Beware of Lawsuits for Non-ADA-Compliant Websites

I’ve heard several stories lately of local businesses getting letters about settlements if their websites aren’t ADA-compliant.

 Just as your business is required to have certain modifications in your physical space under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), your website needs to be ADA-compliant as well. However, it’s not extremely clear what counts as an ADA-compliant website, and the ADA doesn’t necessarily apply to all businesses.

 Regardless, I recommend using a free tool like ACE’s compliance check to see if your website is ADA-compliant and then making an effort to follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Ask your web designer or website provider what options they offer to be sure your website is as accessible as possible. It might be an up-front expense for your business, but it’s far cheaper than dealing with a lawsuit.

 Here are a few basic things to keep in mind for ADA compliance:

• Include alt text on all images on your website

• Use titles and headers to help people navigate pages

• Make sure you have high color contrast between text and backgrounds

• Make your site easy to navigate, including with just a keyboard (no mouse)

• If you’re posting documents, don’t post PDFs; use HTML or RTF formats instead

• If you share videos, add subtitles

• Avoid blinking or flashing features

• Use HTML tags on online forms to help users fill them out

• Use a high quality website theme created by a reputable web developer

Check out this Forbes article for more information.

Local website designers Jessica Kennedy, Katy Drake or Liz DesRochers can help you update your site, or if you’d like to learn what changes to make on your own, you can get free website consulting through the Small Business Development Center in Bakersfield. Our website provider helped us with ADA compliance — check out the blue button in the bottom left corner of this page to see how it works for us.

If you have questions about business insurance issues, feel free to contact us.