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ADA Website Accessibility for Restaurants

When Rita Harrison, the Section 508 Coordinator for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), considered why restaurants should make ADA-compliant websites, her initial thought was, "It just makes sense, and it's the right thing to do." Part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 508 lays out standards for making information and communications technology accessible to people with disabilities in a means comparable to the access experienced by those without disabilities.1

With several decades' worth of technological advancements, more people with disabilities use Assistive Technology (AT) than ever before. These technologies include text to speech, voice recognition, visual search engines, and more; and they're used to carry out essential digital tasks, such as shopping online, applying for employment, communicating through social media, and conducting searches, among others.

"It's especially important now with so many people having to stay home and safe with the fear of COVID-19," said Harrison. "From a personal standpoint, as someone who does have a disability, I use a smartphone and laptop with AT, and when a webpage isn't accessible, it creates a barrier where I'm not able to obtain the information I'm seeking or make a necessary purchase."

Online accessibility for individuals with disabilities is crucial for restaurant websites, where potential customers go to view menus, check operating hours, and track down other information before deciding to order food.

How to Make Your Website ADA Compliant

Harrison offered these tips to restaurants for ADA-compliant website enhancement:

  1. Add structured headings and heading levels.
  2. Add alternative text to images with meaningful descriptions.
  3. Use simple lists or tables, and ensure all links and buttons are labeled correctly.
  4. Ensure all videos posted include either open or closed captions and audio description.

Additionally, all documents posted on the website should be accessible. ADA compliance checks can be performed through Adobe and the Microsoft Suite's accessibility checkers. These systems can identify document accessibility issues in mediums such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more.

The Path to ADA-compliant Web Design

Looking to the future of websites and ADA compliance, Harrison is hopeful: "I'm seeing more and more online accessibility on different restaurant websites and apps, since COVID-19 has forced people to use more online ordering and delivery."

If the task of ADA website optimization seems daunting, external sources, including companies that specialize in building restaurant websites, are available to provide assistance. These services can help restaurants create digitally accessible websites that bolster business while supporting ADA guidelines by incorporating features that enhance accessibility for AT and using artificial intelligence to follow the newest ADA standards.

Restaurants that lack access to an internal IT staff or a person familiar with building accessibility can hire a business or developer who specializes in ADA website compliance, but Harrison encourages people to do their research.

"Ensure who you hire has the experience and expertise to build out and deliver a well-designed platform that meets all of your criteria and business requirements," said Harrison, noting that it's easier and more cost effective to build accessibility into the development of websites from the beginning rather than remediating a webpage later.

To test your website for ADA compliance, tools are available that can check the color, text-to-speech and speech-to-text functionality, and page navigation using only the keyboard without a mouse or other pointing device. Additionally, having a small group of individuals who use different types of AT every day is an excellent way to receive effective feedback and recommendations.

For the latest information, updates, meetings, and training, Harrison encourages restaurant owners to visit the ADA website2 often, as well as the U.S. Access Board.3

Sources

  1. What is Section 508? United States Environmental Protection Agency. Accessed August 2023.
  2. Information and Technical Assistance on the Americans with Disabilities Act ADA. Accessed January 2021.
  3. U.S. Access Board: Advancing Full Access and Inclusion for All U.S. Access Board. Accessed January 2021.