Making your digital assets accessible involves a commitment on your part.

There are 50 WCAG success criteria (i.e., a checklist of 50 to-do’s) that are highly recommended for web accessibility.

Sometimes checking off a WCAG success criteria is simple and easy and other times it may be arduous and time-consuming (it depends on the asset).

But what is doable if you don’t have the skills of a web designer or web developer?

DIY WCAG Success Criteria

I have designated the following 11 success criteria as directly applicable for the primary role of content editor (i.e., …

In a scathing statement condemning Accessibe released on Thursday, June 24, the National Federation for the Blind (NFB) had this to say:

“The Board believes that accessiBe currently engages in behavior that is harmful to the advancement of blind people in society.

“In particular, it is the opinion of the Board that accessiBe peremptorily and scornfully dismisses the concerns blind people have about its products and its approach to accessibility.

“The Board is deeply concerned that the company treats blind access technology experts shabbily and disrespectfully in private meetings and disparages the blind in the press and their other communications.

…

There are several hidden and non-hidden layers to buying digital accessibility services.

In this article, I’ll provide you all of the key elements to be aware of when researching a company to help you with your website’s (or app’s) accessibility.

Overlays

First, you need to be aware that overlay widgets are a waste of money — they do nothing and can actually make the experience worse for your audience.

You probably had the notion of “too good to be true” when you were being sold instant accessibility and compliance for $0–$99/month but now I’m verifying it.

Overlays that are sold as…

A noteworthy decision was passed down on April 7, 2021 from the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit:

“Absent congressional action that broadens the definition of “places of public accommodation” to include websites, we cannot extend ADA liability to the facts presented to us here, where there is no barrier to the access demanded by the statute.”

This decision overturns the trial court’s ruling that Winn-Dixie’s website violated the ADA because the website had accessibility deficiencies.

For those keeping score at home, Gil v. Winn-Dixie was the first federal website accessibility case to be decided on the…

What do you name the accessibility page that you link to in the footer of your website?

Do you call it an accessibility statement or should you go with accessibility policy?

The police aren’t coming to your door if you choose the wrong one, but we both know why we’re in this saloon (details and a shot of OCD).

The W3C (creators of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) use a statement but as this topic falls within the legal best practices realm, I’d prefer to align with the Department of Justice’s stance.

For those of you keeping score at home…

As I was extracting data from October, November, and December 2020 lawsuits, I noticed an uptick in mobile app lawsuits — and not just from a single law firm but from a scattered few.

Law Firms

• Law Office of Duran
• Shaked Law Group
• East End Trial Group
• Leal Law Firm
• Acacia Barrows Law Firm

Claims Made

Every lawsuit I came across contained some variation of the app not being compatible with Apple’s VoiceOver screen reader.

Here are some specific claims:

• missing alt text
• redundant descriptions
• mislabeled elements
• touch target too small

What To Do

As of 2021 — and especially when it comes to mobile accessibility —…

The Accessibility Conformance Report or ACR is a completed VPAT® + all the essential information about the report itself.

The difference between VPAT and ACR is the source of moderate confusion so let’s unpack everything.

The Voluntary Product Accessibility Template or VPAT is just that — a blank template that can be filled out to account for a product or service’s state of accessibility.

An ACR is a completed VPAT (i.e., the blank template is filled out) along with all of the other details in the report.

In the marketplace, the term VPAT dominates, even though it’s usage is technically…

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 mandates recipients of assistance from the federal government not discriminate on the basis of disability.

Thus, organizations who receive federal funding may not exclude or deny individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in or have access to program benefits and services.

Who does Section 504 typically affect?

• universities / colleges
• educational institutions
• public and private schools (who receive funding)
• hospitals
• nursing homes
• mental health centers

Federal funding can include financial aid, grants, and other government monies extended as financial assistance to an organization.

Non-profit associations and organizations who receive federal…