Why ADA Compliance Matters: Protecting Your Business and Expanding Your Audience

Felicity Porter [0:15]
Hi, this is Felicity. Today I’ll be interviewing Victor from Ready Artwork about website ADA compliance.

Victor Huynh [0:23]
Hi everyone. I’m Victor Huynh from Ready Artwork. I’m the digital strategist here at our agency, and I talk about everything digital when it comes to marketing. Hopefully, today we’ll have a great conversation and learn something new.

Felicity Porter [0:41]
So, I wanted to discuss website ADA compliance. I know that over the past couple of years, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has become very relevant for business owners with websites, mainly for accessibility reasons and to avoid lawsuits. There are several reasons to maintain ADA compliance on a website. Could you elaborate on the legal aspects, as well as other benefits like SEO and remarketing?

Victor Huynh [1:19]
Sure, this is a great topic. As you’ve mentioned, ADA compliance has made news in recent years. Initially, it was mainly large corporations like Domino’s facing lawsuits, but recently, even small businesses like local restaurants have been affected.

To clarify, ADA compliance refers to the Americans with Disabilities Act, originally set up for physical accessibility—like wheelchair access or sink height—but now applied to websites. This law predates mainstream internet usage, so adapting it for websites can be challenging. For instance, people with visual impairments often rely on screen readers to interpret website content. When a website isn’t accessible—such as text embedded in images—the reader software can’t interpret it, which denies users equal access to information.

From a legal perspective, there is merit in these claims, but there’s also a trend of people exploiting these situations for profit. Beyond legal issues, there are SEO and brand benefits to ADA compliance.

Felicity Porter [5:52]
Those are some excellent points. The next question is, how can a business know if their website is ADA compliant? Can you talk about easy ways to test for compliance, as well as the difference between using plugins or overlays versus making actual site adjustments?

Victor Huynh [6:39]
Great question. There are various tools available, from free options like the WAVE scanner, which lets you check one page at a time, to more comprehensive paid scanners that provide detailed reports. A free tool is a good starting point, allowing you to address basic accessibility issues, which is a favorable step in court if legal issues arise.

There’s a range of ADA compliance levels—AAA, AA, and A. Triple-A is the strictest, meeting all guidelines but sometimes limiting design flexibility. Most aim for double-A compliance, which addresses key accessibility requirements without sacrificing too much on design.

You also asked about overlays versus manual adjustments. Overlays are software solutions, often seen as a blue icon on websites, that try to cover up accessibility issues. They often use JavaScript to “interpret” website elements for screen readers, essentially masking the problem rather than fixing it.

Manual adjustments, though more costly, involve hiring an expert or your web developer to make direct site improvements based on a thorough audit. This might include adjusting contrast for readability, ensuring text isn’t embedded in images, and allowing keyboard-only navigation. These changes are beneficial for SEO as well, as they make the site more readable for search engines like Google.

Felicity Porter [remaining time]
Thank you for that detailed explanation! This has been so informative, and I’m sure our listeners will have a better understanding of ADA compliance on their websites.

If you are interested in an ADA audit, contact us here to learn more about how we can help ensure your website meets accessibility standards.