Many people have not thought of their digital storefront or company landscape in quite the same light as they would a physical building. It’s hard to conceptualize for some, but making your content available to all users via the internet now falls under the same types of rules and regulations that would govern an apartment dwelling to be accessible to anyone with a disability.
When the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) was first mandated, the widespread use of the internet was just beginning. There has recently been a bit of confusion about the protections for those with disabilities and just how they are being enforced within the digital landscape.
Courts worldwide have stated that even though some legal standards still don’t seem comprehensive, it is still possible to undergo a harsh lawsuit if your website is not ADA compliant. The good news is that we have compiled some basic guidelines for anyone out there doing e-commerce or marketing that will point you in the right direction. What you simply need to focus on is ways that will make your website experience more accessible to anyone who chooses to use it.
ALT Tags: ALT tags are what a user is shown as opposed to a picture. The function they perform is helping the blind navigate a page with much more ease, and describing an image. The proper use of ALT tags increases the site’s positive SEO ranking, as well as assuring that it is ADA compliant. Don’t make the common mistake of not having these included in your page regimen! Once you begin, it’s not too complex to roll these out in a sensible strategy.
Digital Forms and Services: When worrisome events occur within this arena of web clout, it’s best to take a look at where people have filed lawsuits. The majority of recent ADA website lawsuits are honed in on website forms, such as PDFs. It is now imperative to make PDFs accessible and very easy to find for the average user and focus on having the links to download visible and 100% out in the open.
Audio and Video Transcripts: The addition of these elements to any website is a top-notch way to gain followers, viral attention, and ranking status. But it is now of grave importance to not leave those with any visual or hearing disabilities behind, and make sure that you have closed-captioning features on videos. Even though the actual user may not be able to hear or see the video, the point is that they possess the ability to access it as easily as anyone else who is visiting your site.
Choice of Contrast: One design concept that sometimes is not looked at closely during development is the background to text contrast. Having an appropriate balance here is what makes presented information easy to read, and properly accommodate users who may be color blind. It is important to put yourself in the browser’s shoes who may have poor vision, and know that having them easily navigate the page is always going to give you positive results.
Possessing Mobile-Friendly Presence: Just as you observe while sitting at Starbucks or in the congested open-air hub of your own metro area, most are coming to your site from some sort of mobile device. Over half of those visiting a URL at any given time are on a mobile device and not a conventional desktop computer. Utilizing inclusive design tactics is a practice that will not just make your site easier to navigate for disabled users, but anyone at all.
Having a best St Louis Digital Advertising Agency working for you and your brand can benefit you in many ways. Many companies out there are now realizing that after SEO and Google optimization, site design, and content creation has taken place, there are other legal issues such as these that need dire attention paid to. Having a savvy and knowledgeable agency like Farfetched Studios in your corner will not only help leverage your brand but ease your mind for any compliance issues such as these that the ADA now mandates.
