When most people think about ADA compliance, they think about accessible parking spaces, wheelchair ramps, or automatic doors, But accessibility extends far beyond the physical world—it applies to your website, too. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), businesses are expected to ensure that their digital spaces are usable by everyone, including people with visual, auditory, and cognitive disabilities.
For business owners, ADA compliance isn’t just about avoiding lawsuits; it’s also about creating a better experience for your audience and improving your visibility online. An accessible site is easier for both people and search engines to navigate, which can give you a competitive edge in search rankings.
An accessible website doesn’t just keep you compliant; it makes your site easier to find, easier to use, and easier to trust.
What Is ADA Compliance for Websites?
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a civil rights law designed to protect individuals with disabilities from discrimination in everyday life—including access to goods and services online.
For websites, ADA compliance means ensuring that people with disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with your site without barriers. This typically involves following the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which outline standards like:
- Providing alt text for images
- Using proper heading hierarchy for content structure
- Ensuring color contrast for readability
- Offering keyboard-friendly navigation
- Including captions and transcripts for video and audio
Is ADA Compliance Mandatory for Websites?
In 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a landmark law guaranteeing accessibility and protecting the civil rights of people with disabilities. It is structured into five different titles and two are key when it comes to running a digital business or a website.
- Title I: Employment
- Title II: Public Services and Transportation
- Title III: Public Accommodations
- Title IV: Telecommunications
- Title V: Miscellaneous Provisions
ADA Title III and Website Accessibility
In 2018, the Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed that websites are considered places of public accommodation under ADA Title III. This means that if your business has a public-facing website, it must be accessible to people with disabilities.
ADA Title III applies to a wide range of privately operated businesses that are open to the public, including:
- Hotels and motels
- Restaurants, bars, and other places serving food or drink
- Theaters, auditoriums, and entertainment venues
- Retail stores and shopping centers
- Service providers (e.g., hospitals, doctors’ offices, dry cleaners, insurance agencies, lawyers)
- Public transportation stations
- Museums and galleries
- Recreational facilities
- Educational institutions (private schools and colleges)
- Social service centers (e.g., daycares, food banks, homeless shelters)
- Exercise and fitness facilities (e.g., gyms, bowling alleys, golf courses)
While the DOJ hasn’t established strict technical requirements for accessibility, it references the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) as the primary benchmark for compliance. WCAG provides a widely accepted framework for making websites usable and accessible for everyone.
Lawsuits for noncompliance are on the rise, and settlements can cost thousands. Following accessibility best practices protects you now and positions you for the future.
Why ADA Compliance is Important for Your Website
Making your website ADA-compliant isn’t just about avoiding legal trouble. It also improves user experience, boosts your SEO, and builds trust with your audience.
Reduce Legal Risks
Accessibility-related lawsuits are increasing every year, especially against businesses in industries where digital access is essential. Taking steps toward compliance now protects your business from costly litigation and reputational harm.
Improve SEO and Visibility
ADA compliance and SEO overlap more than most people realize:
- Alt text and descriptive headings improve search rankings.
- Clear descriptive anchor text on internal links helps users and search engines understand where the link is taking them next (versus “learn more” or “click here”)
- Accessible websites tend to load faster and perform better on mobile, both Google ranking factors.
- Search engines prioritize user experience, and accessibility directly supports that.
In other words, optimizing for accessibility often means optimizing for Google, too.
Enhance User Experience and Conversions
Making your website accessible doesn’t just support users with disabilities—it creates a better experience for everyone. A clear content structure makes your pages easier to scan and read, improved color contrast reduces eye strain, and simplified navigation keeps visitors from getting frustrated and bouncing. The result? People stay on your site longer, engage more with your content, and are far more likely to convert.
Which Industries Face the Highest Legal Risks
Some industries are more vulnerable to ADA lawsuits than others. If you operate in one of these sectors, prioritizing accessibility is especially critical.
Government and Public Services
Government agencies and contractors must comply with Section 508 and ADA Title II, making accessibility legally non-negotiable.
Education
Universities, K-12 schools, and online learning platforms have faced a surge of lawsuits over inaccessible course content and enrollment systems.
Healthcare
Hospitals, clinics, and telehealth providers are under increasing scrutiny. Patient portals, online forms, and appointment scheduling must be fully accessible.
Financial Services
Banks, credit unions, and fintech companies are frequent targets. Customers must be able to manage accounts, make payments, and access disclosures without barriers.
Retail and Ecommerce
Online shopping lawsuits are climbing. Brands can face lawsuits if product descriptions, checkout flows, and navigation aren’t accessible.
If your website plays a role in providing essential services, you should treat ADA compliance as a business necessity.
How SEO and ADA Compliance Work Together
Accessibility and SEO share the same ultimate goal: creating a better experience for users, and optimizing for one naturally supports the other.
Google’s algorithm rewards websites that are clear, intuitive, and easy to navigate. ADA-compliant websites check all those boxes, which can improve your rankings and visibility. By optimizing your site for assistive technologies like screen readers, you’re also setting yourself up for better performance in voice search results, which are becoming increasingly important with search behavior changes.
ADA Compliance Website Examples and Cases
Here are a few organizations that have either chosen to or been forced to meet standards for accessible, SEO-friendly design:
- U.S. Department of Labor — Fully WCAG-compliant with clear navigation and structured data. The site is compatible with screen readers and has clear color contrast.
- University of Washington — Undergoing a large initiative to make all pages on their website accessible by August 2026.
- Target — This retail leader that rebuilt its ecommerce platform to support ADA compliance after a landmark lawsuit in 2006.
These examples show that accessibility doesn’t have to come at the cost of design or functionality. In fact, making your website accessible improves both.
How to Make Your Website ADA Compliant
If you’re unsure where to start, here are key steps to improve accessibility:
- Add alt text to all images
- Use a logical heading structure for content (H1, H2, H3)
- Ensure high color contrast for text and backgrounds
- Make forms and menus keyboard-accessible
- Include captions and transcripts for video and audio content
- Use descriptive or helpful anchor text to point to the next page when you link a URL
- Test your site with free accessibility tools like WAVE, Axe, or Lighthouse – but the best way to finish your test is manual review by an expert.
A great website compliance checklist can be found on accessiBe’s website. For the full resource on compliance, visit the wcag website.
Accessibility and SEO Go Hand in Hand
By making your website accessible, you’re not only protecting your business but also improving your search visibility, creating a better user experience, and building trust with your audience. An accessible website doesn’t just keep you compliant; it makes your business more discoverable, usable, and profitable.
Not sure if your website meets ADA compliance standards? Wonder if you’re missing out on SEO opportunities? Book a free consultation with Well Optimized, and we’ll walk you through our audit process to help improve your website’s accessibility and SEO.
