The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) has struggled to change with the increased use of technology.
This week, Sen. Tammy Duckworth and Rep. John Sarbanes introduced a digital accessibility bill called the Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act (or the #A11yAct, if you're on Twitter) to Congress. If passed, it would build on the Americans with Disabilities Act, and lead to clearer regulations for digital accessibility requirements in the US.
This bill will ensure that accessibility is a legal right for all Americans. Over the last few years, we have all adopted to a more digital life and in many cases, this has excluded people from accessing the resources they need. This act is to drive change and ensure resources are services are accessible.
Businesses that implementweb accessibility ahead of legislation will gain competitive advantage and gain customer loyalty through positive brand image of a company that cares.
"The term 'accessible' or 'accessibility', used with respect to a website or application, means a perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust website or application that enables individuals with disabilities to access the same information as, to engage in the same interactions as, to communicate and to be understood as effectively as, and to enjoy the same services as are offered to, other individuals with the same privacy, same independence, and same ease of use as, individuals without disabilities."
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