adacompliancepros's blog

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal civil rights law that guards against discrimination against those with disabilities by offering them extensive protections in the employment, state and local government services, public accommodations, transportation, and telecommunications sectors. The four pillars of full involvement, equitable opportunity, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency are used to achieve this.

Allowing a person with a disability full involvement means making their environment accessible. Access to parking and public spaces is included in this. The concept of equal opportunity applies to how employers treat employees who have impairments. Non-discriminatory recruiting procedures are one illustration of this.

Independent living is the capacity of a person with a disability to carry out his or her daily tasks independently without requiring ongoing assistance. For those with visual impairments to read the text, for instance, common items could be printed in large print.

Economic self-sufficiency entails full employment of people with disabilities or their ability to get hired and not be dependent on any kind of government aid as their sole source of income.

Therefore, the goal of the ADA is to guarantee that those with disabilities have the same opportunities and rights as everyone else. The ADA is split into five parts or sections that address various facets of public life: employment; public services provided by both state and local governments; public accommodations and services provided by commercial entities; telecommunications; and miscellaneous provisions.

ADA Compliance

ADA compliance refers to adherence to the established criteria for accessible products and services. It encompasses the physical as well as all digital information and technology, including websites, being accessible to people with disabilities.

All employers with 15 or more employees must comply with the ADA, as must any company that serves the public interest, as well as state, local, and transportation facilities. Due to their exemption from ADA compliance, religious institutions, private clubs, and any locations under their control, including private schools and churches, are not subject to it.

Rearranging your furniture so that stepping through the spaces left makes it easier for someone with a vision disability to move around can be a simple ADA compliance measure. Additionally, it can entail doing ADA compliance testing for your websites that are visible to the public to make sure that they are accessible to those with disabilities.

Scope of ADA Compliance

The ADA covers a wider range of disabilities than only the physical ones. Additionally, it dictates that companies make reasonable accommodations for people who might have difficulty speaking, hearing, or seeing due to physical or mental impairments. Since all information and communication technology (ICT) must be accessible to individuals with impairments, the ADA was amended in 2010 to include criteria for their accessible design.

In that context, information and communication technology (ICT) refers to the Internet, wireless networks, mobile devices, computers, software, middleware, video conferencing, social networking, and other media applications and services that let users access, retrieve, store, transmit, and manipulate data in a digital format.

Therefore, when considering what is ADA compliant, one should establish if a business provides accommodations for people with all kinds of disabilities. This includes special protection for people who rely on service animals, such as granting them access to areas where other animals are typically not allowed.

What ADA Compliance Means

1. Avoidance of hefty penalties over noncompliance

Since the ADA is a legal requirement, any firm that does not comply—including with the ADA accessible design—risks severe fines from the government.The Department of Justice keeps an eye out to ensure that businesses comply with the ADA, from hiring practices to satisfying requirements for commercial venues. Someone may complain if they believe they have encountered an accessibility obstacle with your business, which could predispose the business to hefty fines. Businesses that violate the ADA may be fined up to $150,000.

1. Benefits to the business

According to estimates, the market segment for people with disabilities and the communities they belong to is worth $3 trillion. This is no mean market. Businesses that make a conscientious effort to be ADA compliant offer themselves the benefits that accrue from creating loyalty within this market segment.

With more businesses espousing the online platform, websites are becoming abuzz with business transaction activities. A website that is not ADA compliant prevents potential customers who have disabilities from accessing the goods and services offered through the website platform, which denies a business the opportunity to make more sales. An free ada compliance website checker can help a business to establish and fix any ADA compliance barriers the site has. ADA Compliance Pros, who are among the leading ADA compliance testing experts, offer detailed compliance advice to businesses as well as a free ADA compliance website checker.

1. Support for the aging population

Long gone are the days when people could view their peers with disabilities with an "us versus them" outlook. That is because present-day medical advancements mean that people are now living longer than previously. Living longer means that you could be predisposed to certain types of disabilities in your old age, which would push you into the segment of people with disabilities. It is therefore prudent to do for others what you would like done for you if you get challenged with a disability during your old age.

1. Tax write-offs and financial assistance

The ADA provides certain resources for businesses endeavoring to attain ADA compliance. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) provides the Disabled Access Credit to help offset some of the costs associated with meeting accessibility standards. This deduction can be up to $15,000 per year, which could be a huge help to a business.

