[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In 2016, more than 250 lawsuits were filed against companies that had websites that were not accessible to people with vision or hearing issues. Many of these lawsuits were filed against medical and retail companies as well as banks.
Credit unions are now looking at what they need to do to be ADA compliant. The Americans with Disability Act (ADA) requires businesses to make accommodations so that people with disabilities have the same access to the same services that are available and accessible to the general public. Typically what happens is that a business will receive a “demand letter,” which then gives them the opportunity to negotiate a settlement as well as demands that they improve the level of services they are offering to people with disabilities.
These demand letters are costly to respond to. It is far better to seek digital compliance for credit unions and avoid a demand letter in the first place. Because the website standards specifically for credit unions have not yet been set, most new websites are not being built to ADA standards.
It is possible though, if you choose to work with a vendor that is knowledgeable about the subject, to retrofit a credit union website for digital compliance. Choices such as spacing, font size and color contrast can be retrofitted to allow for digital compliance for credit unions.
A tool such a the ADA Plugin helps compliance managers for credit unions quickly and easily tell what they need to improve to meet the standards set forth for website accessibility through the Rehabilitation Act.
Working to bring the facets of digital compliance for credit unions to life now makes sense…as our populations age, they will be dealing with arthritis, lower levels of vision and hearing, reduced mobility and medical conditions that make it harder to use a computer. Making a website easy to use for this population ensures that you can more easily meet digital compliance.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]