Website Accessibility Resource Guide

Website accessibility is evolving from the right thing to do to the required thing to do.

The U.S. federal government has released requirements for website accessibility compliance as it pertains to the Americans with Disabilities Act, and for many of our clients, the regulations feel daunting.

How do you know if your organization must comply? What’s the deadline for compliance? How much will compliance cost?

At Alpen Lily, we’re working hard to stay on top of evolving regulations and what they mean for your organization. We will continue to adjust this resource guide as the web accessibility landscape changes. As always, if you have questions, please contact us.

Important note to the reader: Please understand that Alpen Lily Web Studio is not a law office, we are not attorneys, and we do not practice law. We highly recommend you retain your own legal counsel to understand how requirements impact your organization, and you should not use this article or any articles on alpenlily.com as your sole source of information related to compliance.

In April 2024, the Department of Justice issues its updated regulations for Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The final rule has specific requirements about how to ensure that web content and mobile applications (apps) are accessible to people with disabilities.

State and Local Government Website Accessibility Fact Sheet: This fact sheet gives a succinct summary of the Department of Justice’s update to Title II of the ADA. If your organization falls under Title II of the ADA, this is the quickest way to understand the basic requirements.

Does my organization fall under Title II of the ADA? This resource will help you understand if your organization is one of the state or local programs that must abide by Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In addition to state and local governments, this applies airport districts, conservation districts, park and recreation districts, sanitation districts, transit districts, and water districts.

PDF compliance requirements: Under the ruling, all PDFs except PDFs that are exempt must follow compliance standards. This guide will provide all the requirements. If you need assistance with PDF remediation for your website, contact us.

Complete DOJ Ruling: A 289-page PDF of the complete ruling.

There several posts on this website that provide basic information about website accessibility:

Accessibility and Your Website: This is a great intro to website accessibility basics. It includes simple actions you can take now to make your website more accessible and information about why you should care about accessibility (aside from the law).

The Importance of Ongoing Accessibility: Website accessibility is not a one-and-done effort. With changing standards and guidelines, technological advancements, and content changes and additions on your website, it’s important to consistently review your website for compliance.

Accessibility for Nonprofit Websites: For nonprofit organizations, accessibility is not just about legal compliance; it’s about ensuring inclusivity and providing equal access to all visitors. In this post, we cover best practices, free tools and resources, and legal implications for nonprofits.

Accessibility Overlay Fact Sheet: Overlays are a broad term for technologies that aim to improve the accessibility of a website. They apply third-party source code (typically JavaScript) to make improvements to the front-end code of the website. This fact sheet discusses why these overlays are problematic.

Screen Reader Experience: Marc Sutton from the University of San Francisco’s IT Web Services Department demonstrates what it’s like to use a screen reader to navigate a website.

Accessibility Policy or Statement: Having an accessibility policy or statement on a website demonstrates a commitment to inclusivity, ensuring that all users, regardless of ability, can access and interact with your content. It also helps mitigate legal risks by aligning with regulations such as the ADA and WCAG guidelines. You’ll want to place this link in the footer of your website, near your Privacy Policy. Check out Alpen Lily’s accessibility policy for an example.

Accessibility Audits: Our team conducts thorough accessibility audits to identify any issues that may be preventing your website from being fully accessible. These audits include comprehensive testing using various tools and techniques to ensure all aspects of your site are evaluated.

Redesigns: If your website requires significant changes to meet accessibility standards, our redesign services can help. We work with you to create a new design that is not only visually appealing but also fully accessible to all users.

Remediation: For existing websites, our remediation services address specific accessibility issues identified during audits. We provide detailed reports and actionable recommendations to fix these issues, ensuring your website complies with all accessibility guidelines.

Consultations: We offer consultations to guide you through the process of making your website accessible. Whether you need advice on best practices, assistance with implementing changes, or ongoing support, our team is here to help.

Ready to make your nonprofit website accessible to all? Contact Alpen Lily Web Studio today for expert web design and development services tailored to your needs.