Need help with ADA compliance?

ADA compliance means so many positive things for a business. You can learn more about these as well as professional ADA website checker services by clicking this link or calling (626) 486-2201 to get in touch with ADA Compliance Pros today.

What is SaaS marketing?

Software as a Service (SaaS) marketing is a method of increasing awareness and assisting in the sale of software. It aids in bringing a product to market, positioning it, and increasing awareness of the associated SaaS organization.

SaaS is a rapidly growing business model, with recent estimates estimating that the SaaS sector could be worth $650 billion by 2023. As a result, SaaS companies are thriving, as they are critical for product-led business growth.

When it comes to SaaS digital marketing, promises are more important than products. As a result, the solution provided should adequately persuade buyers to purchase them and ensure they meet the buyers' needs.

When it comes to SaaS digital marketing, it is all about promises rather than products. As a result, the solution provided should adequately persuade buyers to buy them and ensure they meet the buyers' needs.

Digital accessibility for SaaS marketing companies

While digital accessibility in healthcare is critical for all organizations, it is quickly becoming a "must-have" and a clear differentiator for SaaS marketing companies that want to do business with large global corporations and public sector customers.

Digital accessibility for SaaS refers to the art of ensuring that all employees, customers, and other technology users can access and use a company's SaaS products.

Because of the diversity of the teams that could be involved in SaaS marketing, as well as the mix of their clientele, which would most likely include people with various disabilities, digital accessibility for SaaS companies is thus essential.

When one begins working in the SaaS sector, it is important to realize that it is much broader than what is discussed, which is why the term "inclusion" is frequently used when describing what Digital Accessibility Ecommerce is all about. It is about bringing everyone in and making sure they have access. In a nutshell, digital accessibility entails cultivating an inclusive culture and ecosystem.

Why accessibility for SaaS marketing strategies

Here are some of the reasons why you should prioritize accessibility in your SaaS marketing strategies:

1. Accessibility makes your SaaS marketing strategies personal

Accessibility features and considerations are rapidly changing everyone's product and service user experiences. Keep in mind that, according to the law of averages, one out of every eight people you know will have a disability.

In fact, many people you know have disabilities, whether they are temporary, situational, or permanent. This should be reason enough to prioritize accessibility as well as personalization when developing marketing strategies for your products or services or considering web accessibility for SaaS.

1. Tremendous opportunity

Accessibility should be a top priority for SaaS companies because they strive for inclusivity. The global population of people with disabilities (15 percent of the global population) and their disposable incomes to spend on accessible products and services represents a significant opportunity for scaling product-led business growth.

Globally, there are over a billion people with disabilities. This is one of the world's largest minorities, and attempting to support them with accessibility interventions can open up new growth opportunities for any astute SaaS company. Accessibility, in addition to assisting people with disabilities with access, allows a business to tap into the over $8 trillion in disposable income that people with disabilities have globally.

1. Without accessibility, people with disabilities take their business elsewhere

According to reports, people with disabilities are very particular about accessibility. When they encounter poor accessibility, 80 percent of people with disabilities tend to take their business elsewhere. If you are a discerning SaaS marketing company, you will not lose this large percentage of clients by not prioritizing accessibility.

1. Reaping the benefits of Search Engine Optimization

When you incorporate accessibility into your SaaS marketing strategies, you can reap a slew of SEO benefits. When your SaaS marketing strategies aim to deliver the same information to your audience regardless of their level of disability, this has the potential to influence favorable SEO rankings for you. Search engines typically reward accessibility features such as header tags, video transcriptions, image alt text, descriptive link text, and structured content, among others.

Spice up the accessibility of your SaaS marketing strategies today!

ADA Compliance Pros can provide you the resources and expert advice you need to improve the accessibility of your SaaS marketing strategies. They assess your strategies professionally, and their accessibility conformance report for SaaS can help you stand out in your SaaS enterprise. You can contact them by clicking this link or calling (626) 486-2201.

Accessible banking

Accessible banking entails a commitment to the following:

• Providing a welcoming environment to all customers, regardless of disability; 
• Assistance for individuals with cognitive, hearing, speech, or vision impairments; 
• Audio-assisted ATMs in convenient and accessible locations; 
• An optimized web experience for bank account transactions that makes online and mobile banking easy for all customers to use; and 
• A commitment to making mobile and online banking easy for all customers to use and a dedicated ADA compliance-banking program that aids in the realization of digital accessibility commitments in banking.

