Are You Following Digital Accessibility Standards?

As more business is conducted online, the legal responsibility to make digital content accessible is no longer just best practice—it is a compliance requirement. Websites, mobile apps, and digital documents must be usable by individuals with disabilities, including those who rely on screen readers, voice commands, or keyboard-only navigation. Failing to meet accessibility standards can lead to lawsuits, loss of business, and public criticism. Many small business owners remain unaware that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and related state laws extend into the digital space. Accessibility compliance is not optional—it is a legal and ethical obligation that affects every customer-facing platform.

What Does Digital Accessibility Actually Require?

Digital accessibility involves designing websites and apps so that users with disabilities can access, navigate, and understand the content without barriers. Standards like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) outline specific success criteria across four key principles: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. This means providing alternative text for images, ensuring sufficient color contrast, enabling keyboard navigation, and structuring content for screen readers. These requirements are not recommendations—they form the legal benchmark for accessibility under multiple laws.

Failing to meet these criteria is considered discrimination under the ADA when it prevents equal access to goods or services. Even websites that are not selling directly—such as informational pages or booking portals—can face legal action if they are not properly formatted. Consulting with knowledgeable attorneys helps identify which elements of your digital infrastructure must be reviewed, corrected, or rebuilt to meet compliance thresholds.

Why Are Lawsuits Increasing Over Accessibility Violations?

ADA lawsuits targeting inaccessible websites have surged in recent years, with small and mid-sized businesses among the most frequent defendants. Plaintiffs argue that they are unable to use key site features, such as contact forms, shopping carts, or menus. These claims are often supported by screen reader test results and screenshots, demonstrating failure to meet basic WCAG standards. Judges have consistently ruled that digital inaccessibility can violate civil rights—particularly when it relates to commerce, healthcare, education, or legal services.

Penalties for noncompliance include damages, mandatory upgrades, and attorney fees. In some cases, a single overlooked feature—like a missing alt tag or inaccessible PDF—can result in substantial legal and remediation costs. Public settlements and court orders are regularly tracked through legal news, where high-profile cases illustrate how avoidable errors create serious consequences. Businesses that wait for a complaint to act are often the ones who pay the highest price.

When Is Your Business Required to Comply?

If your business has a website or app that serves the public, accessibility requirements apply—regardless of your size, industry, or location. The ADA does not carve out exceptions for small enterprises. Whether you operate a storefront, offer virtual consultations, or run an e-commerce platform, your digital presence must provide equal access. This includes documents such as privacy policies, PDFs, forms, videos, and downloadable content that users interact with during their experience.

Compliance is especially important for industries serving the general public or protected populations. Medical providers, law firms, banks, and educational institutions face heightened scrutiny. Additionally, if your business accepts government contracts, accessibility requirements are often built into federal or state procurement rules. Failing to meet these obligations not only invites lawsuits but may also prevent you from competing in certain markets.

How Can You Identify Accessibility Gaps in Your Website?

The most common accessibility barriers are invisible to business owners but immediately obvious to users with disabilities. These include images without alternative text, forms that don’t provide screen reader instructions, buttons without labels, and headings that break logical order. Automated tools can catch many of these errors, but manual audits are necessary to identify deeper structural and functional problems. Accessibility testing should mimic real user conditions—including screen readers, voice controls, and low-vision modes.

Many businesses mistakenly assume their site is compliant because it looks modern or performs well on standard devices. However, visual design does not guarantee accessibility. Accessibility compliance involves semantic structure, code-level attributes, and content logic—not just appearance. A full audit by accessibility specialists or legal advisors trained in digital compliance is the most reliable way to uncover and address violations before they trigger formal complaints.

What Are the Practical Steps to Achieve Digital Compliance?

Apply the legally sound accessibility improvements listed below.

Proactive accessibility planning reduces legal exposure and improves user experience for all customers, including those with disabilities:

• Audit your entire digital presence, not just your homepage: Check internal pages, downloadable content, forms, navigation elements, and third-party widgets to ensure universal accessibility—not just surface-level visuals.
  
• Add descriptive alt text to every visual element: Alt text allows screen readers to interpret images and icons. Avoid vague labels like “image1” and use meaningful descriptions that explain the purpose of the graphic.
  
• Enable full keyboard navigation for all interactive features: Every function—menus, dropdowns, forms—must be operable without a mouse. Test with just a keyboard to identify dead ends or skipped elements.
  
• Use semantic HTML and ARIA landmarks appropriately: Structure headings, lists, and tables using correct markup so assistive technology can follow logical content flow and element roles.
  
• Include captions, transcripts, and volume controls in media: Videos must provide closed captioning or transcripts. Audio elements must be controllable, pausable, and labeled for users who cannot hear or process sound.
  

Digital accessibility is not just about checking a box—it’s about creating equal opportunity for every user who visits your online platform. Businesses that ignore these standards do so at their own risk, often finding themselves on the receiving end of lawsuits and public criticism. The legal expectation is clear: accessibility is part of your digital infrastructure, and failure to meet the standard is treated as discrimination. With legal guidance, careful testing, and strategic updates, your business can meet its responsibilities and serve all users without exclusion.