If you’ve heard about new accessibility requirements for public organizations, you may be wondering what it takes to make your website ADA compliant.
The short answer is: It’s probably more work than you expect.
The good news is that many websites are already partway there. The challenging part isn’t always fixing accessibility issues. It’s identifying them, verifying the fixes, and documenting the process.
Accessibility Is More Than Your Website
One detail that often surprises organizations is that accessibility requirements frequently extend beyond the website itself.
Depending on the applicable regulations and your organization, public-facing digital content may also include:
- PDFs and downloadable documents
- Videos
- Social media content
- Online forms
- Other digital communications
That means accessibility planning should be viewed as an ongoing process rather than a one-time website project. All future content added to the site must also adhere to ADA requirements.
Some Fixes Are Easy
Not every accessibility issue requires a developer.
Common examples include:
- Improving color contrast between text and backgrounds
- Adding meaningful alt text to images
- Improving link descriptions
- Correcting heading structure
Many of these changes can be completed fairly quickly and without much expertise.
Others Are More Involved
However, other issues require significantly more time and technical expertise.
Examples include:
- Creating audio descriptions for videos
- Improving keyboard navigation
- Fixing code that isn’t compatible with assistive technologies
- Working around platform limitations on website builders
Some website platforms also limit direct access to the underlying code, which can make certain fixes more challenging than they would be on a fully custom WordPress site.
The Biggest Job Is Usually the Audit
One of the biggest misconceptions about accessibility is that the work is mostly development.
In reality, a significant portion of the project is spent determining what actually needs to be fixed.
A thorough accessibility review typically includes:
- Manual testing
- Automated testing
- Reviewing issues across multiple page types
- Testing after fixes are implemented
- Verifying that changes didn’t introduce new problems
There Isn’t a Simple “Pass or Fail”
Unlike many technical standards, website accessibility isn’t something you simply run through a scanner and receive a certificate.
Organizations are generally responsible for evaluating their own websites or hiring specialists to perform accessibility reviews.
Compliance often comes into focus when there is a complaint, a lawsuit, or funding requirements that reference accessibility standards.
Because of that, organizations need to decide how much risk they’re willing to accept and what level of documentation they want to maintain.
Accessibility Is an Ongoing Commitment
Accessibility isn’t something you check off once and forget.
Every new page, document, image, or video should be created with accessibility in mind. As websites evolve, accessibility needs ongoing attention.
The goal isn’t perfection on day one. It’s making meaningful improvements, documenting your efforts, and building accessibility into your content creation process going forward.
If you’re unsure where your website stands, an accessibility audit is often the best place to begin. Once you know what needs attention, you can make informed decisions about priorities, budget, and the best path toward a more accessible website.