Website Accessibility Solution & Support

What does Accessibility & ADA Compliance mean (in plain Engish)?

Website accessibility means that anyone can find, understand, and use your website—regardless of ability, device, or assistive technology.  When it comes specifically to navigation, accessibility means A user can get where they need to go, understand where they are, and complete tasks  without barriers.  Try using your computer solely with the use of the keyboard (and no mouse). OR close your eyes and imagine having your website read to you. Is your site navigable with the tab key? Is it understandable? Does it navigate through all the text and images as it reads?

Your business should ensure that everyone has equal access to your products, services, and information. Your website has to be able to be read and navigated by more than the human eye. In the case of those with disabilities, adaptive technologies must be able to use your site. If they are unable to, that's when frustration arises.

More than 1 in 4 adults (28.7 percent) in the United States have some type of disability that hinders their use of most non-accessible websites.. Nearly 1 in 3 Americans will experience at least a 90-day temporary disability before age 65 (broken bone, surgery, etc)

• 13.9 percent of U.S. adults have a cognition disability with serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.
• 12.2 percent of U.S. adults have a mobility disability with serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
• 6.2 percent of U.S. adults are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing
• 5.5 percent of U.S. adults have a vision disability with blindness or serious difficulty seeing even when wearing glasses.

In simple terms:

Digital Accessibility=How usable your website is for people with disabilities

ADA Compliance=Whether your website meets legal accessibility obligations

A website can be partially accessible but still not legally compliant.

True ADA compliance requires ongoing accessibility, documentation, monitoring, and updates—not just one-time fixes.

Why ADA Compliance matters?

Websites are considered “places of public accommodation” under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Businesses can be exposed to legal demand letters or lawsuits if their websites are not accessible to people with disabilities—especially those using screen readers, keyboard navigation, or assistive technologies.

ADA compliance is not just about avoiding lawsuits. Accessible websites also improve usability, SEO, conversion rates, and customer trust. By Including this in your website we turn this required regulation into an opportunity to grow your business.

Why does accessibility matter beyond legal risk?

• Improves usability for all visitors
• Enhances SEO and site structure
• Supports aging populations and mobile users
• Helps those in the disability community feel more included
• Grows yur customer base as the disability community have good engagement with your brand
• Demonstrates professionalism and inclusivity
• Shows documented good-faith effort

People with disabilities don’t always need compliant sites. They want usable sites, but ADA compliance is still the goal. You must first understand how to make your site accessible to users in the quickest time possible.

Accessibility isn’t just about compliance — it’s about good business and it's the right thing to do.

What These Services Do (And Don't Do)

✅ What We Do

• Improve website accessibility using WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 Level AA best practices
• Identify and fix common accessibility barriers
• Document all accessibility efforts
• Provide an accessibility statement for your site
• Help reduce ADA-related website risk

❌ What We Don’t Do

• Provide legal advice
• Guarantee immunity from lawsuits
• Offer “ADA certification” (it doesn’t exist)

What is your approach and why does this approach work?

Together with our partner, we provide a pro-active, hybrid compliance approach, not just an overlay.

• Non AI Driven Accessibility Software (screen reader support, contrast, font resizing, keyboard tools etc.)
• Ongoing monitoring & update
• WCAG 2.1 AA alignment
• Accessibility statement
• Compliance documentation & Live Accessibility Score Reports
• Support if a client receives a demand letter
• Annual updates & maintenance

This is designed to reduce risk, and comply with WCAG Guidelines to follow requirements of ADA Law, not make legal guarantees.

This approach:

• Aligns with how accessibility is evaluated in real-world cases
• Avoids misleading or risky compliance claims
• Demonstrates good-faith effort on the part of the business
• Protects your business while improving usability for all users

What is the process and how long does the process take to implement the accessibility solution?

The first step is to accept the investment estimate. From there we will send you an invoice and begin the on-boarding. For most sites it takes 24 - 48 hours for the first scans to complete which will give us an indication of all the areas needing to be fixed. After that it takes roughly 2-3 weeks for us to complete most sites accessibility work. Sites with more pages or greater complexity can take longer.



