ADA Compliance: It Is Not an Option, It Is an Obligation

As a business owner, it is imperative that you appeal to all who could use your services or products. We may think of things like gender, age groups, geographical location, and interests. But have you thought of everything when it comes to who will be using your products or services? Before you launch, it is essential to make sure you are ADA compliant. Does your business consider your employees' and customers' physical, visual, hearing, neurological, and learning needs?

ADA Compliance

The ADA stands for the Americans with Disabilities Act. It is a legal document and obligation to include all people, including those with disabilities. ADA compliance means that you consider the ease of accessibility to your physical space and digital space. Excluding people is not intentional, and many businesses are unaware that they are out of compliance. Luckily, there are checklists and tools to help your business become more compliant so that you do not find yourself caught in litigation. Here ways to make sure you are reaching everyone regardless of disability or accessibility needs.

Web Compliance

We often think of physical spaces when considering ADA compliance; however, your website is subject to ADA compliance rules as well. What is ADA compliance for the web? The World Wide Web Consortium has developed the Web Accessibility Initiative, which provides guidelines and specifications. Web compliance is often abbreviated as "a11y." Check out the quick reference guide. This guide is comprehensive and offers rules and specifications in all areas you need to take into consideration. The following are examples of areas to consider:

• Text alternatives to describe pictures
• Use of captions
• Flexible orientation of content
• Text resizing and contrasting capabilities
• Extra time allotment
• Keyboard use for all functions
• Consideration of flashes and light that can cause seizures

Many of the items in the reference guide are not things we intuitively consider. Fortunately, there are applications to help you identify problem areas and meet your legal obligation.

Applications for Compliance

Tackling all the areas related to visual, auditory, physical, sensory and cognitive needs can be overwhelming. A developer can certainly help. However, there are over a hundred applications that can test your site for compliance. The following are a few applications that can help identify problem areas and help you build a site that appeals to all customers:

• SiteImprove
• A11Y Compliance Platform by the Bureau of Internet Accessibility
• AATT (Automated Accessibility Testing Tool) by PayPal
• Tota11y by Khan Academy

Physical Compliance

Not all businesses have to have an ADA compliant building or space. You are legally obligated if you are a government office at any level, a non-profit company serving the public with 15 or more employees, a privately owned business with 15 or more employees, a community center or public space like a library, hotel or casino. For full details, visit the ADA website.

Spatial compliance means that you have a way for people to effectively and efficiently work within the space. Here are a few ways to provide access for all:

• Access to all areas by use of ramps and elevators and removal of barriers
• Visual access to all signs using large fonts and braille
• Allowance of service animals

Improving your physical space and your digital space is vital to ensure you are providing the best environment for your employees and that you are considering your customer base. In fact, some of the considerations and improvements may not be just for those with a confirmed disability. Small font sizes can be hard on those with 20/20 vision. Captioning allows customers to view your video content from anywhere without using audio, which might be disruptive in their current location or environment. Unfortunately, some companies have been caught in litigation because they did not provide disabled customers with the same access to the service or product as the general non-disabled population. Legally, a company can be viewed as discriminatory if it does not comply with ADA regulations. Therefore, it is crucial to look at all the ways people access and interact with your business.