Digital accessibility in banking

It is estimated that roughly three-quarters of all Americans (73 percent) have virtual access to their bank accounts. Because not all digital platforms are up to the task, approximately 27 percent of American adults with disabilities are unable to access their bank accounts virtually.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities by any organization that does business with the general public. Title III of the ADA requires banks to treat all customers equally, including those with and without disabilities. 

Making your website, apps, PDF documents, and other banking-related technologies accessible to people with disabilities are what ADA compliance banking entails.

Significant innovations spurring accessibility in banking

Banks and other financial institutions are increasingly emphasizing empathy and inclusion, and they are taking the time to learn about how their banking and financial products and services are perceived by people with disabilities. 

They see accessibility as something that must be woven into the fabric of their customer experience, across all channels of their operations, rather than as a final step in the manufacturing process.

Here are three significant innovations that are spearheading the evolution of accessible banking:

1. Advanced self-service banking using XTM machines

Banks are increasing banking accessibility by offering advanced banking services, specifically through sign language. A Turkish bank, for example, employs XTM machines that enable self-service transactions with representative assistance via video calls in sign language. XTM branches are located throughout Turkey and provide hearing-impaired people with ADA compliance banking as well as other financial ADA accessibility solutions, whether they are customers or not.

1. Enhancing flexibility, security, and usability through e-branches

Banks are increasingly designing banking products and services that are fully accessible to people with visual and hearing impairments, as well as those with mobility issues. For example, a bank in Greece has established e-branches with the goal of providing comfortable and accessible spaces that provide the benefits of Internet banking while simplifying the emerging common challenges.

The e-branches provide visually impaired customers with assistance from a representative as well as the ability to use Internet banking with voice support. It offers digital transactions with the assistance of sign language representatives. The e-branches also provide easily accessible machine heights, as well as guidance from representatives, making them ideal for people with mobility issues.

1. The digital interpreter tools

Customers who have difficulty communicating can use the digital interpreter tool to communicate with bank branch managers via video in sign language. Even if the branch manager does not know sign language, the tool provides 3D animation to help with communication.

This innovation improves the customer experience while also increasing the customer's privacy. This is because, traditionally, an interpreter would be used in such situations.

Get help with innovations to spur financial ADA accessibility

ADA Compliance Pros offers valuable insights into how to revolutionize your banking to provide ADA compliance banking. 

One of the key industries that ADA Compliance Pros focuses on is online banking accessibility, which is receiving significant attention from banks and institutions committed to financial inclusion. You can contact ADA Compliance Pros by clicking this link or calling (626) 486-2201.

Understanding a VPAT and an ACR

The term "VPAT" stands for Voluntary Product Accessibility Template. It is a document that describes the usability of a product or service, such as a digital platform, software, or Software as a Service (SaaS).

Before committing to a contract or purchase, procurement agents can use VPATs to evaluate the accessibility of a product or service. Typically, vendors fill out and maintain the template themselves, or they hire accessibility experts such as ADA Compliance Pros to complete the VPAT for them.

On the other hand, an ACR is an acronym for Accessibility Conformance Report. This is a formal summary of the extent to which an electronic information technology (EIT) product or service complies with an agreed-upon set of accessibility guidelines and standards.

ACRs typically document a product's or service's compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Revised Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act standards, and EN 301 549, for websites, products, and services sold in the United States, and products and services sold in the European Union, respectively.

Because an ACR is based on a formal VPAT, it is also generallyreferred to as a VPAT ACR. VPAT and ACR are sometimes used interchangeably, despite the fact that a VPAT refers to the ACR's template rather than its contents. That's why it's a registered trademark. The VPAT is also available in Word format, whereas the ACR, which is the completed VPAT report, can be presented in any format desired, including MS Word, PDF, or even HTML, which could be posted on the product's website.

The ACR is divided into six sections: the product or service summary, the applicable standards or guidelines, the WCAG 2.0/2.1 report, the revised section 508 report, the EN 301/549 report, and the legal disclaimer.

Creating and publishing your VPAT and ACR

Here are the steps you need to follow when creating your VPAT:

1. Navigate to the project dashboard that contains the report or reports you want to include in your VPAT.
2. Check the reports that you want to include in your VPAT and then click the "Create VPAT" bulk action button.
3. In the resulting dialog box, select the VPAT name and then "Make it Happen."
4. A dialog box will appear, allowing you to edit the VPAT to include the support level offered by your product or service, as well as remarks and explanations about the standards and laws covered by the VPAT.

