ADA stands for Americans with Disabilities Act. It became a law in 1990 to provide equal opportunities to people with disabilities. This means businesses providing public services are bound to ensure their services accommodate people with any disabilities.
As companies are now utilizing the internet to offer their products and services, the law applies to websites also. In simpler words, ADA-compliant websites need to design their websites so that people with disabilities can access them.
Organizations That Are Bound To Act Upon The Law
- State and local government organizations
- Private organizations that employee 15 employees or more
- Organizations that work for the public’s benefit (i.e., public transportation, schools, restaurants, bakeries, grocery stores, hotels, banks, accountant offices, law offices, social service centers, gyms, healthcare providers, the United States Postal Service, and so on)
- Places of business that would be considered a place of public accommodation
Pros Of Having ADA Compliant Websites
Even if you don’t fall under the category of an organization that is bound to follow the law, it is better to create an ADA-compliant website for the following reasons.
- ADA-compliant websites can increase your traffic by increasing your target audience.
- ADA compliant websites increase overall user experience
- It will create a sense of understanding between you and your customer, eventually convincing them to trust your product or service.
- ADA-compliant websites need fewer SEO efforts.
By all means, it’s safer to have an ADA-compliant website. If you don’t know your current website is ADA compliant or not, you can contact a web design agency to find out.