What is Web Accessibility?
When you think of the term “Accessibility” you likely think of a physical space built so all people including those with disabilities are able to enter.
Well, that is the same type of thought that we apply to websites–it’s called “Web Accessibility” (also referred to as “ADA Compliance”).
Never heard of it? Here’s a bit of a breakdown of what it is and why it’s so important to have on your website:
Web accessibility is a set of rules, behaviors, code standards and design guidelines, that are meant to allow people with disabilities to effectively use websites.
The three main areas of web accessibility are:
- blind people using screen- readers (JAWS, NVDA)
- people with motor impairments that are using the keyboard
- a variety of other disabilities such as color blindness, epilepsy, and minor visual impairments that are mainly focus on the UI and design of the website (color contrasts, animations, fonts, etc.)
People with disabilities account for 20% of the world’s population. Now, that’s a lot of audience you’d be missing out on if you didn’t think of them while designing your site.
Lawsuits & Demand Letters
Another reason to make sure website is ADA compliant is that there have been a ton of lawsuits filed against sites for not following the “Web Content Accessibility Guidelines” created by the W3C. In fact, there was a 200% increase in lawsuits and demand letters from 2017-2018 and 300% in 2019. And many times it’s not even about whether you win or lose lawsuit. 93% of demand letters settle outside of court for $20,000 – $150,000 on average, so not being compliant is a big financial risk!
Don’t believe us? Well even the Queen B herself, Beyonce, was sued for having a non-ADA compliant website. And if they come for her, then you know they’ll come for anyone!
At Makeway, part of our process while building a website is to make sure every site is ADA compliant. We use a variety of tools to meet the guidelines such as WebAIM’s Color Contrast Tool and AccessiBe’s Ace Tool to test if the site meets standards.
Touchscreen ADA Compliance
When installing touchscreens, the maximum height (unobstructed) is 48″ from the floor. Historically, we found that it can be challenging to create an interactive digital experience that is comfortable to use for people at all heights. So we’ve created a few tools that offer flexibility within the digital interfaces to accommodate different needs.
A custom trackpad interface that can be added to any design.
Ideal for complex interfaces that have navigation above 48″ limit.
Adaptive design with toggle-able navigation.
Wondering if your site is up to snuff? Feel free to drop us a line at info@makeway.is. We’d be happy to run a compliance test on your site and answer any questions you may have!