Are there tax credits available?

Yes. You may qualify for the Disabled Access Tax Credit (IRS Section 44):

• Up to $5,000 per year (50% of their annual spend up to $10,000)
• Covers accessibility-related expenses
• Can use referral credits to get you more than 50% (ask us how)
• If you have 30 or less full-time employees, you qualify
• Applies to most small and mid-sized businesses
• If you are over 30 FT employees, you can still get up to $15,000 in tax DEDUCTIONS
  

In many cases, the tax credit can significantly offset—or even fully cover—the cost of ADA website compliance. We provide documentation guidance to help clients work with their CPA.

Can I just use one of those free or paid accessibility widgets like UserWay or AccessiBe?

No. These accessibility widgets and monitoring tools do not replace manual accessibility improvements and do not guarantee compliance.  They are not required to improve accessibility nor they fully demonstrate good-faith effort. Both the free and paid versions use AI to scan and fix. The courts have said AI is a viable solution to make a site compliant and are therefore not recognized by courts as proper ADA compliance. Widgets may be used as a supplement only.

What do paid accessibility like UserWay or AccessiBe actually do?

These paid accessibility services generally offer Widgets, overlays and monitoring using only AI

• Contrast controls
• Text enlargement
• Keyboard helpers
• Screen reader toggles
• Highlight outlines

These can be helpful for users, but they’re supportive, not foundational:

• They do not fix underlying code problems
• They do not guarantee compliance
• Many lawsuit filings have said they are not sufficient evidence of compliance
• Monitoring alerts to new issues but does not automatically fix them
• Do not create meaningful alt text for images

What is the difference between the widget you install and the other ones mentioned?

The widget we install is to help support and enhance the accessibility efforts we manually perform. Other solutions are run strictly by AI without manual fixes and editing, claiming they fix things. Many of those tools end up becoming a hindrance. Our solution includes 24/7 reporting functionality that is maintained by real humans who respond and actually fix the issues.

Can you guarantee my site is ADA compliant?

No—and no ethical provider can or should.

Accessibility standards evolve, content changes over time, and there is no legal certification for websites. We do not make absolute compliance claims. Instead, we focus on meaningful accessibility improvements, documentation, and ongoing support. While we strive to improve accessibility using recognized best practices, no website can be guaranteed to be fully accessible to every user at all times. Accessibility is an ongoing effort that evolves with technology, content, and user needs.

What is WCAG 2.1/2.2 AA?

WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 AA refers to the Web  Content  Accessibility  Guidelines version 2.1 and version 2.2, Level AA, an internationally recognized standard by the W3C WAI for making digital content accessible to people with disabilities, setting requirements for web content and mobile apps, including keyboard operability, sufficient color contrast, captions, and clear structure, and serves as the technical benchmark for compliance with laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II. 

What's the latest version of WCAG?

WCAG 2.2 is the latest version. WCAG 2.2 includes everything in 2.1

Plus 9 new success criteria, mostly focused on:

• Cognitive accessibility
• Motor impairments
• Mobile and touch interactions

Nothing in 2.2 removes 2.1 requirements—it only adds to them.

Why is WCAG 2.1 still commonly referenced?

1. Law lags behind standards

• Courts, settlement agreements, and DOJ guidance tend to reference:
• WCAG 2.0 and WCAG 2.1 because those were the standards in place when most precedent was set.
• WCAG 2.2 is newer (Oct 2023) and has very little case law yet, even though it’s technically the latest.
• So referencing 2.1 is:
• Conservative
• Familiar to attorneys
• Lower-risk from a legal standpoint

1. WCAG 2.2 does not replace 2.1

• WCAG 2.2 adds success criteria; it does not invalidate 2.1.
• Saying “2.1” does not mean “outdated” in legal terms—it means “We are following an established accessibility framework.”
  

What version of WCAG does Blu Dove and your partners follow?

We follow generally recognized accessibility best practices, including the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 and 2.2 Level AA, as a guide for improving accessibility.