There has been a lot of information online recently about making websites ADA compliant.  We have received many questions from our clients about the new ADA compliance guidelines and what they need to do about it.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 is the reason we have things like disabled parking requirements, service counter height levels,  and wheelchair ramp mandates in building codes. Ultimately, the ADA was passed to protect disabled individuals from discrimination.

In 2010, the US Department of Justice issued an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking stating that the ADA regulations also would apply to websites.

However, On December 26, 2017, the Department of Justice announced that it withdrew the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would require ADA website compliance.

In February 2018, Congress also passed the ADA Education and Reform Act, a bill designed to make it more difficult for disabled Americans to sue businesses for discrimination.  While the ADA still acknowledges that certain businesses must make all communications handicap accessible, the timeframe and guidelines are still in a grey area, so to speak.

So, here is the answer to the initial question, “Are you required to make your website ADA compliant?”

A final ruling is expected sometime in 2018.  We are advising our clients to wait until this final ruling to determine the steps necessary to comply.  At that time, we will update this blog and communicate all of the requirements and next steps to ensure you are operating within federal ADA guidelines.

If you have any questions in the meantime, don’t hesitate to email us at info@whiteboard-mktg.com.  We would be happy to review your website and make general recommendations.