A11Y Center: Take Pride in Your Web Accessibility Work
It is never too early to install Accessible Web’s A11Y Center on your website. Show the world that you’re dedicated to making your website accessible to everyone, including those who use assistive technology.
What is the A11Y Center?
The A11Y Center provides a variety of resources and accessibility information to your users. It is fast and easy to implement from within our Accessible Web RAMP. Install our A11Y Center on your website with just a snippet of code. It can be set up and loaded on your website in less than 20 minutes.
Take pride in your commitment to web accessibility from the very beginning of your project.
The A11Y Center was designed around the philosophy that accessibility is an ongoing process and one worth celebrating. It is not an accessibility overlay product. By displaying your Accessibility Policy alongside an ongoing log of accessibility improvements and an issue reporting form, the A11Y Center shows users with disabilities (and opportunistic law firms) that you’re organization is on-top-of and committed to maintaining an accessible website.
Should I install the A11Y Center before fixing my website’s accessibility issues?
We often get asked whether it is smart to install the A11Y Center before making changes to improve your website’s accessibility issues. The answer is YES.
By implementing the A11Y Center as soon as you begin your web accessibility project you are 1) announcing your intent and commitment to accessibility, 2) demonstrating that you’re actively engaged in the ongoing process of making the site more accessible, and 3) providing users an alternative means to contact you in case they are struggling to use your site.
“…Businesses should establish a track record for their compliance programs, including designating personnel to ADA compliance and conducting regular internal and third-party audits, which will lend support to the company’s contention that it intends to maintain compliance in the future.”
How Businesses Can Defeat Website Accessibility Lawsuits by NICOLE SIEB SMITH
Imperfect is far better than completely ignorant when it comes to web accessibility. If your website hasn’t been audited, tested, and/or remediated yet, your Accessibility Statement within the A11Y center can be used to convey your intent to resolve accessibility issues.
If you’re working with Accessible Web to audit and/or certify your website, ask your A11Y Success Coordinator about adding a Letter of Engagement to your A11Y Center for added protection.
What You’ll Find in the A11Y Center:
Accessibility Policy
The A11Y Center is designed to replace your existing (or nonexistent) accessibility policy.
Choose between a fixed button or a text-only option. Customize the color and location of the A11Y Center button to control how it appears on your site, or simply replace your “Accessible Policy” link page in the footer menu with your A11Y Center.
Accessibility Issue Reporting
The A11Y Center contains a feedback form so users can submit accessibility issue reports and feedback should they encounter a barrier to accessing your site. These reports can be converted to user tickets in our Accessible Web RAMP, so your team can prioritize fixing them.
Accessibility Log
Web accessibility is an ongoing process, not a one-time project. If your goal is to protect your website from accessibility-related lawsuits, you need to do more than just fix existing accessibility barriers. You also need to monitor your website for new issues and, ideally, maintain a log of your accessibility web as evidence of your commitment to accessibility in the long run.
If you’re managing your accessibility work in Accessible Web RAMP, you will be prompted to add entries to your Accessibility Log as you complete remediations. You will have the option of making this log publicly visible in your A11Y Center. Even if you choose to keep yours private, maintaining an Accessibility Log will come in handy should you ever face a lawsuit.
Certification & A11Y Partner Seal
If your website has been certified by Accessible Web, the A11Y Center will display your Web Accessibility Certification seal.
Similarly, members of our A11Y Partner Program get our A11Y Partner badge in their A11Y Center so everyone knows the website is backed by an IAAP Certified Accessibility Specialist.
W3.org recommends Using Combined Expertise to Evaluate Web Accessibility to assess a website/application for accessibility. Working with outside experts, like Accessible Web, to have your site audited and/or certified can provide an additional layer of protection against legal action.
Sources
Accessibility Remediation is a Must
