10 Reasons Your Website Might Be the Next ADA Lawsuit Target

Yes, we know- your website will never be the target of an ADA lawsuit because you’ve always had good luck and your great Aunt Linda cast a protective spell over your business on the day you incorporated. BUT…let’s take a look at the top ten things that put other online businesses (wink, wink) in the bullseye for costly but completely avoidable lawsuits.

1. Lack of Text Alternatives

One of the easiest and most commonly implemented digital accessibility upgrades these days is the use of alt text alternatives for images and videos. Whether on your homepage, business blog, or social media accounts, any images, videos, graphics, etc., require the use of alt text in order to be picked up and read by a screen reader or similar tool. Without alt text alternatives,  these marketing assets and brand enhancements become clunky accessibility roadblocks to users with low or no vision. 

2. Poor Keyboard Navigation

Easy keyboard navigation is a key assistive technology that makes your website functional in a practical way for users with low or no vision who can’t rely on gadgets like a mouse to get around. If your website cannot be navigated using a keyboard alone, it may be difficult for users with disabilities to access your content or move through your site to drive them toward making contact about a service or checking out to make a purchase.

3. Inaccessible Forms

If your website hosts any type of form, whether for contact, information requests, comments, questions, required documentation, etc., it is imperative that those forms be functional, clear, and easy to use. Forms that are not properly labeled or structured can be challenging for users with disabilities to complete. Accessibility issues involving forms include things like a lack of labels, poor instructions, incorrect HTML coding (see below), etc. 

4. Missing ARIA Landmarks

ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) landmarks are HTML coding that serves as a guide to help screen readers navigate your website. They essentially set expectations for the screen reader to understand the intent of a certain website attribute. For instance, common ARIA landmarks include “banner,” “main,” “navigation,” “form,” etc. When these are missing from your website, assistive technologies struggle to put information into context or give it shape in a meaningful way.

5. Inconsistent Heading Structure

Closely related to the concept of ARIA landmarks, heading structure is another tool used by screen readers and assistive technologies to make sense of a website. In fact, properly structured headings are crucial for screen readers, and the opposite is also true- inconsistent or missing headings are detrimental to screen readers. Though simple to implement, heading structure is something that can quickly make or break accessibility initiatives.

6. Color Contrast Issues

This often overlooked variable is hugely impactful for users with low vision. If the content of your website does not have sufficient contrast with its background, the content can be hard to read, making it inaccessible. There are approximately 1 million blind people in the U.S. and 11 million with other, diverse visual challenges. This means that low vision is a common problem. As a strategic design technique, color contrast ensures that content is accessible to the greatest number of users. 

7. Lack of Captions for Multimedia

For those users with low or no hearing, the inclusion of captions or transcripts for embedded audio and video is the only way to make your audible messaging fully accessible. When you realize that approximately 1 in 8 people in the U.S. have hearing loss in both ears, you understand what a huge concern this should be for your online business. It’s safe to say that  videos and audio content without captions or transcripts actively exclude a significant number of users from experiencing that content.

8. Complex Navigation Menus

Menus that are overly complex can hinder the functionality of assistive technologies on your website, hindering users from finding the information they’re looking for. From a design perspective, consistent simplicity is the key to clear, meaningful engagement and is mostly likely to help achieve the targeted aims. If you’re looking to drive traffic to the checkout, for instance, you want to make the path from product search and assessment to checkout as seamless and easy as possible.

9. Pop-Ups and Overlays

Pop-ups and overlays are notorious for destroying clean website accessibility. They are frequently the source of navigation hurdles and can even directly block content for users reliant on screen readers. The irony, of course, is that overlays claim to fix accessibility problems but frequently solve one minor aspect of an accessibility problem while causing several new ones in the process.  

10. Failure to Follow WCAG Guidelines

In reality, this final one is more of a catchall that covers all of the other accessibility failures on the list, but it’s worthy of its own place in the final spot on the list. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are like peanut butter to the ADA’s jelly. They’re like mashed potatoes to the ADA’s gravy. They’re the ultimate and ubiquitous complement to the ADA standards, full stop. By failing to follow the WCAG guidelines, your online business is vulnerable to accessibility failures, making it an almost certain target for ADA lawsuits and regulatory fines. 

Don’t Be A Target!

Want more information on how to improve your website's accessibility, meet ADA and global standards, and remove the legal target on your website’s back? Call AllyADA today for a free consultation with one of our CPACC-certified accessibility specialists and start reaping the rewards.