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Digital Inclusivity: Why the ADA’s New Web Standards Matter for Everyone

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A Push for Establishing Clear Technical Standards for Accessibility

On July 25, the eve of the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Department of Justice announced a proposed rule to establish clear standards aiming to ensure state and local government websites and mobile apps are digitally accessible to people with physical and cognitive impairments. 

Under the rule, public programs and services relating to employment, voting, health, transit schedules, and education would be required to adhere to Title II of the ADA for web and mobile app accessibility. This includes taking steps such as integrating text descriptions of images, captions on videos, and keyboard navigation in order to improve online accessibility for “50 million people with vision, hearing, cognitive, and manual dexterity disabilities,” wrote President Joe Biden. 

The proposed rule, which is focused on suggesting clear technical standards, will be published in the Federal Register and open for public comment for 60 days. 

The push for inclusivity comes on the heels of a failed 2021 bill, which yielded the DOJ’s guidance that the ADA requirements apply to all goods, services, privileges, or activities offered by public accommodations. This includes websites, and the allocation of $42.5 billion in grants to ensure the availability of high-speed internet, which helps provide a variety of services to those with physical and cognitive disabilities. 

While the ruling would only compel local government organizations to comply, private businesses would be wise to follow suit, given that a similar ruling will likely soon require them to adhere to the same standards. And, despite the lack of current digital accessibility standards placed on businesses, many private businesses are focused on expanding accessibility because it makes sense from a business standpoint. And most importantly, it is the right thing to do. 

Where to Begin Your Accessibility Journey 

Although private companies aren’t yet mandated as strictly as governmental organizations, many forward-thinking companies are making strides toward digital accessibility. These companies pave the way for a more inclusive world. Prioritizing digital accessibility needs benefit the business and the user, and private companies can and should begin the accessibility compliance  process as soon as possible. 

Build a Roadmap

If you’re ready to begin taking steps in your accessibility journey, we encourage you to start by reading our digital accessibility starter kit, which establishes a comprehensive framework and helps identify a roadmap for your company. 

Compliance Audit 

Next, let the experts at QualityLogic perform a digital accessibility compliance audit on your site, which will help you determine where you’re beginning. Measured against standards like WCAG and legislation that leverages those standards like ADA, Section 508, and AODA, a compliance audit provides a baseline and a plan to achieve compliance by using automated and manual tools, as well as humans, including individuals with physical and cognitive impairments. This blend is critical, and cannot be replicated with automated tools alone.

Consulting 

Throughout your audit, or at any point throughout the process, QualityLogic can provide advice, strategic planning, and more that will help you on your accessibility journey. By working with your team to achieve best practices, we can help create a custom approach that ensures that your site is accessible to all. 

Support 

Digital properties like websites and software are dynamic, and things are always changing in the accessibility space. Engage with QualityLogic for ongoing accessibility support, remediation, and assessment that grows and changes with your company, including consultations, training, testing, and more. 

Interested in finding out more about accessibility testing?

Let’s talk about how you can push your company toward being fully accessible! 

Author:

Paul Morris, Director of Engineering & Accessibility Services

Paul Morris started his career as a chemist with the United Kingdom’s Laboratory of the Government Chemist (LGC). During his tenure at the LGC, he developed an aggressive degenerative eye condition called retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic disorder of the eyes that eventually causes a loss of vision, and he had to leave the chemistry field. However, along with the change, came opportunity. While Paul transitioned to an administrative position with the UK Ministry of Defense, he also began teaching himself how to code. As the course of his career evolved, in 1999, he moved to the United States, where he was offered a job as a test technician for QualityLogic. Now, more than two decades later, Paul is QualityLogic’s Director of Engineering and Accessibility Testing Services.

During his career with QualityLogic, Paul has had the opportunity to explore all aspects of QA testing, while simultaneously benefitting from the use of assistive technologies. He is recognized as an accessibility subject matter expert for both user experience and development and is certified in JAWS technology, a screen reader developed by Freedom Scientific that provides speech and Braille output for computer applications. Paul also has expertise in Ruby, JAVA, Python, and is an SQL administrator.

While a shift from chemistry to a career in software testing may have seemed unlikely, Paul is grateful for the course his life has taken. QualityLogic has inspired his passion to solve the problems he sees now and discovers the challenges yet to come. Paul shares his experiences in QA Engineering and Digital Accessibility often through blogs, presentations, and training of his team and QualityLogic clients.