3 Reasons You Can’t Ignore Website ADA Compliance Anymore

Driving traffic to your website is great, but actual conversions are the goal. As a digital marketing agency, we specialize in maximizing conversions. But if your site is hindering those conversions—and worse, posing a risk of legal trouble? If your site isn’t up to ADA standards, conversions might be the least of your worries.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates that companies provide access to individuals with disabilities. Today, ADA applies to the internet, especially websites. This is known as “web accessibility.” The primary goal of website ADA accessibility is to ensure that people with disabilities can experience digital content as effectively as those without disabilities.

Benefits of Meeting WCAG Standards

Curious about current standards for website accessibility? Check out WCAG—the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Created by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), these internationally-recognized guidelines set the standards for making web content accessible to users with disabilities.

You might be wondering if it’s really worth the effort to make your site ADA compliant according to WCAG standards. Here are three main reasons why you can’t afford to ignore website ADA compliance–not anymore.

Increase Engagement With Target Audiences

According to the World Health Organization, around 1.4 billion people worldwide have some type of disability. That’s 15% of the global population—a number that can’t be ignored. If your site isn’t up to ADA standards, you’re missing out on millions of potential customers who can’t access your site properly.

Imagine someone with a visual impairment using assistive technology like a screen reader to browse the internet. This technology converts text, buttons, and images into speech, braille, or both. If your site isn’t coded to support this functionality, the user will become frustrated and leave your site. You’ve just lost a potential customer and possibly set yourself up for a lawsuit.

Avoid Potential Lawsuits

Did “lawsuit” get your attention? It should. Let’s break down what’s happening legally with website accessibility.

In recent years, there’s been a surge of lawsuits filed by differently-abled users, claiming that businesses’ websites weren’t accessible because they didn’t comply with ADA standards.

If this doesn’t make you take website ADA compliance seriously, consider these stats from accessiBe:

• Between 2018 and 2019, there was a 300% increase in lawsuits and demand letters regarding digital accessibility.
• An estimated 265,000 demand letters were sent in 2020 alone.
• 93% of demand letters were settled outside of court for $20,000-$150,000 on average.

In short, your website better comply with ADA standards, or you could face legal consequences and steep costs.

Benefits Beyond Compliance

Making your website ADA compliant brings benefits beyond avoiding lawsuits. Here are a few perks:

• Web crawlers use similar technology to assistive tech like screen readers. A compliant site is easier for crawlers to find, boosting your SEO.
• Positive PR from users with disabilities who navigate your site easily and have a pleasant experience.
• A well-structured, easy-to-use site improves the experience for all users, encouraging them to stay longer, leading to more leads and conversions.

Just Say—Know

If you’re unsure whether your website is ADA compliant, it’s worth checking. Here are two easy ways to find out:

• Run an audit using Lighthouse in Chrome Developer Tools (for free).
• Use an online checker like Accessibility Checker (free scan, pay for help).

If you want to safeguard your site from potential lawsuits and enhance user experience for all your customers, now is the time to reach out. We can make your site compliant from the start, audit your current site to identify accessibility issues, and recode it to work for all visitors.

Don’t let website accessibility be a barrier to a better business experience for everyone. Reach out to JDM Digital, and let’s see how we can help.