NewsBeat

14 NewsBeat January 2018 By PETER BROOKE I f you've never heard of ADA website compliance before, your small business could be facing big trouble in the very near future. Any business that has a physical location that is open to the public has already had some experience with meeting ADA accessibility guidelines. The Americans with Disabilities Act, known as ADA for short, requires businesses to ensure that all their customers have access to the same services, regardless of their physical limitations. You may have installed a ramp, increased the width of your door frames, or made other accommodations to ensure that your physical premises are accessible to all. The requirement for equal access used to only apply to physical locations and storefronts, but now the government is actively ensuring that the requirements for ADA accessibility include online properties such as websites and mobile apps. That's good news if you are one of the many Americans who have a visual, hearing, or mobility disability that makes it difficult to access some information on the web. If you are a business owner who hasn't made provisions to ensure that your website and other online assets are ADA compliant, you could be looking at a host of legal and financial penalties. What Businesses Need to Have an ADA Compliant Website? Any business that is considered a "place of public accommodation" is required to provide equal access to services under the nondiscrimination requirements of Title III of ADA. When you look at the guidelines closely, this includes hotels, entertainment venues, legal and accounting firms, retail stores, and virtually every business that is not a private club, including businesses that exist solely on the web. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has specifically stated in rulings that websites should be designed so they are accessible to individuals who have vision, hearing, and physical disabilities. There's a growing body of case law where the DOJ required companies to provide an ADA compliant website and levied hefty penalties when sites failed to measure up. And ADA compliance isn't limited to websites. A recent ruling against an online grocery delivery company established the need for mobile apps to meet similar accessibility standards. Businesses need to consider every aspect of their web presence to ensure they are providing an exceptional user experience with access for all. While there are legal considerations that make having an ADA compliant website a solid business decision, it's also just a matter of good customer relations. What Makes a Website ADA Compliant? People with disabilities that affect their sight, hearing, or mobility may have difficulty accessing certain parts of websites and other online properties unless certain accommodations are made. Just as businesses may need to make adjustments to their physical location so that disabled customers have easy access to the premises, companies may need to adjust certain aspects of their websites so individuals with disabilities can take full advantage of all the features and services. It makes sense that everyone should have equal access to websites and online properties. The Internet has become an integral part of our lives, where we go to shop, learn, do our banking, and socialize. The DOJ Find out why ADA website compliance is so important and how to make sure your company's site meets these requirements.

• Cover