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Accessibility is a legal requirement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Having an accessible and inclusive website offers increased traffic, eligibility for tax credits, and minimizes the risks of legal ramifications.
Meet legal requirements & reduce risk of lawsuit
Accessible websites enjoy increased traffic, reduced bounce rates, improved SEO rankings, and better conversion rates
Optimize your website’s reach by making it accessible to the 15% of the population who lives with a disability
Tax credits are available to business owners that invest in accessibility
Without an accessible website, you face the risk of litigation, which could cost you up to $30,000 in a settlement, as well as valuable time and energy that could be spent on your business operations. You’re also missing out on an underserved and extremely loyal consumer market, and your website could be lacking the user experience needed to enhance search visibility and its overall performance. Implementing web accessibility, most importantly, is the right thing to do, and neglecting it could result in potential reputational damage.
What is web accessiblity?
Web accessibility refers to making websites usable for people with disabilities. It involves designing and developing websites in a way that people with disabilities, such as those with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive impairments, can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the website and its content.
Web accessibility ensures that everyone has equal access to information and services on the web, regardless of their abilities. This includes individuals who use assistive technologies, such as screen readers, to access the web.
Why should I care?
Beyond the ethical responsibility to open your doors to every segment of society, there is now a significant financial risk associated with ignoring this issue. ADA lawsuits are time-consuming, stressful, and costly. The flip side of this issue is that a business opportunity is embedded within making your website accessible. People with disabilities and their families comprise an $8T market that you immediately tap into. Making your website accessible increases your traffic and improves your performance, and allows you to add a layer of competitive advantage over almost all your competitors.
Why now? Can I just wait until it becomes a problem
Like SSL, PCI, and a Privacy Policy, compliance is a business must.
Litigation over web accessibility shows no sign of slowing down. 2022 broke the record for ADA lawsuits and demand letters; 3,250 lawsuits were filed, representing only 3% of demand letters, as 97% are settled before trial. This means that more than 100,00 business owners received demand letters in 2022 for having inaccessible websites. The consequences are significant – settlements can cost $10K – 35K, then add legal fees. After this consideration, $490 a year reduces the cost to offset the risk of a $20,000 lawsuit, expensive legal fees, stressful litigation process, and the reputational damage associated with being accused of excluding the community of people with disabilities.
What legal requirements does this cover?
By using a web accessibility widget, your website can become compliant in minutes.
Legal Requirements Covered:
- ADA Title III
- WCAG 2.1
- Section 508
- ACA/AODA
- EAA/EN 31549
- IS 5568 Compliance
What is the ADA Tax Credit?
The tax credit, listed under Section 44 of the IRS Code, covers 50% of the eligible access expenditures made during the previous tax year, with a maximum expenditure limit of $10,250. There is no credit for the first $250 of the expenditures, and so, it is subtracted accordingly. Therefore, the highest amount of credit a business can receive is $5,000.
For example, let’s say a business spends $490 on the accessiBe widget (annual accessibility fee). We would subtract $250 from that, which leaves $240. The business is then receiving 50% of what’s left, which equals $120 in credit. This means that a business would only be paying $370 a year for accessiBe.
Who is eligible to apply?
1. Any business that generated $1,000,000 or less during the year before filing.
2. Any business that employs 30 or fewer full-time employees in the previous tax year.
How to apply?
If your business fits one of these two qualifications, the next step is to fill out form 8826, which you can find on the IRS website, and attach it to your yearly tax return.
Does this affect me?
Companies of all sizes are being impacted. The size of a company doesn’t matter. Plaintiffs go after every business size entirely indiscriminately. We witness this daily. Smaller businesses are more often targeted because they lack the resources to fight these threats and are quicker to settle out of court because litigation is too expensive.
Why haven't I heard about it before?
Legislation and the resulting litigation are relatively new phenomena, so most business owners are unaware of the requirement to make their websites accessible to people with disabilities.
Isn't my site accessible already?
It’s important to understand that even if your site was built with some accessibility features, the moment a change is made, it may no longer be accessible. Adding to the scope of accessibility is a different investment and adds more features so people can easily make adjustments that are right for them.
What is the cost to get my website compliant?
The $490/year price includes installation, ongoing maintenance, an accessibility statement, monthly compliance audits, and accessiBe’s litigation support package.
Why should I go through StraussTech?
As an accessiBe Partner, we’ve got you covered. We pride ourselves on being more than just a service provider. We’re your allies in ensuring web accessibility. From the moment of your initial audit to the day your widget goes live, consider us your go-to for all things ADA compliance. Together, we’re making the digital web a space for everyone.
Phone: (435) 565-1263
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