What is the WCAG 2.1 AA and why does it matter for my website?
The WCAG 2.1 AA is a set of guidelines to build accessible websites. According to the ADA Title III, all websites are considered places of public accommodations and, therefore, must be accessible. The DOJ, along with most regulating bodies, has acknowledged WCAG as proper compliance standards.
“In recent years, there has been a surge in state court lawsuits regarding web accessibility. 2023 saw a record-breaking number of lawsuits and demand letters under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), with 4,605 lawsuits filed. It is estimated that only 3% of demand letters go to trial, as the majority, approximately 97%, are settled beforehand. This indicates that over 100,000 business owners received demand letters in 2023 for failing to make their websites accessible. Moreover, organizations and businesses can be fined up to $150,000 for ADA violations, while the average ADA website lawsuit settlement typically ranges “from $20,000 to $50,000.”
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“Web accessibility refers to making websites usable for people with disabilities. It involves designing and developing websites in a way that people with disabilities, such as those with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive impairments, can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the website and its content.
Web accessibility ensures that everyone has equal access to information and services on the web, regardless of their abilities. This includes individuals who use assistive technologies, such as screen readers, to access the web.”
ADA
The ADA is the Americans with Disabilities Act, an American civil rights law passed in 1990. It’s America’s most important law regarding accessibility and civil rights for people with disabilities. In 2018, the DOJ clarified that the ADA covers web accessibility.
WCAG
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is a massive guidebook that explains how accessible websites should look and operate for people with disabilities. While it is not stated in the ADA, the WCAG has been widely accepted as the industry standard for being ADA-compliant.
“The ADA is the Americans with Disabilities Act, an American civil rights law passed in 1990. The law prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places open to the general public. Since 2018, the ADA also covers websites, as they’re considered public places of accommodation. That is why making your website accessible is crucial for meeting ADA legal requirements.
It’s important to note that the ADA does not specify the criteria for a compliant website, yet today’s industry standard is to adhere to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG).
The WCAG is a technical guidebook explaining how websites should look and operate for people with disabilities. So, by following the WCAG guidelines, you are making your website ADA-compliant.”
Video – ADA Overview
PDF – DOJ Clarifies That the ADA covers Web Accessibility
Video – WCAG Overview
It is important to know that the U.S. government has chosen to promote and support businesses that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). By making your website accessible, your business can be eligible for up to $5,000 in tax credits.
You can find more information here.
Improved Performance
It is essential to understand that accessible websites enjoy increased traffic and improved SEO rankings. This benefit might be significant to your client’s business.
Below you can find a snippet available for you to share with your client via conversation or email:
“Accessible websites enjoy increased traffic, reduced bounce rates, improved SEO rankings, and better conversion rates. An accessible website means that you’re making it easier for people to find your website.
A new study by Semrush analyzed 847 web domains and found that:
– There was a 12% average increase in overall traffic for all domains
– 73.4% of domains saw growth in organic traffic
– 66.1% of all domains saw growth in organic traffic of up to 50%
With Google constantly calculating search engine result page (SERP) rankings by evaluating sites based partly on web page usability and user experience, it logically follows that websites with more accessibility features would be prioritized over sites without those accommodations.”
By opening up your websites to 15% of the global population that lives with a disability, you tap into a market with a spending power of $8 trillion (based on the Valuable 500 research).
Not only do you widen your user base when you become accessible, but you also provide a better experience for all users, regardless of their ability.
Web accessibility is about experience, opportunity, and inclusion. Not just coding
“Brand reputation and social responsibility are crucial for businesses, and web accessibility is an essential part of this. In order to be in line with legislation and maintain a brand reputation, you should do something about web accessibility. Once you implement an accessibility solution, you will have an accessibility statement, and that says a lot about your brand.”
Blog post: Why you should make your site accessible for people with disabilities
Video – An Explanation of the ADA Tax Credit for Accessible Businesses
Blog Post – ADA Tax Credit Meets Web Accessibility: How to Apply, Who Qualifies, and Key Stipulations
PDF – Web accessibility meets tax benefits: important information to know
“accessWidget involves a 2-minute simple installation of JavaScript code on your website. Once implemented, accessWidget scans, analyzes, and fixes accessibility compliance gaps in up to 48 hours.”
“With accessiBe, you receive ongoing maintenance and remediation for your website. accessWidget scans and monitors your website every 24 hours to ensure any new content you upload is remediated.”
“accessiBe’s Litigation Support Package is a unique service that takes care of everything you need and provides all necessary accessibility documentation for all case scenarios. Instead of handling legal situations on your own, accessiBe is the only web accessibility service that provides such a package and gives you the peace of mind you need.”
“accessiBe is trusted by over 200,000 organizations, from SMBs to enterprises.”
“accessWidget is the world’s leading Al-powered web accessibility solution that makes websites accessible to people with disabilities and helps you become compliant.
accessiBe’s solution is automated from audit to ongoing maintenance. accessWidget significantly reduces costs and time, making web accessibility achievable for businesses of all sizes, from small to large enterprises.
The accessibility interface is responsible for all the Ul and design-related adjustments and covers about 30% of the requirements, and includes adjustments for readable fonts, sizing, spacing, color contrasts, cursors, emphases, and more.
Meanwhile, the Al-powered background process handles the more complex requirements – optimization for screen readers and keyboard navigation, with about 70% of the WCAG requirements.”
“When it comes to your user interface and website’s design, accessWidget will not change a thing for most users. It will only be activated when turned on via the interface (or a screen reader if the user is blind) and only during the user’s specific session.
Therefore, accessWidget won’t affect the design, Ul, or performance at all.”
You can read more about our technology here.
“accessiBe is proud to work side by side with the disability communities. They all play a vital role in their research and development by helping them build a product that truly helps them and addresses their needs.“
