From local to state and federal compliance requirements, a lot goes into running a restaurant. One of the requirements you need to meet is ensuring that your restaurant complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations. And this means that both the restaurant’s tangible and non-tangible facilities like the website are ADA-compliant.
But what does an ADA-compliant restaurant website look like? Well, there are no specific ADA regulations that clearly spell out what amounts to a compliant website. That said, any business that falls under ADA Titles I and III is required to ensure that its website is reasonably accessible to users with disabilities.
Understanding Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
Whereas ADA does not specify the compliance guidelines, most businesses follow Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) when creating the sites. These guidelines require that:
Your website is perceivable – your content should be presented in a manner that users can easily perceive. This includes providing alternative texts, audio alternatives and assistive technology that allows users with visual challenges to perceive your site’s content.
Your website is operable – your restaurant website should be easy to operate. And you can achieve this by providing keyboard accessibilities so disabled users can easily navigate your web pages and take action.
Your website is understandable – you want to be certain that your website’s content is easy to understand. You can achieve this by ensuring that the fonts are legible and the color combinations make it easy for users to interact with your web pages.
Your website is robust – it is important that your web pages are compatible with various devices and browsers. Specifically, you should ensure that users with assistive technologies can access and use your website.
Every business owner has a duty to ensure full compliance with ADA regulations. This is a crucial step in protecting your investment from costly non-compliance lawsuits.