VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: Website Accessibility Information
Please forgive any grammatical errors or differences from the video. This transcript was generated using an AI tool. Please refer to the video content for accuracy.
Many local retailers are surprised to learn that the Americans with Disabilities Act may apply not only to their physical brick-and-mortar store locations but also to how they represent themselves online. We’re going to break this down for you today and share what we’ve learned about website accessibility and how it may or may not apply to you. This is a complex topic, both on the technical side of what constitutes an accessible website and on the legal side of determining whether or not a business has any legal liability for its online presence. In this video, we’re sharing what we’ve learned at New Media Retailer to give you an update on what we suggest you pursue and learn about to help ensure that your business provides accessibility on the web.
Let’s break this down together. First, let’s talk about the legal aspect of website accessibility. Right now, the decision is mainly being made in the courts—state or federal—across the country. What happens is that when someone with a disability attempts to use a website but is unable to, they may decide to pursue litigation against the business that hosts the website. In that instance, it goes to the court system to decide whether or not the website was accessible and usable by the person with disabilities. As a business, it is up to you to understand the federal, state, and local laws that apply to your business regarding the extent to which your website needs to have features or enhancements to make it accessible to those residents or potential customers with disabilities that interfere with their ability to use your website. At New Media Retailer, we’re not attorneys, so we can’t advise you on what laws or regulations you need to follow. That’s why we’re making this video—to highlight that you may need to follow certain regulations or laws pertaining to website accessibility.
Now, let’s talk about the technical aspect. Making a website accessible to those with various disabilities is a technical challenge. Furthermore, keeping a website accessible after it has been built is an ongoing challenge because websites are dynamic—they change. You may use an app, or add new images that aren’t accessible. There could be all types of changes to a website that affect its accessibility over time. So what does this all mean? At New Media Retailer, we try to follow best practices for building accessible websites. However, that may or may not be sufficient, depending on your market, regulations, and customer base. We recommend that you do two things: first, talk to your attorney about whether your business needs to meet a specific threshold of accessibility guidelines to reduce your legal liability; second, recognize that having an accessible website is part of doing the right thing because we want users with disabilities to be able to use the site seamlessly, just like anyone else.
We also recommend two tools—software companies that offer a specific widget that can be placed on your site, which New Media Retailer will integrate for free. These companies provide a range of accessibility tools for users with disabilities. What that means is that if someone with disabilities comes to your site—whether they have visual impairments, hearing impairments, issues with epilepsy, or color blindness—these tools present various options to help them navigate your site more effectively. The tool is placed at the bottom of your website, and when clicked, it allows the user to access a range of different tools to guide them through your site.
We suggest looking into these tools, talking to those companies about the accessibility features they provide, and speaking with your attorney about the level of accessibility you need to ensure that your business reduces any legal liability related to website accessibility. In the description below, I’ve also posted a couple of helpful articles that link to more information about accessibility, what’s happened as a result of accessibility issues for some small businesses, the steps you should take, and a statement from New Media Retailer on how to best guide your business moving forward.
Thanks so much for joining me. At New Media Retailer, it’s always our goal to keep you up to date on what’s happening in the world of website development and small business so that you can take advantage of cutting-edge technology while also protecting your business from potential risks.