Keeping up with the rigorous demands of ADA compliance 2020 can be challenging. Webmasters and people working in web design need to stay up-to-date on ADA compliance. This blog will get you up to speed on what’s changed for websites in terms of the ADA in 2020.
What is the ADA?
The American Disabilities Act, or ADA, is a piece of legislation designed to help make America more accessible to people with disabilities. In 2008 this legislation was updated to include guidelines and regulations for websites.
In effect, what the ADA established for online content was more of a set of guidelines than concrete rules about what web content can and cannot look like.
The most common set of these rules are the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0, or the WCAG. An update to version 2.1 is expected to happen early in 2020.
How Does this Affect My Website?
The ADA compliance 2020 guidelines come in five major categories:
- Website Use – Users must be able to interact with your website regardless of their physical ability. This includes things such as website maps, keyboard functionality, and accessible menus.
- User Control – User control guidelines are some of the most misunderstood. Things like autoplay for video and music, automatic pop-ups, and unexpected changes run against the ADA’s guidelines.
- Content Alternatives – Alternatives must be in place for users that require them. The most common example of this is alternative text for images.
- Appearance – The appearance of a website must also take these things into consideration. Examples of this include acceptable levels of contrast, use of color, and text must be able to be scaled to at least 200% of its original font size without impacting the usability of the website.
- Backend – While most of these features have to do with the content of the website, the code of the website is also important for ADA standards. Websites must be cleanly coded and clearly organized.
Why this Matters in 2020
As we move into the year 2020 ADA website standards are only going to become more important. More and more businesses are moving into the digital world. Unlike 20 years ago, when getting a website was an emerging idea, it’s now more than standard for any company to have an online presence.
Ignoring ADA standards not only alienates people who could use your services, but it also runs the risk of costly lawsuits.
The ADA standards for online content are a core part of making websites more usable for everyone.
