In many ways, our digital world has helped the church. Social media, streaming services, and your website give you a platform for sharing your message, not only with members and your community, but with people around the world.

What most churches don’t realize is that there are millions of people with disabilities who can’t perceive digital content…

They have visual or hearing impairments that keep them from reading or understanding a web page. They have difficulty handling a keyboard or mouse. Or they have a hidden disability that makes it difficult to focus on or read digital content.

This is a challenge for all organizations. But for churches, it’s mission critical! 

ALL people need to be able to engage with your website. Because today, the Great Commission is being fulfilled online as well as in person.

People around the world have access to your website. If you’re sharing important messages or streaming your services, they’re trying to attend. Yet millions of these people can’t access it without your help.

That’s reason enough to make your website accessible. But today, the government is looking for organizations that aren’t compliant. And they’re making an example of them. 

You’re probably aware of the ADA’s requirement to make physical spaces accessible. You’ve already put in ramps, provided for people with hearing difficulties, and accommodated other disabilities.

But most churches aren’t aware that the ADA also requires websites to be fully accessible to people with digital disabilities.

Website Accessibility Is Required by Law

Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits organizations from discriminating against people with disabilities — in both their physical buildings and on their websites. 

And W3C’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) require all websites to be accessible to all people — which means your church is at risk if you aren’t making your website ADA compliant. 

There are three principles for website accessibility. The content on your pages must be:

• Perceivable
• Understandable 
• Operable 

… for ALL people, even those with hidden disabilities.

Lawsuits Are on the Rise

The law firm Seyfarth has tracked ADA Title III lawsuits every year since 2013. In the eight years between 2013 and 2021, they saw a 320% increase in accessibility cases.

In 2021, more than 11,000 organizations were taken to court for violating accessibility requirements. Now, we’re seeing a surge in Title III lawsuits as individual states pass their own civil rights requirements.

Keep in mind, these are not frivolous lawsuits. They’re targeting government, housing, and public accommodation websites — any organization whose mission is to serve the public.

These types of lawsuits were virtually nonexistent a few years ago. But they’ve grown in number every year since 2013.

Bottom Line, Churches Need To Be Compliant

The government’s guidelines on web accessibility require that all goods, services, or activities offered by public accommodations be accessible — including those offered on websites. In short, everyone needs to have equal access to the information on websites. 

That lines up perfectly with the church’s mission: to proclaim the gospel to all nations. 

Trouble is, most churches are unaware that their website isn’t accessible to millions of people. Visually, it may look good, but it has characteristics that make it impossible to understand for people with disabilities:

• Poor color contrast
• Reliance on color to provide information
• Lack of text alternatives, or alt-text, on images
• No captions on videos
• Inaccessible online forms
• Mouse-only navigation

And that’s not all. There are additional challenges for people with less-obvious disabilities:

• Designs that trigger seizures
• Inability to focus due to ADHD
• Fonts that aren’t readable to people with dyslexia

It’s up to you to make sure everyone can read, perceive, and engage with your website. If you do, you’ll spread the Word to millions of people in your community and around the world. If you don’t, your church is at risk.

The Church’s Smart ADA Solution

One of the biggest challenges for organizations that want to become more accessible is that they don’t know how to do it. They don’t have the budget to hire expensive developers, and they don’t have the technical expertise to do it themselves.

That’s why we created AccessXL.

AccessXL is the smart website widget that makes website accessibility as easy as 1-2-3.

Step 1 – Create Your Pixel

We generate your accessibility profile and compliance pixel.

Step 2 – Customize Options

Together, we customize your accessibility options.

Step 3 – Update Your Site

Visitors can now adjust your site to fit their website accessibility needs.

A Custom User Experience for Each Person

Once AccessXL has been set up, a blue button will appear on all your web pages, allowing every visitor to set their own usability requirements. Just like the blue circle on the right side of this page.

Click it now to see how many options there are to adjust the page’s appearance and usability.

Accessibility features at the click of a button 

Users can select a “mode” to turn on a collection of accessibility features. Or they can hand-select the features that improve their experience.

The ADA settings in AccessXL are compatible with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and Section 508 Standards of the federal government.

It’s also fast and easy to install.

• No need to rebuild your website
• Same-day integration
• A-level compliance

The goal: To make the web fully accessible to all people.

People with disabilities often go unnoticed. Until we experience the limitations of a disability ourselves, we’re often unaware of their needs. But millions of potential visitors could be struggling to enjoy the full value of your website.

• 2.2 million people have a vision impairment that requires a screen magnifier for the internet.
• 466 million people worldwide have a hearing disability.
• 19.9 million adults in the US (8.2%) have difficulty lifting or grasping, which makes it difficult to use a mouse or keyboard.
• 8.1 million people (3.3% of the population) have some sort of vision impairment (including color blindness). These people might rely on a screen magnifier or reader, or need higher contrast pages that suit color blindness.
• 2 in 5 adults aged 65 years and older have a disability.
• 75% of Americans with disabilities report using the internet on a daily basis.

Can You Afford NOT to Be ADA Compliant?

Website accessibility provides equal opportunity to all of your visitors. And it’s such a simple way to take care of your members and be socially responsible.

It also protects your church.

Regulators are becoming more aggressive about enforcing website accessibility. They’ve filed cases against the City and County of Denver, CO; Jacksonville, FL; and Durham, NC. They’re also going after businesses like Rite Aid Corporation, H&R Block, and Peapod.

They’re especially watching any organization that offers a public service — like churches. By protecting your church, you’re also protecting your mission.

Website Accessibility: It’s the Right Thing to Do

You’ve added ramps to your physical buildings. It’s just as important to add a ramp to your website. And with AccessXL, you can make your website accessible by the end of the week.

Instantly, your website will be easier to read and operate. All people will be able to engage with you online. You’ll be able to fulfill the Great Commission digitally as well as physically!

Make sure your message is available to everyone — even those with disabilities. With AccessXL, you can expand your reach, impact the world, and protect your church — with one simple solution.

Don’t put yourself at risk…

Build a Ramp to  Your Website

AccessXL can help your organization be more effective in reaching the people you serve. Schedule a call to learn how.