Here are the steps you need to follow to publish your VPAT:

1. Navigate to the project where your VPAT is located.
2. Navigate to the "VPATs" navigation tab.
3. Choose your VPAT or the VPAT you want to publish.
4. Choose the "Permissions" action button. This is visually represented as a padlock and is located in the VPAT's upper-right hand corner.
5. Check the "Publish This Report" checkbox and click "Show Advanced."
6. Choose "Submit."

This will publish your VPAT, and you will see the word "Published" below the "VPAT Details" box once it has been published.

The steps for developing a VPAT are identical to those for developing an accessibility conformance report. This is due to the fact that a completed VPAT is essentially an ACR. This means that a SaaS accessibility conformance report, for example, refers to a completed SaaS VPAT. It can be used by software providers to identify SaaS conformance to Section 508 standards for EIT products and services.

Need help with your VPAT ACR?

ADA Compliance Pros is the leading provider of VPAT ACR professional accessibility support for software providers, financial and banking institutions, healthcare organizations, educational institutions, and retail and e-commerce businesses. I've referred several of my friends to the organization, and they've never let me down. Their dedication to service and ability to work with clients to overcome all accessibility challenges remains their distinguishing feature.

If you need trusted professionals to help you with your VPAT and ACR,check out the services offered by ADA Compliance Pros by clicking this link or calling (626) 486-2201.

The dilemma with my innovative accessibility for software products

As part of my postgraduate degree program, I created an innovative software product at a time when legislation and discourse about the accessibility vpat of electronic and information technology (EIT) products and services had gained significant traction as a result of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) non-compliance issues that many leading businesses were experiencing.

A gentleman challenged me at an exhibition where I was privileged to demonstrate the efficacy of my innovation to imagine myself as a person with a disability and imagine the areas of the product that might cause me difficulty using. This realization altered my perspective on the significance of focusing on end-users when perfecting an innovation.

Curiosity drove me back to information mining to figure out how I could improve the usability of my software product for all people, including people with disabilities. That's how I learned about the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) (WCAG).

My interest in the VPAT and WCAG stemmed from the fact that my software product included a component that required public-facing content, and I imagined it being used by federal government employees as well as federally funded organizations. As a result, I needed to get it right before commercializing the product. During this process, I became intrigued by the differences between VPAT and WCAG.

I recently attended a workshop where the two terms were used interchangeably. That is why I wrote this article to explain how I understand the concepts. I learned the majority of these distinctions from the vast resources provided by ADA Compliance Pros.

VPAT and WCAG: Are they the same thing?

"No," is the answer. VPAT and WCAG are not synonymous. The Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) developed a document template that, when completed, details a product's level of conformance with digital accessibility standards.

VPAT

A VPAT is concerned with electronic and information technology (EIT) accessibility, which includes hardware, software, and electronic content. VPATs were created to assist businesses and EIT product and service vendors in demonstrating compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, which establishes standards for EIT products and services when dealing with federal government contracts and contracts with federally funded institutions. VPATs are also a common practice for demonstrating digital accessibility in both the private and public sectors, as well as for increasing the social appeal of a product or service by being sensitive to the needs of people with disabilities.

As part of the procurement process, vendors of digital products and services, including developers of software products and platforms, are increasingly being asked to provide evidence of accessibility, which VPAT assessments typically provide.

Accessibility contracting officials and procurement teams can use VPAT to evaluate how commercial EIT products and services support accessibility for people with disabilities. They also enable product developers and vendors to report on how well their products meet the relevant accessibility standards.

The updated standards are reflected in different versions of the VPAT. VPAT 2.4 508: Revised Section 508 Standards that integrate the United States' Federal accessibility standards; VPAT 2.4 EU: EU 301 549 that integrates the European Union's accessibility requirements suitable for public procurement of ICT products and services in Europe; VPAT 2.4 WCAG: WCAG 2.1 or ISO/OEC 40500 that integrates the World Wide Web Consortium's updated Web Content Accessibility Guidelines; and VPAT 2.4 INT that incorporates all three standards.

WCAG

The WCAG is widely regarded as the gold standard for website accessibility. It was developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and provides the best and easiest way to make your website accessible to all customers, including those with disabilities.

