What is Web Accessibility?
Web accessibility is the process of designing and developing interactive media such as websites, videos, and graphics so that people with disabilities can use them. In short, if it’s on the internet, it should be universally available and usable for everyone. Proper web accessibility should cover all disabilities, such as auditory, cognitive, neurological, physical, speech, and visual impairments.
Read more about web accessibility
Why web Accessibility?
At least one billion people – 15% of the world’s population – have a recognized disability15
Perceivable
Text alternatives
Provide text alternatives for any non-text content so that it can be converted into other forms people need.
Video alternatives
Provide alternatives for video and audio. Closed captions and audio descriptions are required for time-synced video.
Adaptable content
Create content that can be presented in different ways without losing information or structure.
Clarity and contrast
Provide adequate color contrast and reduce visual clutter that affects legibility.
Operable
Keyboard accessible
Make all functionality available from a keyboard.
Don’t rush
Provide users with enough time to read and use content.
Seizure safety
Do not design content that might trigger a seizure for people with photosensitive epilepsy.
Navigation
Provide multiple, intuitive ways for users to navigate content
Understandable
Readable
Provide multiple, intuitive ways for users to navigate content.
Predictable
Provide users with enough time to read and use content.
Input assistance
Help users to avoid making mistakes; make corrections easily
Robust
Compatible
Maximize compatibility across devices and make sure content is compatible with assistive technologies.
Our Services
Tools & Resources
Web accessibility evaluation tools are software applications or online web services that help you determine if your web content meets accessibility guidelines. This page link below provides a list of evaluation tools that you can filter to find ones that match your particular needs. To determine what kind of device you need and how they can assist you.
View the tools & resources
Web Accessibility Events
Experience and education is a necessary component for achieving web accessibility. Several conferences and events are provided around the world to help increase awareness about the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). Additionally, these gatherings allow for networking opportunities to connect with Web Accessibility professionals. Through these upcoming 2020 conferences, you can prepare to address common issues surrounding web accessibility and create solutions that provide a better user experience for people with disabilities on the web. Below is a list of upcoming events to attend scheduled ADA conferences in 2020.
View Upcoming Events
Accessible Code Samples
It's not very easy to custom code complex items in an accessible way. To do so usually requires significant coding experience, since you will often need to manage focus, visibility, and other attributes dynamically using JavaScript. Also, you will need to understand what "ARIA" is to use it effecttively. If you don't handle "ARIA" correctly, you can actually wind up with web components that are inaccessible to some users. To save time and effort, we have provided existing code patterns that have been designed to be accessible.
View the code samples
Contact Us
Need a helping hand? Let's get started in making the internet a more accessible place. Whether it's getting a consultation or in need of a resource, it would be our pleasure to serve you.
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Who? Why? How?
Got questions? I've got Answers!
How can I make my website accessible?
Unlike building codes that incorporate ADA rules and best-practices, there are no fixed rules as to what qualifies a "ADA compliant" website. The "de-facto" standard is the WCAG v2.1 Level AA published in June, 2018 by the W3C, but it is important to remember that this standard has not been adopted as officially complying with the ADA. To help comply with this standard it is recommended to test your website through a series of web accessibility audits and then focusing on fixing any possible errors. If you would like to work together, please contact me.
Is WCAG a legal requirement?
No, there isn't any new law at work here, but rather there has been an increase in legal action surrounding existing law.
What is WCAG?
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, often abbreviated as WCAG, are a series of guidelines for improving web accessibility. You can read the guidelines here:
https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/quickref/
What is the cost of these lawsuits?
Almost all settlements are combined with a non-disclosure agreement, so it is hard to know for sure. The rumors that I've heard are in the $15,000+ range for settlements. Rumors surrounding the minimum cost of a defense is $75,000+. Currently, all the attorneys I've spoken too have specifically said they are not recommending a defense at this time as very few such cases have prevailed.
What do I do next?
If you are concerned and this is important to you, I have regularly provides customers with an ADA audit to determine what needs to be done to bring the website into compliance. While the time required will vary based on the size and complexity of your platform, most take me 2-3 hours to complete. Please note, this is not a formal audit and we are only performing a spot-check to determine the general level of concern for a particular website. If you are fearing legal action, then you will likely need to consider getting a formal audit by a 3rd party auditor. Please contact us and we will be happy to guide you through the process.