ADA Compliance Levels for Websites

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that all electronic and information technology, like websites, be accessible to people with disabilities, including visual, auditory, and other physical limitations​. Non-compliance can lead to hefty ADA website compliance lawsuits, significant financial penalties, and a tarnished brand reputation.

The Three Levels of ADA Compliance: A, AA, AAA

Here’s an overview of the ADA compliance levels for websites and why they are crucial for your business.

1. Level A (Minimum Level): This is the basic level of web accessibility. It covers the most simple and widely applicable accessibility features, such as providing text alternatives for non-text content and ensuring all functionalities are available from a keyboard​​.
2. Level AA (Mid-Range): This level deals with the major and most common barriers for disabled users. It includes all Level A requirements plus features like color contrast, text resizing, and error suggestion and prevention. Most organizations aim to comply with this level as it addresses the main accessibility issues that people with disabilities face.
3. Level AAA (Highest Level): This is the most stringent level of compliance, covering a broad range of accessibility issues. Although achieving Level AAA compliance is not always practical, it ensures the highest level of web accessibility. It includes all Level A and AA criteria plus more complex features like sign language interpretation for videos and more detailed accessibility guidance​​.

Deeper Dive into Level A Compliance

Level A compliance represents the foundational layer of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and sets the minimum standards websites should meet to be accessible to individuals with disabilities. Here’s a detailed look at Level A  ADA compliance and how it shapes a more accessible web environment.

Text Alternatives for Non-Text Content

One of the primary requirements at this level is providing text alternatives for all non-text content, ensuring that information conveyed by images, videos, and other visual media is accessible to individuals using assistive technologies like screen readers. Examples include:

• Alt text for images: Descriptive text that explains the content and function of images. Be sure to follow the ADA alt text best practices.
• Transcripts for videos: Text versions of the audio content that include spoken words and other auditory cues necessary for understanding.

Audio and Video Alternatives

For media that is purely audio or purely video (without audio), Level A requires alternatives that make the same content accessible in different sensory modalities:

• Video-only content: A text or audio alternative must provide equivalent information.
• Audio-only content: A text transcript or video must include sign language interpretation.

Keyboard Accessibility

All website functionalities must be operable through a keyboard interface without requiring specific timings for individual keystrokes, allowing users with mobility impairments who cannot use a mouse to navigate and interact with the site effectively.

Accessible to All

Ensure all content can be accessed without sensory abilities like sight or sound, including ensuring that information isn’t conveyed solely through color, shape, size, visual location, orientation, or sound.

Use of Color

Information conveyed with color must also be available without color, either through context or markup. For instance, if a form validation process uses red to signify errors, the error message should contain text explaining the error, not just the red color.

Clear and Simple Language

Under Level A compliance, the use of the simplest language and content structure possible is encouraged, aiding individuals with cognitive limitations in understanding the content without undue complexity.

Control of Time Limits

If the site has time-limited content or interactions, users must be able to turn off, adjust, or extend the time limits unless they are essential to the website’s functionality or required by real-time events.

Avoidance of Seizure-Inducing Content

Web pages do not contain anything that flashes more than three times in any one second period, minimizing the risk of seizures from flashing or blinking content.

Navigable Pages

Web pages must have titles that describe the topic or purpose, which aids in navigation and orientation. Additionally, if a webpage has a sequence of steps or requires navigation, the components must be accessible logically through assistive technologies.

Level A compliance is the gateway to making web content accessible, setting the stage for more comprehensive accessibility measures in Levels AA and AAA. While it provides the minimum standard, adhering to Level A is crucial for ensuring that individuals with disabilities can begin to engage with web content more fully.

Deeper Dive into Level AA Compliance

Level AA compliance extends the accessibility standards set by Level A. Importantly, Level AA includes all the requirements of Level A and adds further specifications to improve accessibility. Here’s a detailed exploration of Level AA’s key enhancements to web accessibility.

Enhanced Color Contrast

Level AA significantly ups the ante on visual accessibility by requiring a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text, compared to Level A, which does not specify contrast ratios, ensuring text is more readable for users with visual impairments, such as those with low vision or color blindness.

Text Resizing

While Level A requires that all text be readable and accessible through assistive technologies, Level AA mandates that text must be resizable up to 200% without loss of content or functionality. This feature supports users with visual impairments who require larger fonts to read effectively without relying on assistive technology.

Navigation Aids

Level AA focuses on improving navigational aids beyond the basic keyboard navigability required by Level A:

• Multiple ways to locate pages: Provide a variety of ways to discover pages on your website, including features like sitemaps, search functions, or navigation links to help users find content more efficiently.
• Descriptive headings and labels: These must be more informative, aiding content discovery and understanding.
• Visible focus: It mandates that any interactive element must have a visible keyboard focus indicator, which is not specified under Level A.

Language of Parts

This requirement goes beyond Level A by ensuring that any change in the language of content is clearly marked. This helps speech synthesis tools (used by visually impaired users) to pronounce words correctly, enhancing the comprehensibility of multilingual content.

Error Identification and Suggestions

While Level A requires basic error identification, Level AA requires that errors be described to the user in text and, where appropriate, suggestions for correction provided. This is especially beneficial for users with cognitive impairments or learning disabilities, as it helps them understand what errors have occurred and how to correct them.

