A Beginner’s Guide to ADA Web Compliance

The?Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?was launched in 1990 and is meant to ensure that people with disabilities have the same opportunities and convenience as anyone else.

This means any businesses that serve the public must ensure their building accommodates people with disabilities of different kinds.

And now that the internet is so commonly used, ADA compliance also applies to websites and also mobile apps.

Fundamentally, this means that your website needs to be accessible to people who have disabilities that affect their vision, hearing, or physical capacities.

As a?digital marketing?outlet looking to earn?good conversion rates?from your?online marketing?campaigns, it is not negotiable to stick to ADA web compliance.

If your site isn’t equipped with features that make it accessible to people with disabilities, not only is your company at risk of ending up in court, but it could also lose out on doing business with the approximately 61 million Americans living with a disability or other limitations.

So making your site ADA-compliant is a win for everyone.

Accessibility Guidelines for Websites to Follow ADA Compliance

Having an accessible site and marketing materials means having your whole team briefed on what accessible marketing looks like. Hey! Don’t panic, once you get the hang of things, it’s very quick to ensure your website is accessible.?

Start by keeping the following recommendations in mind:

#1. Content

When?writing content for websites, emails,?social media, and more. It’s important that content is accessible for people with all four types of disabilities: hearing, visual, motor, and cognitive.

#1. Structure

To help those users with a screen reader or other visual limitations easily read your content, use headings correctly.

That means, using the proper heading tags for example using the H2 function, instead of simply using a bigger or bolder font. Your headings should also adhere to a logical hierarchy: the H1 or title is followed by an H2, and beneath an H2 heading, use an H3 heading. This makes the structure and importance of content easy to follow and flow seamlessly.

#2. Readability

Making content simple to read and follow is important for readers with cognitive limitations, but it also makes your content simpler to scan and read for other users as well. Keep your sentences concise and to the point.

Use bulleted lists, bolded keywords, and summary sections for easier scanning. Start with the most vital information and end with the least important. Avoid the use of jargon and overly complicated words. Left align all text and headlines.

#3. Link text

When linking to other WebPages, do not use “click here” as the link text. Using descriptive link text makes it clearer to users with screen readers or visual disabilities which link is which and where each one leads.

#4. Accessible files

If you link to PDFs, Word documents,?PowerPoints, or other types of files, ensure those files are accessible.

#2. Design

Accessible design means making your design more relevant for everyone, not only people with impairments. Here are a few things to consider when it comes to accessible design.

#1. Videos

There are three major ways you can make videos more accessible.

#1. Subtitles:?Ensure all videos have them. This not only helps users with hearing disabilities but is also beneficial for people who are in crowded settings or who don’t want to put in headphones to watch a video in a public space.

#2. Transcripts:?Add a transcript that has the text version of any speech in a video. The golden standard is a descriptive transcript, which includes a concise description of what’s happening in the video.

#3. Audio description:?This is a speech version of a descriptive transcript and it makes it easier for blind people or users with visual disabilities to consume content.

#2. Images

All images should have alt text, which is a brief text that clearly and neutrally describes the image.

This is the text screen readers see when they come across an image, so file numbers or unhelpful information can result in major usability challenges for visually impaired users. For decorative images, the alt attribute should be empty (for example, alt:“).

#3. Color

About 4% of the world’s population has some form of color blindness, which means that using color alone to communicate information can result in problems for some users. Use patterns, fill, borders, sizing, icons, or whitespace to communicate in addition to color.

When using color, ensure that the contrast is sufficient enough that users can read text or see color differences.

#4. Fonts

Sans serif fonts are the simplest to read, as they do not include small decorative markings. Limit the number of fonts you use (for example one for body text and one for headlines). Always use at least size 12 fonts and use bold for emphasis, instead of italics.

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