Website Accessibility Compliance

The AudioEye Toolbar does not replace a screen reader or other Assistive Technology (AT). The Toolbar is a customizable usability tool with features similar to many types of AT; however, users of assistive technology dedicate a lot of time customizing and learning how to use their particular tools, so it is unlikely that anyone with their own assistive tool would utilize the AudioEye Toolbar instead. The Toolbar does provide other elements users may wish to interact with should they want to explore its features, including submitting an accessibility barrier via the Help Desk.

The AudioEye Sustainable Testing and Remediation plan (“STAR plan”) provides a summary of the steps that our solution consists of to help facilitate a sustainable, long-term, digital accessibility strategy designed to make your website equally accessible to all users regardless of ability. The STAR plan is automatically available to partners through the client portal once AudioEye is installed. The STAR plan is your first line of defense when responding to a demand letter or lawsuit. If you receive a demand letter or lawsuit, work with your legal counsel to determine if the STAR plan should be provided to the plaintiff.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are part of a series of web accessibility guidelines published by the Web Accessibility Initiative of the World Wide Web Consortium, the main international standards organization for the Internet. They are a set of recommendations for making Web content more accessible

AudioEye tests against W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 success criteria for levels A and AA. Our goal is to help you achieve WCAG 2.1 AA conformance, which is the international industry standard.

In general, “compliance,” as it relates to digital accessibility, refers to compliance with regulations and laws. As it relates to legal demand letters relating to digital accessibility, “compliance” refers to the actions a company is taking to address or comply with the demands. While AudioEye always recommends seeking legal counsel in the event a demand letter is received regarding digital accessibility, in general, once you begin the process of addressing – or complying with – the demands outlined, and you detail these actions in your response through legal counsel, you are working toward compliance and therefore, generally eliminating your risk as it pertains to the legal demand letter. That is, of course, assuming you complete the process of making your website accessible.

Yes, though the level of risk depends on your jurisdiction. For businesses in the U.S., the Department of Justice has publicly stated that the Americans with Disabilities Act ADA applies to websites. It applies equally to all businesses, regardless of their size or type, so businesses ranging from e-commerce websites, service websites, real estate, restaurants and more would fall within the scope of the ADA. While not all courts view the severity of non-compliance in the same way, accessibility lawsuits and demand letters are sharply on the rise. Courts often rule in favor of websites needing to be more accessible.

Yes, though the level of risk depends on your jurisdiction. For businesses in the U.S., the Department of Justice has publicly stated that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to websites. It applies equally to all businesses, regardless of their size or type, so businesses ranging from e-commerce websites, service websites, real estate, restaurants and more would fall within the scope of the ADA. While not all courts view the severity of non-compliance in the same way, accessibility lawsuits and demand letters are sharply on the rise. Courts often rule in favor of websites needing to be more accessible. As a small business, you would be at risk of digital accessibility lawsuits if you have not yet taken action to make your site accessible.

Depending on jurisdiction, there are a number of laws that could apply to web accessibility. In the U.S., primary compliance is dictated by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and state laws, such as the California Unruh Civil Rights Act, with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) providing guidance. For more information, please visit audioeye.com/web-accessibility-compliance.

Yes, our Visual Toolkit is offered in English, Spanish, and French. More languages coming!