What does the ADA say about web accessibility?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law in 1990. The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public.

Title III of the ADA requires that all public accommodations and commercial facilities must be accessible to individuals with disabilities. This includes websites and web applications.

The Department of Justice’s (DOJ) 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design includes specific requirements for web content. These requirements state that all web content must be accessible to people with disabilities. This includes people who are blind or have low vision, deaf or hard of hearing and people with cognitive or learning disabilities.

The DOJ’s standards are not law, but they provide guidance on how to make web content accessible. If a website or web application is not accessible, individuals with disabilities may file a complaint with the DOJ.

There are many ways to make web content accessible. Some common ways include adding text alternatives for images, providing captioning and transcripts for videos, and creating pages that are easy to navigate.

The ADA is an important law that helps to ensure that all people have equal access to all areas of public life, including the Internet. Making sure that your website or web application is accessible is not only the right thing to do but it is also required by law.