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Supreme Court Lets Lower Courts Decide Whether ADA Protections Apply to Business Websites

Given the recent ruling by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals holding that the ADA protects access not just to brick an mortar business establishments where goods and services are sold, but also to the websites and apps of those businesses, web accessibility is no longer optional. (The Supreme Court has left that up to the lower courts, so far). If your website isn’t already accessible—so people with disabilities of hearing, movement, sight, and cognitive ability can use it— making it accessible is essential in your 2022 digital strategy and beyond.

If your business falls under the physical ADA law such as stores, restaurants, hotels, movie theaters, museums, and doctor’s offices, etc. It now falls under the website accessibility law as an extension of the business.

All businesses with 15 and more employees!

All other businesses currently fall under the Human Rights Act, which stipulates any person deserves access to public venues, and all websites are public. So even if you're a sole proprietor in the service sector, you can easily get sued.

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Text Reader

The text reader is a built in widget that reads only textual content(s) in the document. The tool addresses users who have difficulty reading various textual content(s) and users with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). By using text reader, the user can control the reading flow using the mouse and/ or keyboard. Moreover, the user has full control of the reading rate and sound pitch of the reader widget.

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Keyboard Navigation

Many users with motor disabilities have difficulty using a mouse; and blind or visual impaired users routinely use keyboard navigation. The Keyboard Navigation function meets the WCAG 2.0 standard requirements and provides full accessibility enabling users to navigate through pages using the keyboard alone.

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Blinks Blocking

This tool is for users who are susceptible to seizures caused by strobing, flickering, or flashing effects as well as users with learning disabilities. The Blinks Blocking tool eliminates any graphics, news-tickers, marquees, galleries, auto-play, or other animations which may be distracting or cause a photo-epileptic seizure to occur.

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Monochrome, Dark High Contrast, Bright High Contrast

In accordance to the WCAG 2.0 guidelines, this tool provides 3 different contrast display options that enable changing the text and background color so that it can be easily read by a user with a visual impairment.

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Accessibility Toolbar Additional Functions:

Increase Font Size, Decrease Font Size, Readable Font.
This tool package allows users with low visual impairments the option to increase or decrease text size or to select a basic, simple, easily-readable font without the loss of readability or functionality.

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Image Descriptions

Images and graphics make the surrounding content easier to understand. The WCAG 2.0 states that all non-text content should have a text alternative that provides an equivalent meaning as the image. The image description tool follows section 1.4.5 of the WCAG Success criterion to make sure that image information is displayed prominently and the intended concept or meaning of the image is made clear to the users.
Other functionalities to improve usability for low vision users includes: a large white cursor, large black cursor, links and header highlighters.

These suite of accessibility tools, all packaged in one easy-to-install widget, that we call the uEqual widget, meets the WCAG 2.0 specified conformance level "Triple - A" guidelines.