Asher’s Accessibility Guide

hands holding blocks that spell "ADA", web accessibility

Did you know that websites are covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and must meet a specific criteria to be compliant and accessible?

What does this mean?

Everyone has the right to access information and should be able to use a website regardless of their physical or cognitive abilities. This is called accessibility, and it applies to websites, digital ads, mobile apps, and other technology. Just as buildings provide ramps and elevators for wheelchair users, websites must follow specific guidelines to be accessible.

What is accessibility?

Website accessibility means making your website usable and equally accessible for people with various disabilities. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 are organized around four principles (POUR):

Why is accessibility important?

According to the CDC, more than 70 million U.S. adults (over 1 in 4) live with a disability. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), state and local governments, along with businesses open to the public, are legally required to make their websites accessible. Each year, thousands of accessibility-related lawsuits are filed against organizations that fail to comply.

Accessibility is better for your users, and better for you.

Who benefits from an accessible website?

Well, everyone! Everyone benefits from accessible websites and technology—not just those with disabilities.

“Web accessibility: Essential for some, useful for all.” – W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)

There are four main categories of conditions that are considered when designing and coding accessible websites:

  • Visual

    High color contrast supports readability for users who are colorblind, older audiences who may have age-related vision changes, and even anyone trying to read text on their phone in bright sunlight.

  • Auditory

    Video captions support accessibility for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, while also improving the experience for anyone watching in a noisy environment, such as a café, or in situations where headphones aren’t available.

  • Mobility

    Accessible menus that are easy to tab through with a keyboard assist people with conditions such as arthritis, or who have suffered a stroke and no longer have full mobility, but can also help someone who broke their arm or just had surgery and is temporarily unable to use a mouse.

  • Neurological & Cognitive

    Providing pause/stop buttons on autoplay videos or elements with motion can help people with epilepsy, ADHD, ASD, migraines, and more.

    Here’s the good news. Your website’s design and code will already be engineered by Asher to pass color contrast ratios and technical best practices.