How to make your law firm website ADA compliant in 2021

Key quotes:

• "I’m constantly playing the numbers, aiming for that proverbial stacked deck."
• "(Yes, I was definitely single and without plans for the most romantic day of the year and, yes, I had Chef Lonely Heart’s Soup for 1 and it was just as sweet as you’re imagining it was.) The UsableNet webinar was led by Jason Taylor, Innovation Strategiest and Advisor to UsableNet CEO, and contained a slide that needs to be highlighted, circled, and rubber stamped as a certified platinum hit for anybody that wants to prevent a website accessibility lawsuit."
• "That slide contained the bullet points to the most common accessibility claims that UsableNet has discovered in recent 2020 ADA Website Compliance lawsuits."
• "In the bigger picture, what this slide tells me is we’re starting to see plaintiffs’ law firms evolve and get more intelligent in how they vulture website owners."
• "This list isn’t the simple WAVE error list of 2019, it’s a very specifically tailored collection of accessibility testing points that provides for definitive inaccessibility."

Key quotes:

• "courts and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have continually referenced the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA success criteria as the standard to gauge whether websites are accessible."
• "Instead of the pretend-to-get-stuff-done maneuvering above, start by diving into WCAG 2.0 AA and taking care of the biggest obstacles to accessibility and most common lawsuit complaints."
• "What the flexibility language is acknowledging is that although WCAG is currently the best solution for determining whether a website is accessible, it’s an imperfect standard."
• "#3 Don’t Pay for Automated Scans The way you get started with accessibility is typically you 1) audit and then 2) remediate your website."
• "And while you figure out your plan of action and are in the process of making your website accessible, you might get hit by a demand letter or lawsuit."
• "Get my WCAG checklists and sign up to get my plain English guide on what all of WCAG 2.0 AA + 2.1 AA success criteria actually mean (free): Sign up free at Accessible.org Read more of my articles on Web Accessibility and ADA Compliance: New: October 2020: My Online Accessibility Act review Lowering your risk of a demand letter Why accessibility toolbars/widgets/plugins aren’t compliant Does every website need to be ADA compliant?."

Key quotes:

• "All website accessibility means is we’re making our websites accessible for persons with various disabilities."
• "Think of it as making your website — it’s content and functions — more flexible so that people with different types and degrees of disabilities can still fully engage with your website."
• "Other considerations: It may be helpful to view accessibility as we’re opening up our website so that everyone can have equal access to the content and functions."
• "The formal name of these guidelines is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and version 2.0 level AA is what you’ll want to strive to meet first."
• "Think of success criteria as accessibility bullet points for you to account for on your website."
• "In 2020, there are no formal federal guidelines forthcoming on what constitutes an accessible website — and none are expected in 2021, but we do know that both the Department of Justice (DOJ) and federal and state courts commonly reference WCAG 2.0 AA when assessing accessibility."

Key quotes:

• "2.2 is the latest version for WCAG set for official release in the summer of 2021."
• "(Editor’s Note: The release was previously set for November 2020 but this has been updated to the summer of 2021.) Previous versions of WCAG are 1.0, 2.0, and 2.1."
• "For example, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act requires conformance with WCAG 2.0 AA for large (50+) and public sector organizations (and governmental entities) as of January 1, 2021."
• "As another example, the Americans with Disabilities Act doesn’t speak to web accessibility but the current legal landscape dictates that WCAG 2.0 AA or, potentially even WCAG 2.1 AA conformance is best practice for avoiding a lawsuit."
• "There are many other various anti-discrimination / digital accessibility laws across the globe which either implicitly or explicitly call for WCAG 2.0 or 2.1 AA conformance."
• "However, it’s always great to be at the top of your game and get your digital offerings in conformance with the latest standards as soon as possible #accessibility."

Key quotes:

• "The Online Accessibility Act is a bipartisan bill introduced by Congressmen Lou Correa (D-CA) and Ted Budd (R-NC) that amends the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to “include consumer facing websites and mobile applications owned or operated by a private entity.” I like what it stands for but what I hate is the extended process by which it takes to file a complaint against an entity who is in non-compliance."
• "But, this is generally what the United States needs: an amendment to the ADA that addresses web accessibility."
• "I’d provide a jump link but #Medium.) WCAG is the acronym for the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines."
• "2.2 is the latest version for WCAG set for official release in the summer of 2021."
• "(Editor’s Note: The release was previously set for November 2020 but this has been updated to the summer of 2021.) Previous versions of WCAG are 1.0, … This article is merely commentary, not legal advice."
• "all want to know if they’re liable for past (and maybe present) services that aren’t accessible / WCAG conformant / compliant."