WCAG is divided into four categories: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust, with each of the provided success criteria measured at one of three levels: sufficient techniques, advisory techniques, and failures.

Screen reader compatibility, allowing users to enlarge font sizes, and using clear colors and contrasts when designing pages are examples of sufficient technique criteria. The advisory techniques criteria include suggestions for how to improve your website, such as a lack of testability or being based on technology that isn't yet stable enough. The failure criteria include any obstacles that stand between a disadvantaged user and your website. Unless an alternative is provided, these prevent your website from being WCAG compliant.

Get help with your VPAT and WCAG accessibility today

Check out the resources provided by ADA Compliance Pros to learn a lot about VPAT and WCAG. You could also click this link for assistance in creating your VPAT as well as with the WCAG compliance checker for your website. You can also get help by calling (626) 486-2201.

What is VPAT certification?

To understand why VPAT certification is critical for businesses, it is necessary to first understand what VPAT certification is. The acronym VPAT stands for Voluntary Product Accessibility Template. It refers to a document that allows a company or organization to provide a comprehensive analysis of its compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act's accessibility standards.

The VPAT outlines key Section 508 accessibility requirements and provides a structure for an electronic and information technology (EIT) product or service vendor to outline the level of compliance and provide explanatory remarks. Section 508 requires all EIT products and technologies used by federal employees to be compliant.

Furthermore, if your EIT product or service is used by anyone who is directly or indirectly funded by the federal government, you are federally funded by extension, and the Section 508 compliance regulations may apply to you. In other words, your company or organization is most likely missing out on business opportunities because it lacks the necessary VPAT certification.

A completed VPAT report is frequently referred to as VPAT certification. Because a VPAT document is not intended to serve as a pass or fail document, it should not be interpreted to imply certification of compliance. VPAT compliance basically tells you how well an EIT product or service meets the specific standards that make it more accessible to people with disabilities.

When a vendor or buyer requests VPAT certification, they are most likely referring to a completed VPAT. When VPATs are completed, vendors and purchasers of EIT products and services can have more focused and direct discussions during the procurement process.

What makes VPAT certification crucial for businesses?

The US General Services Administration (GSA) developed the VPAT specifically to allow vendors of EIT products and services to easily provide supporting documentation to demonstrate compliance with Section 508 accessibility standards. Here are some of the reasons why VPAT compliance is critical for businesses:

1. Protection from legal and financial actions

A business's VPAT accessibility certification proves that it follows the various guidelines that make its EIT product or service accessible to people with disabilities. Companies and organizations are required by law to make their EIT products and services accessible to people with disabilities. Businesses and organizations that do not have access to VPAT risk being dragged into litigation, which could drain their finances and damage their reputations.

1. Access to federal business opportunities

If your company wants to do business with the federal government, its agencies, or federally funded organizations, VPAT certification is required. A properly completed VPAT report will assist a company in gaining access to business opportunities with the federal government, federal government agencies, and federally funded organizations.

1. Identification of accessibility gaps

The steps a company takes to create its VPAT report provide critical information about the accessibility of its products or services. The VPAT creation prompts the business to list all of the features present or missing in their EIT product or service, making it easy to identify accessibility issues with the product or service.

In fact, when a business collaborates with experienced VPAT certification experts like ADA Compliance Pros, the experts can calculate the accessibility compliance percentage of their product or service and recommend which features it must include avoiding unnecessary litigation and financial loss.

Need help with VPAT certification for your business?

The significance of VPAT certification for a business cannot be overstated. However, appreciating this usually leads to roadblocks when it comes to putting it into action. This is due to the fact that creating a VPAT report usually requires professional assistance in order to fill out the template accurately and completely.

I struggled with this issue for some time when I needed a VPAT report for my EIT service in order to improve my Google rankings and conversions but to no avail.

When I received a demand letter for non-compliance with the accessibility requirements of my web-based service, I was made aware of the seriousness of VPAT accessibility. When faced with this quandary, I remembered the many businesses that had spent a lot of money on legal fees and fines for non-compliance with accessibility standards.

I quickly contacted several VPAT accessibility experts who could help me, but none could work within my budget. When I was nearly despairing, a friend sent me this link to help me check the accessibility of my website for free. This saved my company! You can get similar VPAT certification help by calling (626) 486-2201.