accessible in the long term.

    5
    Ongoing Support and Updates

    Our team can help victims navigate the process of disputing inaccuracies or fraudulent entries on their credit reports. We are knowledgeable on how to communicate effectively with credit reporting agencies to have fraudulent accounts removed or corrected.

    In addition to our ADA website compliance services, our expert team also includes: –

    For expert assistance, don’t hesitate to contact us today. Reach us at our toll-free number (888) 508-7448 or via email at support@zemellawllc.com for the professional assistance you need.

    FAQs

    The ADA protects individuals with mental and physical disabilities that limit one or more major life activities.
    Temporary disabilities are not covered under the ADA unless they are severe enough to limit a major life activity substantially.
    The benefits of achieving ADA compliance include website accessibility that ensures equal access to information for users with disability. It also improves user experience, reduces legal risks, and broadens audience reach.
    The ADA mandates that public events and gatherings are accessible to individuals with disabilities. It includes provisions for wheelchair access, accessible seating, effective communication aids, and accommodation for service animals.
    You need an ADA attorney to ensure that your website design meets legal accessibility standards, reducing the risk of lawsuits.

    Client testimonials

    Get started Today

    Free Consultation With a Credit Attorney