Submitted by Haley Marketing

Your staffing or recruiting firm would never knowingly discriminate against any individual (especially a job seeker) with disabilities, but...

Could your staffing technology (i.e., your website) be discriminating?

When it comes to ADA compliance for staffing websites, there’s a lot to know, including several regulations and guidelines that could impact your site:

• Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990
• ADA Standards for Accessible Design
• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 & 2.1
• Section 508

While each is unique, they all have a similar goal: to make electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities (e.g., color blindness, vision disabilities, hearing disabilities) in a way that is comparable to the access available to others..

So, what qualities should an ADA-compliant staffing website have?

Unless you’re both a technology and WCAG compliance expert, it can be challenging to understand how all these guidelines impact your website. So, we did it for you. Below, we summarize the four primary qualities of an ADA-compliant website:

Your website must be PERCEIVABLE.

• Provide text alternatives for non-text content. This impacts things like pictures, videos and even contextual meaning in your graphics or images.

• Provide captions and other alternatives for multimedia. Video closed captioning or transcripts can improve access for hearing-impaired individuals.

• Create content that can be presented in different ways, including by assistive technologies, without losing meaning. Make sure individuals can adequately process your content with technology such as screenreading software.

• Make it easier for users to see and hear all the content on your website.

Your website must be OPERABLE.

• Make ALL functionality available from a keyboard. If visitors must use a mouse for your website, it’s not ADA-compliant.

• Give users enough time to read and use content. For example, check the speed at which slideshows scroll.
• Do not use content that causes seizures or physical reactions. Images and colors that flash can create problems.

• Help users navigate and find content. Would a visually impaired individual using assistive technology be  able to find their way through your site to access the information they need?

• Make it easier to use inputs besides a keyboard. Screen readers should work well with your site.

Your website must be UNDERSTANDABLE.

• Make text readable and understandable. Scrutinize your font sizes: Is it large enough to be readable?
• Make content appear and operate in predictable ways. For example, the way someone tabs through your site must be logical and consistent.

• Help users avoid and correct mistakes

Your website must be ROBUST.

• Maximize compatibility with current and future user tools. Nobody has a crystal ball, but at a minimum, your site should work well with accessibility tools like screen readers.

• Make sure someone is staying on top of compliance changes and technology trends, so you’re able to continue meeting WCAG guidelines.

Need help navigating ADA compliance issues?

That’s what we’re here for! Our WCAG compliance experts know what goes into a compliant website, and we’ve revamped our Starter and Custom Sites, as well as our Job Board, to comply with WCAG 2.0. To learn more, contact a marketing educator today.  

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