ROC Weekly Management & Mindset Segment
Importance of ADA Compliance in Light of Recent Lawsuits
This week our ROC group discussed the importance of ADA website compliance and reviewed a recent legal development affecting drug and alcohol rehab centers.
Jim Brady from AToN Recovery in San Diego County discussed how he received a letter from Scott J. Ferrell, Esq. on behalf of a blind client for not adhering to ADA regulations.
Further letters demanded $21,500 despite the fact that AToN Centre is not even able to treat blind clients. The letter that he received did not state the client’s name or any information about them. During our mastermind group, a few other members of the group also disclosed that they received similar letters. It is likely that these went out in batches because they were received all on the same day.
Similar lawsuits have been reported, where Mr. Ferrell 'shakes down’ drug and alcohol rehab programs for a settlement in the four or five figures. Jim’s attorney believes that settlements are typically around $8500.
Jim encourages all members of the ROC group to contact him for advice from his attorney upon receiving the letter. If there is a group response, there is a chance for a resolution for less money. You can email him at jim@atoncenter.com.
What is ADA compliance?
ADA compliance refers to the Americans with Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design. It was released in 2010 and is required for businesses that have 15 or more employees, businesses that operate for the benefit of the public, and state and local government agencies. ADA compliance stipulates that all information that is online, electronic, and IT-related must be accessible to people with disabilities.
ADA compliance involves following WCAG 2.0 guidelines.
WCAG
WCAG is a set of guiding principles to help aid accessibility for web users. These include:
Perceivable: users have the ability to perceive all information on the site, including text, images, and video
Operable: users have the ability to navigate the site and access all functionalities
Understandable: all information is able to be understood and supplementary information is provided where needed
Robust: the site offers the same experience for all users, including those that use accessibility devices.
There are three levels of WCAG compliance, including:
Level A: some users can access
Level AA: almost all users can access
Level AAA: all users can access
ADA compliance typically requires Level AA WCAG compliance.
ADA compliance checklist
Here is an ADA compliance checklist to help you get started:
All media files and maps should have an “alt” tag
Online forms need descriptive HTML tags
Hyperlinks need descriptive anchor text
Website pages need “skip navigation” links
Text content needs heading tags
PDF files should be accessible
Videos need subtitles, transcripts, and audio description
Color contrast on web pages should comply with WCAG guidelines
All fonts should be accessible
HTML tables need column headers, row identifiers, and cell information
Audio files need written caption options
Call-to-action buttons need an accessible name and an ARIA label
Entire website should be accessible with keyboard navigation
Website needs accessibility policy page
Contact information needs to be easily found to allow users to request accessibility information
Tips:
Review applicable law documentation
Test your website accessibility according to the Website Content Accessibility Guidelines
Automate your website accessibility check to prevent missing critical accessibility issue
To review the complete list of rules, visit the W3C website.
ADA and WCAG Tools
There are a number of tools and plugins to help with your ADA and WCAG compliance, including:
Wave: Wave is a web accessibility evaluation tool, and you can use it to estimate your site’s accessibility.
Accessibility Suite: This is a WordPress ADA compliance plug-in that provides a scan of your site, reports, filters, and suggestions to help.
WP Accessibility Helper: This WordPress plug-in helps you assess and improve your tasks to meet ADA compliance. This includes editing your text for size and contrast.
WP ADA Compliance Check Basic: This ADA compliance plug-in offers a number of tools to help aid your compliance, such as website scans, accessibility corrections, and reporting.
If you would like to listen to the recording, you can access it here.
Password: B7S1h%$A
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