Learn about how ADA compliance affects ecommerce websites with this webinar featuring Accessible360's Michele Landis sponsored by Forix.
 

Most people are familiar with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as it pertains to physical storefronts. When it comes to Magento ADA compliant sites, the rules still apply. According to ADA regulations, websites need to be accessible by people of all abilities. Many big-name businesses have faced lawsuits for not taking steps toward ADA accessibility.

Cornell University reports the latest disability statistics available from 2016. At the time, 12.8% of the population in the United States reported a disability. It is important to consider the needs of this group when thinking about the features Magento website accessibility can provide.

 

Get Help With ADA Compliance

Need help getting your Magento website Level A and Level AA compliant to WCAG standards? Forix can help, get in touch or give us a call today 1-(800)-818-2361.

 

The Benefits of Magento ADA compliant Sites

 

A business can only benefit from having a Magento ADA compliant eCommerce website that is accessible to everyone. It opens new possibilities for your audience. Your business may be missing out on customers who are looking for your eCommerce product or service. If they can’t access your website and your products, they can’t purchase or use them. The amount of frustration that accompanies inaccessibility might turn them off to your products for the future as well. Once the trust is gone, users will not typically return for a future purchase.

 

The principles that define Magento website accessibility can turn your business into a valuable resource for everyone. Forix can check to make sure your website is in compliance with all ADA accessibility standards.

 

Watch Our ADA Compliance Webinar

Due to popular demand for information on ADA Compliance, Forix was proud to sponsor an online webinar featuring Michele Landis, Co-Founder of Accessible360. Watch the webinar below (1 hr 8 mins).
 

 

SEO Benefits

 

Search engines like Google and Bing reward ADA compliant eCommerce websites that offer ADA accessibility options. They receive higher rankings on the list of search results when the search engine spiders crawl the page. Adding Magento ADA compliant options like alternate text for your images, using text and audio descriptions for videos, and adding captions for videos let screen readers know what is on the page, giving more people access to your content. Other SEO options include descriptive H1 headings, keyword-relevant titles, and transcribing audio files. Better ADA SEO means more traffic traveling to and being able to use your website.

 

Benefits Your Brand

 

Brands that feature accessibility have a better reputation among their customers. In a world where there are many competitors, it pays to offer your customers as many ways to access your content and your products as possible. When customers can’t access what you have to offer, they turn to other places to purchase competitors’ products. Accessibility gives them a reason to stay, and to return. Magento website accessibility means developers at Forix can audit for ADA compliance to ensure your website is up to date.

 

Avoid a Lawsuit

 

Many businesses don’t realize ADA laws extend to their online presence. More than 1,000 lawsuits were filed over ADA website compliance in 2018, already outnumbering the cases filed in 2017. By making accessibility changes to your website and identifying the affected areas with the help of Forix’s team, you can avoid a lawsuit of your own.

 

It is incredibly hard for Americans with disabilities to get information and products online when they can’t access an online storefront. Forix can help you implement these accessibility changes in accordance with ADA standards.

 

 

Accessibility Technology

 

Magento ADA compliant technology allows more of the population to access online information on eCommerce websites. Forix’s Magento development team can design a website that is accessible to everyone. These are some of the most common accessibility technologies for ADA website compliance in 2018:

 

  • Screen reader. This is an accessibility technology used by those who are blind, have low vision, read poorly, or have a learning disability. It uses text-to-speech technology, sound icons, and even Braille devices to convey information on the screen to those who can’t see it or read it. They are popular and work well to translate text on the screen but won’t work for images and visual content. The most widely used devices include JAWS, Dolphin Supernova, and Window Eyes.

 

  • Text enlargement software. The software allows those with some vision to expand the size of the text displayed on an ADA compliant website. Installed directly on the computer’s hard drive, or located on the network, users activate or deactivate as needed.

 

  • Identification card systems. In public terminals such as library computers and ATMs, identification card systems help a user automatically adjust the display to their individual needs. This technology allows any ADA compliant website to read the data on the card, changing the accessibility settings automatically for that user’s specific needs.

 

  • Large print keyboards. These keyboards help users control the text displayed on an ADA compliant website, while making it easier for users to type with the keyboard.

 

  • Tactile keyboards. Such keyboards use touch to let users with low or no eyesight differentiate keys. They typically use bump dots on the surface of the keys, similar to Braille. This tactile experience uses the sense of touch instead of sight, making it easier for some users to type for an ADA compliant website.

 

Magento ADA compliant technologies help a larger population access eCommerce website content. Accessibility is important to keep in mind when designing your Magento website. Forix follows the ADA compliance website checklist to help you make the necessary adjustments to your design and ensuring ADA compliance for your website.

 

Contact Forix for an ADA compliant Website Design

 

Forix can help your Magento website become accessible to more users. The team at Forix will take the ADA compliance website checklist into consideration when designing a site with ADA compliance in mind. By providing this accessibility service to our clients, we ensure that your Magento ADA compliant website will be available to everyone. Contact Forix today to see how we can help take your website to the next level by implementing accessibility features for the latest advances on your Magento website.

 

What Clients Are Saying About Us – Forix Reviews

“The great thing about Forix is that we can come to them with a challenge, or even a loosely defined goal, and they’ll figure out how to bring the right technology solution forward.”

 

 

Disclaimer: The content provided on this website is for commercial and educational purposes and is not legal advice or opinion and should not be relied upon as such. Forix does not make any claims to guarantee the accuracy or completeness of information contained on this site as all laws including ADA Compliance laws may change without notice at any given time. It is your responsibility to understand all laws and regulations applicable to you in regards to this.