In the year 2010, the U.S. Department of Justice passed the ADA Standards for accessible design. Americans with Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design necessitates that all information technology, such as websites and tech, must be accessible to disabled individuals. It states that web content should be made accessible to deaf users, blind users, and users who navigate by screen readers, voice, or other assistive technologies.

Adhering to ADA compliance standards not only protects the website and your business against fines and lawsuits but also offers opportunities and facilities to disabled populations.

Which businesses must comply with the ADA?

As per the ADA’s Title I, businesses that operate for 20 or more weeks in a year and have at least 15 employees working full-time should comply with the regulations. Title III necessitates ADA compliance for entities that are counted in the category of public accommodation like banks, restaurants, hotels, public transportation, etc. This implies that the law applies to digital as well as physical accommodations.

How to create an ADA-compliant website?

Enhancing the accessibility of your company’s website for those who have hearing or visual impairments or those who need to navigate by voice or keyboard only can be done in countless ways. You can address the accessibility aspect of your website by heeding the following pointers:

1. Create alt tags for videos, images, or audio files

Alt tags help users with disabilities to hear or read alternative content descriptions of content that they might find difficult to view or may not view at all. Alt tags are short descriptions of images and videos.

2. Identify the website’s language in the header code

Users who rely on text readers are helped when your site makes it clear in what language the website should be read. Text readers are able to identify those functions and codes accordingly.

3. Create transcripts for audio and video content

Hearing-impaired users are included in your audience base as soon as you add text transcripts of your audio or video content that otherwise remains out of their reach.

4. Create an organized, consistent layout

Buttons, menus, and links should be organized such that they are elaborated clearly and are navigated across the entire site without any hassle.

There are many other ways in which you can enhance the accessibility of your website. You can also consult a lawyer who specializes in the said law.

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Top ADA Compliance Software

When designing your website, keep in mind the ADA regulations, so it remains compliant and safe from lawsuits. Here are the top 3 reliable and quality tools you can use to create a site that’s ADA compliant.

1. AccessiBe

AccessiBe is a cloud-based website accessibility platform that executes WCAG to ensure ADA compliance. The tool works by scanning each page and evaluating its visibility. This AI-powered system runs scheduled scans on every monitored page and judges whether a sight is usable by visually impaired visitors. After scanning, the software generates a compliance report every month, which can be kept in a file if any legal matter arises. If your site is based on CMS, you can integrate the tool via a plugin. CMS solutions are available for different platforms like Wix, Shopify, Google Tag Manager, Squarespace, WordPress, etc.

2. AudioEye

AudioEye works by scanning the site and allocating it an accessibility score out of 100. This ADA compliance assessor is executed by adding JavaScript code to the site pages. The pages are then adjusted automatically such they become ADA-compliant. AudioEye has inbuilt WCAG rules, so you don’t need to fret about missing issues or regulations, however, note that the tool won’t be able to address all the potential issues.

The software can be used as a plugin for different CMSs such as WordPress, Shopify, Wix, BigCommerce, Google Tag Manager, Duda, and so on.

3. Tenon

Tenon works on WCAG, 2.1, 2.0, and Section 508 compliance matters. This automatic accessibility testing tool runs a scan quickly to identify accessibility issues. And the problems discovered on the site are then categorized by severity, either warnings or errors. The account dashboard is hosted in the cloud and comes with a report feature that allows you to get the run-down of all problems and issues which have been settled. This accessibility testing solution doesn’t entail processes to resolve issues. Thus, it complements businesses that have expert developers on staff.

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So far, we walked you through the meaning of ADA law and what businesses need to adhere to it. We also shared with you the top tools that help you in making your site ADA-compliant and all-inclusive. To get a clear picture of the matters concerning ADA compliance of your site, it helps to consult a practicing ADA professional.