Many businesses have grown concerned over being penalized for their websites. These days, rules have become much stricter for website owners. One of the important things to look into is the updated regulations of the Americans with Disabilities Act or ADA. Businesses can now be considered non-compliant if they are still operating websites that are not designed to be inclusive.
Those who own or run websites need to be up to speed with ADA regulations to ensure they are in compliance. Here are some important things you need to know regarding the ADA website compliance law:
Understand the legal status.
Currently, no elements of the ADA legislation can be directly infringed and get you sued. The wording of the ADA laws, however, is written in such a way that websites are required to be accessible for everyone. Because of this, your business still has that risk of being served with a lawsuit if someone deems it difficult to use and complains.
The best solution is to update your website and make it ADA-compliant. To ensure you learn the best practices and understand what needs to be done, consider hiring Orange County web design professionals to help transform your site.
Know which disabilities are covered.
It would be helpful to have an understanding of the specific disabilities that are included in the ADA legislation. It is very important that you not only understand which disabilities are covered but also take them seriously. This usually includes epilepsy, blindness, hearing impairment, musculoskeletal conditions, neurological conditions and cerebral palsy.
Because this list can go on and on, it is pretty common for business and website owners to figure out the right solutions. There are a lot of areas to cover and it can definitely be overwhelming at first. If you are lost and having a challenging time in understanding the legal jargons and the full extent of the regulations, you might need some help from web design professionals.
Read about Section 508.
According to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, anything IT-related, including web-based services, which are used by the government, should be accessible to people with disabilities. If your business falls under this category, then it is crucial that you abide by the law. Failure to do so can result to being penalized or even being shut down.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution.
Because businesses and websites come in various forms, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Some people believe that there is still a degree of flexibility in ADA-compliance but the guidelines can still become stricter in the future. It is still complicated at this point but it is best to err on the safe side.
While you can definitely find free resources online to help your website revamping easier, there is still no substitute for professional advice. If you want the best results, a web design firm in Orange County can provide you with excellent service.
Go beyond best practices.
The current ADA guidelines are only the starting point. It is expected that implementation of regulations will become stricter in the next years. With the anticipated changes, the smart move for any website owner is to be at the cusp of these developments.
Always be updated with the changes in ADA guidelines and also take note of how customers or users respond to your website. These will be valuable information that can be points of improvement.
Revamp your website.
The most important things to remember are: to educate yourself with the law, make efforts to improve and keep an eye out for potential ADA law changes.
Work with Orange County’s best web design company and we will help your business become more progressive and inclusive. Contact us for more information.
