Website Design for Blind Users

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 18, 2018
Contact: Steve Schwartz
888-354-4946

PD/GO Digital Marketing Offers Website Solutions to Help Small Business Owners Comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Vero Beach, FL - May 18, 2018 — Technology is evolving at such a fast pace that it can be difficult for business owners to stay informed. But not staying current on laws, regulations and guidelines may be potentially exposing their company to costly litigation. Most business owners understand that it is their obligation to make their physical facilities accessible under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), such as installing automatic door openers, handicapped parking and wheel chair ramps; however, what many may not realize, is that this same civil rights legislation was expanded in 2000 to include the Internet and websites.

According to the ADA, poorly designed websites can create unnecessary barriers for people with disabilities, just as poorly designed buildings prevent some people with disabilities from entering. Access problems often occur because website designers mistakenly assume that everyone sees and accesses a webpage in the same way. This mistaken assumption can frustrate users. Accessible website design recognizes these differences and does not require users to see, hear or use a standard mouse to access the information and services provided. Website accessibility ensures that people with disabilities are able to navigate the Internet using a variety of assistive technologies. For example, some people with low vision or color blindness may be able to simply adjust color schemes, contrast settings and font sizes, while others may need screen readers, speech recognition or text-enlargement software. Those with a hearing impairment may need closed captioning for videos, while others may need to interact with a website without a mouse or touch screen.

The ADA states that credit unions, banks and other private-sector businesses that do not provide proper access to information for those with disabilities on their website can be held financially liable. Businesses whose websites fail to comply with this standard are vulnerable to costly legal claims and settlements. A few companies that have recently dealt with this issue include Winn Dixie, Target, Netflix, Hawks Cay Keys Resort, Ultra Music Festival and Wet Willies Bar. The number of this type of lawsuits continues to grow every year. California, Florida and New York are the states that typically have the most lawsuits of this type.

Complying with this law is not only a best practice that every business should adopt, but it also provides businesses with an opportunity to increase their customer base by potentially reaching more than 56 million people with disabilities who find it challenging to visit a brick-and-mortar store, allowing them instead to easily shop online in the comfort of their own home.

Examples of ADA-compliant websites are available at pdgo.com. Business owners can determine if their website is compliant with the ADA requirements at adatest.pdgo.com, a website scanning tool that provides a report with the scan results. PD/GO Digital Marketing offers affordable solutions for every budget. To get an estimate, email ada@pdgo.com.

PD/GO Digital Marketing is a Florida-based digital marketing agency that develops unique brands, responsive websites optimized for Google, social media campaigns, digital products and print media.