Why Website Accessibility Matters

Inaccessible web content means that people with disabilities are denied equal access to information. An inaccessible website can exclude people just as much as steps at an entrance to a physical location. Ensuring web accessibility for people with disabilities is a priority for the Department of Justice. In recent years, a multitude of services have moved online and people rely on websites like never before for all aspects of daily living. For example, accessing voting information, finding up-to-date health and safety resources, and looking up mass transit schedules and fare information increasingly depend on having access to websites.

People with disabilities navigate the web in a variety of ways. People who are blind may use screen readers, which are devices that speak the text that appears on a screen. People who are deaf or hard of hearing may use captioning. And people whose disabilities affect their ability to grasp and use a mouse may use voice recognition software to control their computers and other devices with verbal commands.

The ways that websites are designed and set up can create unnecessary barriers that make it difficult or impossible for people with disabilities to use websites, just as physical barriers like steps can prevent some people with disabilities from entering a building. These barriers on the web keep people with disabilities from accessing information and programs that businesses and state and local governments make available to the public online. But these barriers can be prevented or removed so that websites are accessible to people with disabilities.

Source: https://www.ada.gov/resources/web-guidance/

What you can do

We have a tool we can embed onto your website. Read more on the specifics of this tool from UserWay.org
Below are some options:

• For $5/month we can install a limited widget.  This tool will not make your website complaint, but it is a good first step.
• For $50/month or $550/year we will install a more robust tool to get you to 90% compliance.  This option also includes a $10,000 pledge to help cover costs if your accessibility is ever questioned.  More info at https://userway.org/widget/
• Call for pricing on 100% compliance solutions geared toward municipalities and government websites.
• Create an accessibility policy to cover your website and physical location. More info here: https://www.w3.org/WAI/planning/org-policies/