What is ADA Compliance and How Can It Boost Your Online Presence and Integrity?

Website users with disabilities make up 20% of the world’s population, but many websites aren’t accessible to them. Because of this, the United States Department of Justice created specific guidelines that public organizations must follow to make their sites accessible to disabled users.

Having a website that is ADA-compliant can significantly benefit your users and your company. Learn more about ADA compliance and how you can use it to boost your company’s online presence. 

What is ADA Compliance?

ADA compliance is a requirement that websites must meet to make them accessible to all users with disabilities. To determine how accessible your website is, it will get rated on one of three levels: Level A, AA, and AAA. Level A is only accessible to some users, level AA is accessible by almost all users, and level AAA is accessible to all users. In addition to these levels, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) has created the four following principles for ADA website compliance:

• Being perceivable — For a website to be perceivable, it should have the ability for users to perceive the content of the website. If a user cannot see, there should be a way for them to hear the text and if a user can’t hear, the website should include closed captioning.
• Being operable — Your website should be easy for every user to operate, no matter their disability. For this, you may need a web developer who is experienced in ADA compliance and can make all tools and navigation for your website operable.
• Being understandable — While it’s one thing for a user to view your website, it’s another thing to be able to understand it. Your website should offer instructions to go with your menus, site tools, and forms.
• Being robust — Although you may have to use assisted technology to make your website ADA compliant, you should make sure that your disabled user is still getting your full website experience. Keep your descriptions and directions universal so disabled users get the same experience.

How Has Technology Enabled Broad ADA Compliance?

Advancements in technology are greatly benefiting users with disabilities. We use two primary forms of technology to assist in ADA compliance: AI technology and the accessibility interface. AI technology works as a background application that scans your website for compliance issues. This technology can identify changes you should make to keyboard navigation and screen readers. The accessibility interface modifies a user's individual website experience, such as font sizes, color contrast, and animation adjustments.

How Does ADA Compliance Impact Companies’ Online Presence?

ADA compliance impacts not only disabled users but also a company’s online presence. When a company makes its website ADA compliant, they gain a positive reputation among users and become a preferred website over others who aren’t compliant. There are additional impacts that ADA compliance has on a company’s online presence:

• Accessibility — When your website is accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities, it positively impacts users. Your website may also have a better reputation among users and increase the traffic of viewers.
• Security — In addition to being accessible, disabled users want a secure website. ADA-compliant websites accommodate disabled users, so their personal information is secure like any other person's.
• Privacy — Online users with disabilities want the same privacy as other users. If your website is ADA-compliant, disabled users can easily navigate it without the help or assistance of others.

Choosing Cobalt Means Choosing Reliable ADA Compliance

When you’re creating and running a website, there are so many details you have to worry about. Making sure your website is accessible to all users is an important and often necessary requirement. With Cobalt Digital Marketing, you’ll have an ADA-compliant site that can significantly impact your company’s online presence.

Reach out to our team at Cobalt Digital Marketing today to get help with your company’s website!

Get Your Website ADA-Compliant With Help From Cobalt Digital Marketing. Reach out to our team today!

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