Atlas Accessibility Assists Disabled Internet Users Fight Discrimination

A number of companies have been sued due to the fact that internet users with disabilities have not been able to access their websites. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provides protection for people with disabilities when it comes to access of public accommodations, such as places of business, restaurants, etc. Currently, judges across the nation are finding websites “places of public accommodation” as well.

“As our society shifts into the digital world, the ADA has begun to provide protection for individuals with disabilities and their use of technological mediums, such as applications, websites, online forms and more,” said Clayton Patterson, owner of Atlas Accessibility, which helps users with disabilities access websites and businesses to comply with ADA standards. “People that are disabled use websites for shopping, learning, finding locations, downloading coupons and much more.”

In order to help businesses whose websites are deemed “public accommodation” avoid lawsuits and be in compliance, Atlas Accessibility helps ensure their content is accessible to all people with a disability. “If a website is not designed or coded correctly, it can be extremely difficult for a person with a disability to access information on that website,” noted Patterson. “If a website is not easily accessible to people that are disabled, that website could be discriminating against them and thus susceptible to a lawsuit.”

To find out how vulnerable and accessible a business’ website is, it requires an audit be performed. A detailed accessibility audit is an evaluation based on specific technical requirements that determine how accessible one’s website is to disabled users.

“The audit can include using human testing with assistive technologies, such as screen readers and screen magnifiers, as well as looking at the code behind your website and its structure,” stated Patterson. “We have teamed up with the top programmers, developers and lawyers to provide the most effective, efficient and detailed audit in the marketplace.”

After identifying accessibility issues on a website through an audit, remediation is the next step to ensuring accessibility. Using compliance evaluation services with assistive technologies, issues like the color contrast and reading PDF documents are fixed based on one’s needs. “Not only will many of these fixes make your website more accessible, but it usually helps you rise higher on search engines,” added Patterson.

Atlas Accessibility offers a balanced approach for a business’ needs and the costs associated with its accessibility requirements. It also has the expertise and legal team ready to advise clients, as well as the technical team ready to make the necessary changes.

“Over 55 million people in America are living with some form of visual or physical disability. As technology continues to grow, this means that 1⁄5 of the U.S. population will be using technology via their phones and computers differently than most,” concluded Patterson.  

About Atlas Accessibility
The mission of Atlas Accessibility is to provide internet users with a disability with greater accessibility to businesses while reducing those same businesses’ vulnerability to lawsuits. It provides technical solutions to ensure accessibility so more users can find your business. For more information, please call (321) 754-3431, or visit www.atlasaccessibility.com. Atlas Accessibility is located at 1101 N. Kentucky Ave., Suite 200, Winter Park, FL 32789.

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