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. To put it simply, 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 disabilities.
Why web Accessibility?
At least one billion people – 15% of the world’s population – have a recognized disability.
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.
Need a helping hand?
I'm always interested in hearing about a new career opportunity. Whether you need an accessibility consultant for technical advice, want an audit, or need a new person on your team, I'm here to help. Let's get connected.
Contact GiovaniMeet Giovani
Founder of Webaccessibility.org
I'm Giovani, nice to meet you! I have about 5+ years in the accessibility industry, and I'm passionate about everything a11y. I'm based in San Francisco, CA, and I'm currently an accessibility consultant at Level Access.
Read more about me here
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 for what qualifies as an "ADA compliant" website. The "de-facto" standard is the WCAG v2.1 Level AA published in June 2018 by the W3C. Still, it is essential to remember that this standard has not been adopted as officially complying with the ADA, but in the works...woohoo! To help comply with the standard, it is recommended to test your website through a series of web accessibility audits and then focus 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.