Making a website ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant means ensuring it is accessible to people with disabilities, such as those with vision, hearing, motor, or cognitive impairments. While the ADA doesn’t have a strict technical standard, following the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines)—especially version 2.1 or 2.2—is the industry standard for compliance.
Here’s a breakdown of how to make your website ADA compliant:
1. Use the WCAG 2.1/2.2 Guidelines
Aim for Level AA compliance, which is the typical standard for ADA.
2. Key Accessibility Elements
Perceivable
- Alt text: Add descriptive
altattributes to all images. - Transcripts/captions: Provide transcripts for audio and captions for videos.
- Color contrast: Ensure text contrasts sufficiently with its background.
- Text resizing: Allow text to be resized without breaking layout.
Operable
- Keyboard navigation: All features should work with a keyboard (no mouse required).
- Skip links: Allow users to skip to the main content.
- No flashing content: Avoid content that flashes more than 3 times per second.
Understandable
- Readable language: Use plain, simple language.
- Consistent navigation: Menus, buttons, and elements should behave consistently.
- Form labels & instructions: Clearly label all form fields.
Robust
- Semantic HTML: Use proper HTML tags (
<nav>,<main>,<header>, etc.). - ARIA attributes: Use ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) where needed to enhance screen reader experience.
- Compatibility: Test with screen readers (e.g., NVDA, JAWS) and across browsers/devices.
3. Tools for Testing
Use these tools to evaluate and fix accessibility issues:
- WAVE (https://wave.webaim.org/)
- axe DevTools (Browser extension)
- Lighthouse (Built into Chrome DevTools)
- NVDA or JAWS (Screen readers for testing)
4. Other Best Practices
- Provide a clear accessibility statement on your website.
- Offer users a way to report accessibility issues.
- Regularly audit and update the site as content changes.
5. Consider Using an Accessibility Plugin
If you’re using platforms like WordPress, consider plugins like:
- accessiBe
- UserWay
- EqualWeb
Note: Automated tools help, but manual adjustments are always needed for full compliance.
Contact us if you need to make your website ADA Compliant.
No responses yet