Do you ever think about how a basketball fan who may be blind can find out the latest information about their favorite team or star athlete? How does someone who may be paralyzed shop online or how someone who is unable to hear can watch videos online without having to read lips?
People who have these types of disabilities are able to access online information just like someone who doesn’t have these types of disabilities, but there is a catch – only if websites and online applications are built in a way that allows them to interact with them based upon their disabilities. This is why ADA web accessibility is so important. Everyone deserves the same right to access online information.
“Web accessibility means that people with disabilities can use the Web. More specifically, Web accessibility means that people with disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the Web, and that they can contribute to the Web. Web accessibility also benefits others, including older people with changing abilities due to aging.” – W3C (World Wide Web Consortium)
Accessibility isn’t only for people with disabilities, it’s also for anyone who accesses your website. There are times where users find themselves in situations where it may be difficult to digest your media, such as if they need to turn their speakers down on a video on your website. If the video had subtitles, then your user would be able to enjoy your message and information. It is the same thing if one of your users had a broken arm and needed to fill out information on your website and couldn’t use a mouse. This user would need to be able to use a keyboard to navigate your website. These types of disabilities may be temporary but impacts the use of your website.
Having access to information is a fundamental right for all and remember that digital accessibility is just plain the right thing to do.
There is a lot of confusion when trying to figure out if your website is ADA compliant or not. Making sure that your site is compliant should be your number one priority. Our goal at Adally is to help everyone become ADA compliant and the first part of becoming ADA compliant is to get a high-level view of your website.
Adally offers a free Adally certified top-level scan of your website that will give insight as to where to put your focus.
The next thing you can do is to get yourself on the road to ADA compliance is to install our free navigation widget that will help people with certain types of disabilities have an easier time navigating your website. Even though this tool alone does not make your whole site ADA compliant it is a great first step in adding a powerful tool that will help your users.
Adally also offers a 24/7 ADA hotline that is dedicated to help your disabled users navigate your website. The DOJ in the USA Today was quoted by saying “The DOJ offered a sliver of clarity when it said accessibility alternatives could be implemented, such as a 24/7 call center to help users with disabilities.”. Our trained professional Accessibility Care Agents will help users navigate your website and provide them with the care they need.