Consistent Navigation

Level AA requires consistent navigation mechanisms across multiple pages, which helps users with cognitive disabilities and those unfamiliar with the site to navigate more predictably and efficiently.

Live Audio Content

Captions for live audio content are a specific requirement under Level AA, catering to deaf or hard-of-hearing users. This requirement is crucial for accessibility in real-time audio and video presentations.

By incorporating and building upon the foundations laid by Level A, Level AA compliance provides a more inclusive web environment that addresses a wider range of accessibility issues. It is designed to make websites usable for people with a broader spectrum of disabilities, significantly enhancing the user experience.

Deeper Dive into Level AAA Compliance

Level AAA compliance represents the highest standard set by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). It encompasses all the requirements of Levels A and AA and introduces more stringent criteria aimed at providing the optimal level of accessibility for a wide range of disabilities. This level is typically aimed at organizations that wish to go above and beyond basic legal compliance, focusing on enhancing accessibility to the greatest extent possible. Here’s a closer look at the additional requirements of Level AAA compliance and how they significantly enhance web accessibility:

Enhanced Contrast

Level AAA requires a contrast ratio of at least 7:1 for normal text and 4.5:1 for large text, increasing from the 4.5:1 and 3:1 ratios required at Level AA. This higher standard makes text even more legible for users with severe visual impairments.

More Comprehensive Text Alternatives

At Level AAA, text alternatives must provide a more detailed description of the content. Where possible, extended text alternatives are provided, including more context, background, and explanations than typically required at Levels A and AA, offering deeper insights for those who rely on assistive technologies.

Sign Language Interpretation for Videos

Level AAA mandates sign language interpretations for all pre-recorded audio content in synchronized media, which goes beyond captions and provides access for users who are deaf and use sign language as their primary form of communication.

Live Audio Content

For live audio content, Level AAA requires not only captions (as specified in Level AA) but also sign language interpretation, making live events and presentations accessible in real-time to users who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Detailed Navigation Assistance

Level AAA enhances navigational assistance by requiring more detailed mechanisms to help users understand and navigate content:

• Context-sensitive help: Providing help specific to the content and tasks on a webpage.
• Enhanced site maps and search functionality: Offering comprehensive tools for users to find content and navigate the site more effectively.

Full Keyboard Accessibility

Beyond the basic keyboard accessibility required at Level A and visible focus at Level AA, Level AAA ensures that all content functionality is operable through a keyboard interface without any specific timing for individual keystrokes, including through extended sessions.

No Background Audio

Level AAA stipulates that background audio should be absent or turned off to ensure that it does not interfere with the ability to hear foreground audio, which is particularly important for users with auditory disabilities.

Enhanced Readability

This level involves guidelines to enhance readability and comprehension for all users, including those with cognitive disabilities:

• Simplified language and layout: Using the simplest language and content structures possible.
• Explanations of abbreviations and jargon: Providing definitions or expanded forms of abbreviations and jargon upon their first use or via an accessible glossary.

Level AAA compliance is considered the gold standard in web accessibility, designed to cater to the broadest range of needs. While not all content can realistically achieve Level AAA compliance due to its stringent requirements, aiming for this level, where possible, can significantly enhance the accessibility and usability of a website.

Why Strive for High ADA Compliance?

• Legal Compliance: ADA Title III, which covers public accommodations, mandates that websites be accessible, thus minimizing legal risks​.
• Broader Reach: By making your website accessible, you tap into a wider audience, including the millions of people with disabilities.
• Improved User Experience: Accessible websites are often easier to navigate and use, enhancing the overall user experience for all visitors.
• SEO Benefits: Accessible websites tend to rank better in search engines since they provide a better user experience and meet web standards​.

3 Steps to Ensure ADA Compliance

1. Perform a Web Accessibility Audit: Begin with an automated review using an ADA compliance scanning tool to identify easy-to-spot issues, then move to manual testing by accessibility developers to cover complex compliance needs.
2. Regular Updates and Testing: Accessibility is not a one-time task but an ongoing commitment. Regularly update and test your website to ensure continuous compliance​​.
3. Consult the WCAG Guidelines: The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are recognized internationally and outline specific criteria to make web content accessible to a broader range of people with disabilities​​.

Get Help From Oyova

Navigating the complexities of ADA compliance levels—A, AA, and AAA—can be challenging for any organization striving to enhance web accessibility. Each level builds upon the last, progressively enhancing accessibility features to accommodate a broader range of disabilities and provide a more inclusive digital environment.

At Oyova, we understand the critical importance of ensuring that your digital platforms are compliant with the latest ADA standards and accessible to all users, regardless of their abilities. Our team offers comprehensive ADA compliance audits and remediation services to meet your needs. Whether you are just starting on your accessibility journey or looking to elevate your website to meet higher compliance levels, Oyova aims to guide you every step of the way. Contact us today to get started.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as legal advice. The contents of this blog may not reflect the most current legal standards or interpretations. For specific legal advice regarding ADA compliance or other legal issues, please consult with a qualified attorney. Oyova does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information on this site and is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information.