June 2018 Edition of Digital Accessibility Newsletter by The Bureau of Internet Accessibility
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Digital Accessibility Newsletter June 2018
Amendment to ADA Title III to Curb Drive-By Lawsuits
The House of Representatives passed the ADA Education and Reform Act (HR 620). With the number of ADA Title III lawsuits on the rise, HR 620 is an attempt to stem the tide of lawsuits brought by serial plaintiffs against businesses based on relatively minor physical access barriers found in their facilities for quick settlements. This amendment could also potentially be used to argue against digital accessibility complaints.
Color Contrast Tool
We are excited to announce that we have just released a free automated color contrast tool, the Color Contrast Accessibility Validator. The tool is offered free of charge and is intended for use by website owners and developers to test their web pages for color contrast issues that can impede usability for people with visual disabilities.
Is Website Accessibility Required under the ADA?
When the Americans with Disabilities Act became law in 1990, modern communications technologies such as the Internet were still in their infancy. The past few decades, however, have seen the rise of new channels such as websites and mobile applications, raising questions about the ADA’s original mission to make U.S. society more accessible to people with disabilities. Although it doesn’t explicitly mention them, the ADA has been widely interpreted to extend to websites. Click here for the full post.
Industry Reports
In the current climate of rapidly increasing lawsuits related to web accessibility, being aware of your industry’s “accessibility pulse” can be an asset for many businesses. At the Bureau of Internet Accessibility, we have been conducting research on the level of WCAG compliance within certain industries. So far, we have determined the “accessibility pulse” of the highest trafficked banking and luxury watch industries and plan to continue this research to include many more industries in the near future. Click here for the banking industry report and here for the luxury watch industry reportand stay tuned to see more reports like these in the future.
Ultimate Guide to Web Accessibility E-Book
Our E-book presents web developers, website owners, accessibility advocates, and all web accessibility stakeholders with an everyday resource to navigate web accessibility requirements. Anyone offering an online service can use this document to ensure they currently comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0. We present the basics of what you need to know about web accessibility, how to avoid an accessibility lawsuit, the most common issues to avoid, and how to make sure your site is ADA compliant. Check it out HERE!
