In today’s digital landscape, ensuring your website is ADA compliant (Americans with Disabilities Act) is essential not just for legal reasons but also to provide a better user experience for all. Many businesses and developers focus on integrating technical elements like ARIA attributes, alt text, and keyboard navigation, which are critical components of accessibility. However, one vital aspect is often overlooked—the readability of the content, including alt text, descriptions, and the overall readability of your website pages.
In this article, we explore why focusing solely on technical tags is not enough and why readability plays a crucial role in achieving full ADA compliance.
What is ADA Compliance?
The ADA mandates that businesses and organizations make their services accessible to individuals with disabilities, including their websites. This includes making your website navigable for people using screen readers or those who rely on keyboard navigation. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) set out the specific requirements for achieving ADA compliance.
Common ADA compliance elements include:
- Alt Text for images
- ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) labels for screen reader support
- Keyboard navigation compatibility
- Color contrast and font scalability
While these elements are necessary, readability is often undervalued. Websites that are technically compliant but difficult to understand still leave users with disabilities facing barriers to content consumption.