Maybe you have a few gaps in your ADA web compliance. They can be fixed. If you had issues with sidewalk or doorway accessibility you’d call a contractor. Don’t feel like you have to go it alone with your website.
The Americans with Disability Act (ADA) is nothing new. It was signed into law back in 1990. And for most of us, we took it seriously. We made the necessary updates to our clubs, focusing on the accessibility of our entrances and parking lots, adding lifts and curb cuts, and reevaluating our disability benefits for employees. These were not only lawful exercises, but necessary for the creation of an inclusionary culture.
But the law of 1990 has evolved to focus on more than just on-premise compliance - it now encompasses any channels that are public-facing, anything that a customer might interact with - and this may include your website. The laws relating to the ADA and places of “public accommodation” are continuing to evolve, particularly for private business. And, while much is continuing to change in this area, we do know one thing: website accessibility lawsuits are on the rise. According to a report put out by national law firm, Seyfarth Shaw, LLP, in just the first six months of 2018, plaintiffs have brought more website accessibility lawsuits than in all of 2017 (1,053 vs. 814 cases).
Even putting the law aside, the expectations of your members and non-members alike are only going to increase. Times are changing, people are becoming more aware, and as you offer more events like golf tournaments and public dining, your website is going to become, well, more public - and any gaps in your compliance are going to become more visible.
Right now you might open another browser tab, bring up your website, push back from your desk, and think “I mean, it looks alright to me”. And it might, until you look at the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. And at this point you might just shutdown your computer for the day.
Don’t get overwhelmed. Let’s break it down.
What Should You Look For?
1. Heading structures in articles: Are you using proper headings for sections so they can be programmatically identified?
2. Images: Do your images include a text alternative, commonly referred to as alt text? This is different than a caption in that it is a description of the image, allowing the user to envision the image.
3. PDFs: Are your Adobe PDFs accessible? Or have you provided an alternative text-based format, such as HTML or RTF?
4. Videos: Do your videos incorporate features that make them accessible to everyone, such as audio descriptions and text captions?
5. Tables: Are you using tables? These can be difficult for screen reader interpretation and they lack mobile adaptability.
6. Social Media: Do you have accessible friendly widgets and descriptive text for embedded images?
7. Screen Interaction: Have you implemented keyboard navigation, color contrasting and rotator and slide controls?
So let’s say you answered “no” to one, or all, of the above questions.
What Steps Should You Take Next?
1. Check out our Clubessential Accessibility Conformance Report. This provides a digestible view of ADA website standards. We also update this report as the WCAG updates their guidelines.
2. Consult this accessibility FAQ. This provides a deeper dive into those 7 “what should I look for” items.
3. Define your requirements. Document how you want to approach these issues so you can demonstrate that you’re working towards these improvements.
4. Chat with us! Ultimately, accountability (and liability) for your website falls to you, but we may be able to offer some useful guidance. After updates are made, you can work with a third party for review. We’re here to help with any iterative updates needed.
5. Attend our webinar on November 6th! Our Director of Web Development, Adam Cash, and General Counsel, Jonathan Hill, are leading a discussion on the Americans with Disabilities Act and Website Accessibility.
So maybe you have a few gaps in your ADA web compliance. They can be fixed. If you had issues with sidewalk or doorway accessibility you’d call a contractor. Don’t feel like you have to go it alone with your website.
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