In hospitality, it's important that our guests have a great experience with our restaurants, and at Sociavore we believe hospitality starts online with your website. This is why it's important to have an accessible website, so all guests, can be . The responsibility is on you as a business owner to ensure that your website is accessible to people with disabilities—just as you would be with your physical space.
Website accessibility efforts are part of an ongoing journey that is never complete. No one--individually or as a service provider--can guarantee website accessibility. There is no shortcut - regardless of what some companies may tell you. Signing up for an 'accessibility widget' does not give you compliance.
While Sociavore offers more support than other technology partners in the restaurant industry to help you set up your website with accessibility in mind, it's vital that you protect yourself through education and consistent action.
Here is a list of frequently asked questions regarding website accessibility.
What does accessibility mean?
Simply, having an accessible restaurant space or website means that people with disabilities can enjoy your space and use your website equally to counterparts without disabilities or impairments. ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act) conformance is a journey, NOT a destination. Maintaining an accessible website is a constant process that is never finished.
Is it illegal to have a website that does not accommodate people with disabilities?
Yes. In the United States, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) states that all public areas must accommodate people with disabilities, which includes your website.
Yes. In Ontario, Canada if you have more than 50 employees.
How do I make my website accessible?
By following generally accepted standards on accessibility, including Section 508 Standards (IT accessibility standards for US government contracting) and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines or WCAG (published by the Web Accessibility Initiative of the World Wide Web Consortium, the main international standards organization for the internet).
The WCAG have three Levels of Conformance:
A: minimum level to achieve conformance
AA: More difficult success criteria to achieve, this level is what most organizations strive for and what has been recognized as sufficient in ADA lawsuit settlements (which aren't legally binding precedent, but provides some context).
AAA: The most rigid level of conformance, AAA is extremely difficult to attain. Even the World Wide Web Consortium acknowledges that it is impossible for each page of every site to meet AAA criteria.
Why do I need to have a website that conforms to these standards and guidelines?
You can be liable under the ADA if your website isn't accessible. ADA lawsuits incur hefty monetary and other costs like attorneys' fees, settlement payments, site redesigns, bad publicity and lost business. Although conformance to Section 508 Standards and/or WCAG does not guarantee ADA compliance or that you will not be sued, they put you in a good position with respect to the ADA and defending against ADA lawsuits.
Who should I consider when making accommodations on my website?
You can be liable under the ADA if your website isn't accessible. ADA lawsuits incur hefty monetary and other costs like attorneys' fees, settlement payments, site redesigns, bad publicity and lost business. Although conformance to Section 508 Standards and/or WCAG does not guarantee ADA compliance or that you will not be sued, they put you in a good position with respect to the ADA and defending against ADA lawsuits.
Who should I consider when making accommodations on my website?
You should consider those with:
Blindness or those with low vision
Deafness and hearing loss
Limited movement
Speech disabilities
Read stories about the potential experiences of web users with disabilities.https://www.w3.org/WAI/people-use-web/user-stories
How do I make my website accessible?
Ultimately, the responsibility is on you as a restaurant owner—not Sociavore or any other industry partner or vendor—to ensure that your public space—both physical and digital—follow the law of accommodation laid out by the ADA.
While there is no legally-mandated regulation on how to comply with the ADA, your best bet is following the Section 508 Standards and achieving Level AA conformance with WCAG 2.1.
Remember, no one can 100% guarantee website accessibility. If a software vendor is suggesting they can, that is a red flag.
Is there a checklist I can use to make sure my website is accessible?
There is no defined standard for what constitutes an accessible website. However, achieving Level AA conformance to Website Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 has been recognized as sufficient in past ADA lawsuit settlements. In addition, the DOJ, which enforces the ADA, recently issued guidance that references WCAG and Section 508 Standards as helpful to ensuring accessibility of website features.
Are Sociavore templates ADA compliant?
Sociavore templates undergo continuous testing and updates to help mitigate your risk against Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) non-compliance. However, website builders and content management systems are inherently customizable and therefore Sociavore cannot guarantee that any changes that you make to your website will assure ADA compliance. These changes could include, but are not limited to colour and font choices, content hierarchy (i.e., the correct use of h1, h2, h3, etc.), the use of ALT text, and any non-compliant third party integration (e.g., online reservation widget, online ordering service, promo pop-up, etc.). If you have any questions regarding ADA compliance recommendations, or are in need of assistance, please contact us.