Is My Website ADA Compliant? Find out if your website is accessible and ADA compliant

What is ADA Compliance?

ADA compliance refers to the adherence to the standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure that individuals with disabilities have equal access to goods, services, and information. In the context of websites, ADA compliance means that a website must be designed and developed in a way that allows people with disabilities to navigate and use it easily. This includes providing alternative text for images, ensuring that the website can be navigated using a keyboard, and providing closed captions for video content.

Understanding Accessibility Laws

Accessibility laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), require businesses and organizations to provide equal access to their goods, services, and information for individuals with disabilities. These laws apply to physical spaces, as well as digital spaces, such as websites and mobile apps. Understanding accessibility laws is crucial for businesses and organizations to ensure that they are providing equal access to all individuals, regardless of their abilities.

Who is Covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) covers individuals with disabilities, as well as businesses and organizations that provide goods, services, and information to the public. This includes private businesses, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. The ADA requires that these entities provide equal access to their goods, services, and information for individuals with disabilities, and that they make reasonable accommodations to ensure that individuals with disabilities can participate fully.

Why Web Accessibility is Important: The Benefits of Inclusion

The internet should be accessible to everyone but millions of users are unable to navigate through various parts of the internet. Lack of accessible web design is not only a question of political correctness – it is a question of legal issues, financial losses, and search engines’ ranking. It doesn’t matter if you own an e-commerce store, a professional services website or a corporate platform, you need to know about the ADA and the WCAG.

Accessibility testing is crucial for identifying web accessibility issues and ensuring compliance with standards like ADA and WCAG.

This is where a large number of businesses are wrong about the consequences of not worrying about accessibility, legality and SEO, but the fact is very obvious: accessible websites are more successful, get better rankings, and help businesses avoid legal issues.

Not sure if your website meets ADA and WCAG accessibility guidelines? Click below to Scan your website for free and uncover potential accessibility barriers before they impact your visitors and your business.

Ignoring Web Accessibility Can Be Costly

Every day, people with disabilities try to use various digital content but are unable to due to poor web design. Organizations that do not follow the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), and Section 508 are not only excluding millions of potential customers but also facing the risk of legal consequences.

The good news? There is no need to spend a lot of money on accessibility – automated accessibility solutions and professional audits can help businesses achieve compliance quickly while enhancing the user experience, search engine rankings, and conversion rates.

Web Accessibility Lawsuit Filings

Every day, people with disabilities encounter barriers that prevent them from accessing digital content due to poor web design. Businesses that don’t comply with the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and adhere to WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) or Section 508 risk excluding millions of potential customers—and facing legal consequences.

The good news? Achieving accessibility doesn’t have to be expensive. Automated accessibility solutions and professional audits can help businesses meet compliance requirements efficiently while enhancing user experience, search engine rankings, and conversion rates.

Increased Litigation

  • Customers who are unable to use the content on a website are now suing companies at a growing rate. Businesses must fix accessibility issues to comply with regulations like the ADA.

Government Imposed Fines

  • Non-compliant businesses are subject to legal consequences for violating ADA and Section 508 regulations.

Brand Reputation Damage

  • Negative coverage of inaccessible products or services can become a public relations disaster that erodes trust and credibility. Screen readers are essential tools that enable people who are blind to access web content through auditory feedback.

The solution? 

  • An accessible website provides a smooth and easy-to-navigate user experience, which in turn expands your audience and improves your revenue.

The legal Risks of Inaccessible Digital Experiences

Increased Litigation

Customers who are unable to use the content on a website are now suing companies at a growing rate. Businesses must fix accessibility issues to comply with regulations like the ADA.

Government Imposed Fines

Non-compliant businesses are subject to legal consequences for violating ADA and Section 508 regulations.

Brand Reputation Damage

Negative coverage of inaccessible products or services can become a public relations disaster that erodes trust and credibility. Screen readers are essential tools that enable people who are blind to access web content through auditory feedback.

The cost of not addressing web accessibility is much higher than the cost of addressing it. Those companies that act now can avoid legal pitfalls and prove to their commitment to diversity and responsible business practices.

The solution? An accessible website ensures a seamless, user-friendly experience for all visitors. An accessible website provides a smooth and easy-to-navigate user experience, which in turn expands your audience and improves your revenue.  

Lost Customers: Excluding Millions of Users Is Bad for Your Business

One billion people in the world have some form of disability, and many of them use assistive technologies to browse the web. If your website is not accessible, you are blocking out a large target audience who wants to buy from you but cannot.

Customers Turned Off by Barriers That Prevent Them from Buying

Poorly worded and poorly contrasted text
This type of text is difficult for people with vision impairments to read.

Lack of keyboard navigation
People who use the keyboard to browse through the sites will find it difficult to navigate through inaccessible menus and forms.

Missing alt text for images
The visually impaired depend on screen readers to give them a description of the website content and this is made possible through the use of alt text. Without it, they are groping in the dark.

