Following a 2016 ruling against the University of California Berkeley, the United States Department of Justice pointed to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1 AA) as the standard for an ADA compliant website.
ADA Web Works will apply the WCAG’s exhaustive guidelines to your existing website, resolving errors and violations. Upon completion of our work, we will mail a signed certificate of compliance. We back up our work by handling or assisting with any legal inquiries for the duration of the relevance of the completed work.
The WCAG guidelines are organized into four principles:
- Perceivable: Information and user interface (UI) components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive:
- This means that users must be able to perceive the information being presented (it cannot be invisible to all of their senses).
- Operable: UI components and navigation must be operable.
- This means that users must be able to operate the interface (the interface cannot require interaction that a user cannot perform).
- Understandable: Information and the operation of user interface must be understandable.
- This means that users must be able to understand the information as well as the operation of the UI (the content or operation cannot be beyond their understanding).
- Robust: Content must be robust enough that it can be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies.
- This means that users must be able to access the content as technologies advance (as technologies and user agents evolve, the content should remain accessible).
Each of these principles, along with their specific guidelines, will be used to make adjustments on your website.
We offer both one-time compliance corrections, as well as ongoing scanning and remediation.
Section 504 Compliance
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities by any organization that receives federal financial assistance. This requirement extends to websites and digital content: if your organization accepts federal funding, your online presence must be accessible to all users.
Who Must Comply with Section 504?
- K–12 public schools and universities that receive federal funding
- Hospitals, clinics, and healthcare providers participating in Medicare or Medicaid
- Nonprofits and charities that receive federal grants
- State and local government agencies
- Government contractors and subcontractors
Section 504 does not mandate a specific technical standard, but federal agencies and courts consistently reference WCAG 2.1 AA as the benchmark for accessible digital content. Failing to meet this standard can result in federal funding loss, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) complaints, or civil litigation.
How ADA Web Work Helps
ADA Web Work provides Section 504 compliance audits, targeted remediation, and a signed certificate of compliance upon completion. We support your organization with any OCR inquiries related to web accessibility for the duration of our completed work. Our ongoing scanning and remediation plans ensure your site remains compliant as content evolves.