Digital Accessibility and E-Commerce Website ADA Compliance

Since the early days of the e-commerce Internet, accessibility has been a heated topic of debate among web developers and designers. Ensuring that all visitors could access a website was essential to the success of any web-based business in those days. The top browsers varied widely in what you could do and could not do in the way of creative web design. However, compatibility and compliance during that time were more about making sure tables and animated graphics worked in Internet Explorer just as well as they did in Netscape, Opera, and Mozilla so that it wouldn’t distort the design. While a few developers rang the bell about website ADA compliance, digital accessibility in the 1990s was more about making sure all visitors could view the advertising – including animated banners, pop-up ads, and scrolling tickers – to increase conversions than anything else.

Website ADA Compliance Today

Fast-forward to 2021, and you will see a completely different viewpoint and attitude toward inclusive web design today. Developers understand the moral need to design websites that can be used by visitors with a wide range of disabilities, including physical, sensory, and cognitive. The urgency to achieve digital accessibility is also due to a dramatic increase in website ADA compliance lawsuits. Since 2018, the number of lawsuits has increased by 300 percent and, studies reveal that 25 percent of those websites are sued for non-compliance more than once. It is essential for web-based businesses and all businesses with a web presence to take control over their digital properties and protect them today with a viable accessibility compliance solution.

The good news is that specific organizations and governing bodies can be checked to assure accessibility compliance. The primary regulations and guidelines bodies that business owners and website developers should be concerned with include the ADA Title III, Section 508, AODA, EEA/EN 301549, and WCAG 2.1 AA. The bad news is that it can be quite expensive to design and build a website that offers complete and continued website ADA compliance. You could invest thousands of dollars into a brand new inclusive web design only to have the whole thing become non-compliant after an employee posts a few news updates or adds a few product listings. Specific coding is required in order to achieve and maintain compliance. Just one quick post that does not adhere to those stringent requirements is all it takes to undo all that work to achieve digital accessibility.

There is a Better Way

How do you think your website measures up when it comes to website ADA compliance? You can get started by taking advantage of our FREE accessibility scanning tool to determine whether you are at risk for litigation due to accessibility non-compliance. Simply add your details to the form on our website to see how your site scores. While this is just a basic scanning method designed to increase awareness about inclusive web design, Accessible Internet can offer business owners of all sizes a solution designed to simplify digital accessibility and even ensure compliance within 48-hours of installation. Our services are designed to help you provide and maintain continued accessibility and compliance for your website, regardless of what platform you have used for development. We make it easy to get on the path to compliance, which can be achieved in four easy steps!

• Step One – A single line of JavaScript code is installed to scan your website and identify any compliance issues. Cutting-edge AI technology is used to get any website accessible and compliant within 48 hours.
• Step Two – A new accessibility interface is visible to visitors the moment that it is installed. AI technology will continue to provide additional accessibility scanning and analyze your website every 24-hours to ensure continued compliance as new content and updates are added.
• Step Three – Our services are designed to work with any website and are customized according to each visitor’s unique needs. This includes compliance standards set by ADA Title III, Section 508, EAA/EN 301549, AODA, and WCAG 2.1 AA.
• Step Four – No further effort is required by you or your staff. You will receive an accessibility statement and certification for your website, along with monthly compliance reports.

Achieve Digital Accessibility

If you are ready to learn more about inclusive web design and your responsibility as a business owner or service provider, contact Accessible Internet. We can answer any questions you might have about our FREE accessibility scanning opportunity and the importance of website ADA compliance for all. You can reach us through our online contact form or by calling us at 1-800-999-9999.