Does my organization need to comply with DOJ Title II of the ADA?

A web accessibility audit is when trained professionals review your website and its content for situations where the WCAG standard is not being met. They will normally provide a prioritized recommendations list after to help know where to start.

They will typically review the code, the design, and the content to ensure the WCAG standards of “POUR” are met:

• Perceivable Content: All digital content must be available to all, including people using screen readers of other assistive devices. Digital content includes images and alt text, videos, charts and graphs, infographics, data visualizations, images, videos, infographics, and more.
• Operable Navigation: People must be able to navigate the site using the only the keyboard. Many assistive devices are designed for people in a way that they can avoid having to use a mouse.For example, a person should be able to easily navigate the site content on a screen reader using only the tab key and the return key.
• Understandable Content: Making content understandable includes both the user interface design as well as the words used. Content should be straightforward and intuitive in how it’s accessed. That means consistent navigation and use of best practices and common design patterns such as text links being underlined. It also means ensureing the PDFs and videos are accessible, for example. It should be easy to read and understand — avoiding jargon and lingo, and using about a 9th grade reading level (with some exceptions dependant on the audience).
• Robust Compatibility: The entire website and its content should work effectively with a broad range of devices and tools. Different people use different tools. Some people use multiple tools or devices and others just use one. Each person should be able to engage with your site and its content with ease.

Website remediation for accessibility begins with the recommendations list from the audit. Trained accessibility experts will make changes to the code, the design, and the content as needed, to achieve the required WCAG standard. Remediation can be expensive, depending on the state of your current site. Sometimes a complete redesign may be a better option.

If you don’t train your staff to create content in an accessible manner, your site will eventually no longer be accessible again and you will need to ionce again get an audit and remediation. By training your staff on things like how to write alt text well, or how to judge appropriate color contrast, you can keep your site accessible over a longer period of time. Building acccessibility into your standard processes is the best approach for maintinaing an accessible website.

Even if your staff is trained to perfectly create accessible content every time, website technology is always changing and being updated. The accessibility standard also change over time. By conducting a regular accessibility audit (and potential remediation) with professionals, you can better ensure that your site and its content remain accessible to all.