Is Your Website ADA Compliant? A Plain-English Guide for New York Small Businesses

An accessible website is one that people with disabilities can use, including people who are blind and use screen readers, people who can't use a mouse, and people with low vision. For small businesses, it matters for two reasons: it opens your business to more customers, and New York has long been one of the busiest states for website accessibility lawsuits and demand letters.

What standard should my website meet?

The widely used benchmark is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), currently version 2.2, at level AA. It covers things like text alternatives for images, keyboard access, color contrast and clear form labels.

What are the most common accessibility problems?

• Images without alt text, so screen readers can't describe them
• Low color contrast between text and background
• Forms without labels, or error messages that aren't announced
• Buttons and links that only work with a mouse
• Missing headings and page structure, which make pages hard to navigate
• Zoom disabled on phones, making text unreadable for people with low vision

Do accessibility overlay widgets make a site compliant?

Generally, no. Overlays add a toolbar on top of your site, but they don't fix the underlying code, and many sites using them still receive demand letters. The reliable approach is to fix the source: the HTML, the design and the content.

Which businesses should pay special attention?

Any business with a public website, but especially those people rely on for essential services: medical and dental practices, law firms, financial offices and restaurants that take online orders. Professional offices in places like Mineola, Garden City and Kew Gardens often fit this description.

How do I find out where my site stands?

Run our free website report. It includes an accessibility score based on Google Lighthouse plus our own checks. For a full picture, our ADA accessibility service includes a WCAG 2.2 AA audit with manual keyboard and screen reader testing, then fixes the code and adds an accessibility statement.

Does accessibility help SEO too?

Often, yes. Alt text, clear headings, readable text and fast pages help search engines and AI tools understand your site, as well as people.