Website Accessibility During Shelter in Place

by Apr 20, 2020Blog, Apartment Marketing

Just like you should have a wheelchair ramp on your physical property, you should have an accessibility tool on your digital properties, too.  Compliance doesn’t start and finish in the physical space; it includes digital spaces too. Now more than ever, having a website that is accessible to all is critical to people and businesses alike. Shelter in place orders are currently active in 42 states in the U.S. meaning that unless the trip or work is a necessity you are required to stay at home. Less in-person traffic means people will seek information digitally or over the phone.

There are a few ways to get your website ADA-Compliant. Free plugins can get you started, but are unreliable and don’t update regularly. Your SEO provider can cover a few areas of accessibility such as alt text for images. But that doesn’t cover everything the ADA requires. And of course, you and your team can work to bring your site up to code. The ADA has technology guidance on its website including best practices. 

Ask yourself these questions:

  • Is my website ADA-compliant?
  • Is it adaptable for people with vision, motor, or cognitive impairments? People with epilepsy?
  • Do I have a plan to keep my site compliant?

It’s not just about being compliant, it’s about good business too. Creating a digital shopping experience that is accessible to all, opens your property up to more prospects and opportunities.

When your website changes daily with new info about each property’s availability, pricing, and COVID-19 updates then you need an accessibility tool that can keep up.

The 30 Lines Apartment Website Accessibility Tool is a straightforward plugin that creates a customized experience catered to each individual’s needs. It complies with accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1, ADA, Section 508, and a number of others) and sets you up for success. Best of all, you can set it and forget it; it reprocesses every 24 hours and pushes updates to keep you up-to-date with the rapidly changing digital landscape and requirements for compliance. We can typically get you up and running within 48 hours. 

 

Our accessibility tool works with any website system (including RentCafe sites) and can be white-labeled to match the overall brand color scheme of each property website. