Understanding and adapting ADA compliance standards for website accessibility

Introduction

Making a website accessible by complying with the accessibility standards isn’t just a legal and moral imperative, it is also a strategic choice to improve its overall reach and usability. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) website compliance ensures that digital content is accessible to people with different disabilities. Meeting and maintaining the accessibility standards can seem tricky which can be achieved easily with the help of a regular and structured process. Read the post further to get a better understanding of ADA compliance and a structured process for maintaining accessibility.

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ADA Compliance

Maintaining ADA compliance involves adhering to standards set forth by Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) for web developers and designers. Identifying the key guidelines for accessibility is crucial which is made easy with WCAG guidelines being categorized into different levels of conformance: A, AA, and AAA.

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Meeting ADA/ WCAG compliance standards

Complying with the various WCAG guidelines and maintaining accessibility on a website can seem like a complex and time-intensive task. A properly structured process for improving accessibility can make sure the standards are met. Below we’ve outlined the steps involved in such a process.

Accessibility Audit

Audits involve a comprehensive evaluation of the website to identify areas where the accessibility standards are not met and the barriers that prevent different users from accessing the site. The audit process involves prioritizing guidelines, using accessibility testing tools for manual and automated testing, and more. After assessing the website’s accessibility status through an audit, changes should be carried out in different required areas of improvement. In addition to that, maintaining an accessibility document is important to keep track of the accessibility status and make informed decisions in the future.

Design practices

Implementing accessible design practices involves maintaining sufficient contrast between text and background, not limiting the way of communication just to colors, clear typography for better readability, better navigation, structured content hierarchy, and more for better accessibility and user experience.

Adaptability with assistive technologies

People with different disabilities use assistive technologies like screen readers, screen magnifiers, voice recognition software, alternate input methods, etc., to access the website without much hindrance. Using standard semantic HTML elements, providing text descriptions for interactive elements and buttons is crucial for better adaptability with screen readers, magnifiers, and other tools. 

Multimedia

Different kinds of media will be incorporated into websites to provide users with a better user experience. But making sure the different media used don’t hinder certain users in their content consumption is crucial. To make videos and audio used in the website more accessible, closed captions, text transcript, and audio descriptions for videos should be included in addition to providing accessible controls.

In the case of website animations, avoiding flashy animations and excessive motion is important. Providing a warning can be useful in case important information is presented in the above-mentioned ways.

Training staff

Training various staff involved in the web design and development process is significant for maintaining accessibility as a continuous priority across different areas of the development process.

Staying updated on standards

In addition to meeting accessibility standards during web design and development, conducting regular audits, and making necessary changes, it is also important to stay updated on the changes in accessibility standards like WCAG. With revised guidelines being introduced, it is crucial to stay informed of the changes and make necessary updates for maintaining a website highly accessible.

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Conclusion

A better understanding of ADA compliance for websites and WCAG standards will help set accessibility goals and prioritize respective accessibility standards. Apart from that, adopting a properly structured process involving accessibility audits, design updates, ensuring adaptability with various assistive technologies, making multimedia accessible, training people involved in the design and development process, and finally staying updated can help you ensure your website is inclusive.

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At Exemplifi, our website projects are built to the highest standards of Website Accessibility including the latest benchmarks set by the ADA and WCAG.