Forms and check out pages that are difficult to navigate
Forms that are not well designed will deny users the ability to make purchases, which results in cart abandonment.

SEO & Performance: Google Loves Accessible Websites

Some business owners are not aware that web accessibility is a key factor in SEO. The ADA compliant sites are indexed highly on search engines, have more engagement, and have low bounce rates.

The benefits of SEO in accessibility

Improved search engine rankings

Structured and accessible content is rewarded by Google.

Lower bounce rates

People tend to spend more time on sites that are easy to use and navigate.

More organic traffic

Accessibility enabled websites are visited by more people, including those with disabilities, mobile phone users, and others who may be using assistive technologies. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) plays a crucial role in developing the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and maintaining a comprehensive list of web accessibility evaluation tools.

Having a well-optimized, ADA compliant website is not only a question of law, but also a question of user experience and SEO.

video services

User Experience Matters: Anxious Visitors Do Not Buy

Have you ever tried to use a website that was not as you expected it to be? Now imagine that every website you visit has those same problems. This is the everyday reality for millions of people with disabilities.

When websites have no appropriate accessibility features, visitors will be confused, frustrated and leave the site quickly, which leads to high bounce rates and lost revenue.

Some of the frustrations that may annoy users and make them leave the site

Video materials without subtitles or sign-language interpretation: The hard of hearing or the deaf are denied important information.

Complex navigation: It is impossible to navigate through the site due to the complicated navigation.

Forms with unclear error messages: People will leave the forms that you fill because they get generic or not helpful at all error messages.

Companies have to pay attention to the matter of accessibility, they are able to provide better user experience for everyone and, therefore, get higher user engagement, conversions, and customer retention.

Future Proof Your Business: Accessibility is not a feature

As the technology is progressing, the standards for the digital accessibility are becoming stricter. Those companies that do nothing now will be punished at some point, whether by the legal system, lost market share, or search engine rankings.

Why Act Now?

The laws are becoming stricter

More countries are adopting policies that demand equitable access to digital content.

Accessible websites are better than those that are not

Sites that have been developed with usability and accessibility in mind outperform their competitors.

Inclusive brands enjoy more loyalty

Consumers are likely to support firms that embrace social responsibility.

By investing in accessibility now, your business can enhance the user experience, avoid legal issues and gain a competitive edge.

Do something about it!
Make sure your website is WCAG and ADA ready

By investing in accessibility now, your business can enhance the user experience, avoid legal issues and gain a competitive edge.

The advantages of Web Accessibility Implementation

Legal protection: Ensure that your company is compliant with the ADA, WCAG, and Section 508.

Expanded audience reach: Reach out to the over 1 billion users who require accessibility features.

Stronger brand reputation: Demonstrate the company’s dedication to the principle of equality and the use of digital products.

Higher search rankings: Improve your SEO and traffic by following the appropriate guidelines.

Frequently Asked Questions
Web Accessibility & Compliance

Web accessibility ensures that all users, including those with disabilities, can access, navigate, and interact with a website. It enhances user experience, improves search rankings, and helps businesses comply with ADA compliance, WCAG standards, and Section 508 regulations to avoid legal risks.

ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance requires businesses to provide accessible digital experiences. WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) sets global accessibility standards that websites must follow to ensure usability for individuals with disabilities.

Section 508 is a federal law requiring government agencies and organizations that receive federal funding to make their websites accessible. However, many private businesses also adopt Section 508 standards to improve accessibility and avoid legal challenges.

Failing to meet ADA compliance, WCAG, or Section 508 standards can result in lawsuits, fines, and reputational damage. Many businesses face legal action from individuals who cannot access their online content, leading to costly settlements and compliance orders.

Search engines like Google prioritize accessible websites, as they offer a better user experience. Accessible sites often rank higher in search results, have lower bounce rates, and attract more organic traffic, helping businesses reach a broader audience.

More than 1 billion people worldwide live with disabilities. If a website lacks accessibility features—such as readable text, keyboard navigation, and alt text—businesses lose potential customers who cannot interact with their content, leading to lost sales.

Some of the most common web accessibility issues include:

  • Lack of alternative text for images
  • Poor color contrast affecting readability
  • Missing closed captions on videos
  • Forms that are difficult to navigate with a keyboard
  • Confusing website structures that hinder navigation

Businesses can start by conducting a web accessibility audit to identify compliance gaps. Implementing WCAG guidelines, optimizing site design, and using assistive technology testing can help ensure full ADA compliance and Section 508 adherence.

Web accessibility is both a legal requirement and a best practice. Laws like ADA, WCAG, and Section 508 mandate compliance, while accessible websites enhance usability, customer experience, and business credibility.

A free web accessibility audit can identify compliance issues and help businesses meet WCAG and ADA compliance standards. Ensuring accessibility not only prevents legal issues but also creates a more inclusive and successful online presence.