The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a United States civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public. The purpose of the law is to make sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. It guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities regarding public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications.
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are internationally-adopted standards developed and published by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), in collaboration with individuals, governments and organizations around the globe. The goal of these recommendations is providing a single shared standard to make internet content and digital assets more accessible, primarily for people with disabilities that impact their online experience. The basis of these guidelines are four principles which form the acronym “POUR:” Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust.
By Erin Ayers, Advisen Website accessibility claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) are rising as commerce shifts online but businesses can take proactive measures to avoid accessibility claims. “We’ve seen a huge uptick in litigation in this area, more than in other privacy areas,” said Kara L. Hilburger, attorney and privacy compliance leader at Beckage Law during a recent webinar. Title III of the ADA prohibits restrictions on disabled individuals’ access to places of public accommodation.