What is ADA?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (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.

If you are a business that exists to benefit the public, a local or state government agency, or are a private employer with 15 or more employees, you should be compliant with ADA regulations.

Brief History

• Passed in 1990
  • Originally for physical accommodations
    • Ramps
    • Elevators
    • Handrails
• 2018 Changes
  • Website Content Accessibility Guidelines
    • Includes visual and hearing impaired support along with other disabilities that make it difficult to navigate and interact with the web including color blindness
    • Websites
    • Videos
    • Software programs
• Overview video

4 Main Principles for Compliance

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1

• Perceivable: Able to be seen by a person with visual impairments (through assistive technology), or heard by a person who is hard of hearing or deaf
• Operable: The technology can be operated by a user with a disability.
• Understandable: The technology can be operated by users with varying cognitive abilities
• Robust: The technology is compatible with current assistive technology and is prepared to upgrade for future iterations

What Businesses Need ADA Compliance?

• All state and local government agencies
• Private employers with 15 or more employees
• Businesses operating for the benefit of the public
  • Any business that gets regular foot traffic or that will be searched online by the average person
    • Retail
    • Restaurant
    • Hotel
    • Software companies
    • And many more

Why Comply?

• 1 in 4 adults have a disability (CDC Report)
  • That could be up to 25% of Your Market
• Your business can be sued
  • 2,258 lawsuits in 2018
• National
  • Winn-Dixie
  • Hobby Lobby
  • Five Guys Burgers
• Central Florida
  • Gator’s Dockside
  • Hollerbach’s Willow Tree
  • Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken
  • Along with dozens of other local businesses as of February 2018 alone
• It’s the right thing to do!

How to Comply?

• The road to compliance is technical and detailed
• Contact Your Website Professional
  • ADA Compliance is an area of need for many businesses and your ad agency, marketing company or website provider should be up to speed on the guidelines to steer you in the right direction.