Department of Justice says web accessibility is a priority

ARLINGTON, VA. – Does your agency, business, or organization have a public website? Is it accessible? The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced web accessibility is a priority.

You’re probably aware that state/local governments and businesses open to the public need to incorporate physical accessibility features, such as curb cuts and automatic doors, due to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). But did you know that the ADA also extends to their websites and digital content?

By the power of the ADA, every state/local government agency and publicly available business must have a website that is accessible to people with disabilities. The DOJ’s guidance specifically highlights that “businesses open to the public” includes retail stores, banks, food and drink establishments, theaters, and the list goes on. Many businesses and organizations don’t learn about digital accessibility compliance until they’re served a lawsuit or legal demand letter. The DOJ’s guidance alone listed eight sample cases, including H&R Block and Peapod, where an organization reached agreements with the DOJ after receiving accessibility complaints.

Just like physical accessibility features, ensuring your website is accessible benefits all your audiences. For example, DOJ’s guidance highlights the need to provide captions on videos and ensure online forms are accessible.

How many times in the past week have you watched a video following along only by captions?

How many times have you tried to fill out a form by using the tab key, only to have it jump to the wrong spot in the form?

Accessibility benefits us all.

Here are some basic website accessibility questions to ask yourself or your web developer to know whether your website is on the path to accessibility:

1. Do you have appropriate alt text written for all images on your website?
2. Do you use heading levels appropriately throughout your website?
3. Does the color contrast throughout your website meet the WCAG standards?
4. Are the PDFs on your website accessible?
5. Do your videos include closed captioning?

If you answered, “no” or “I don’t know” to any of these items, your site may not be accessible, and you may need some help.

Navigating website accessibility requirements can be overwhelming, especially if digital accessibility is a new frontier for you. Online resources exist if you’re interested in doing some deep dives on your own.

But if outsourcing this work to a team who already knows and understands the ins and outs of web and digital accessibility is a better fit for your organization, let’s get in touch.

WRMA and our parent, TriMetrix, help clients like you sail smoothly through digital and website accessibility. We ensure websites and products meet or exceed ADA requirements.

We first start by meeting you where you’re at. We use tools and manual checks to review your website and content. Then, we walk you through the key changes that are needed to transition your website and content into an accessible format. Lastly, we collaborate with organizations (and sometimes their website developers) to implement the changes.

Now’s the time to make sure your website and content can be accessed by everyone. Reach out to see how we can help.

• Guidance on Web Accessibility and the ADA (Department of Justice)
• Information and Communication Technology, Revised 508 Standards and 255 Guidelines (U.S. Access Board)
• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)