Though the internet was barely existent in 1990 when George W Bush signed into law the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), today the Internet, is considered a “place of public accommodation.” The status of being a “place of public accommodation” means it must be completely accessible to people with various impairments.
There are many gray areas relating to how this all pertains to websites. There are different levels of compliance that vary from the user’s ability to navigate the site, functionality issues, to high level standards that in some cases are not possible with any website.
So, without clear and specific guidelines, what is the best course of action? It is best to err on the side of caution, as more and more people are winning lawsuits pertaining to website accessibility issues. In the majority of cases, a small investment goes a very long way in avoiding costly and lengthy lawsuits. Making your website compliant aligns directly with protecting your business, increasing your client base, and avoiding time consuming and costly lawsuits!
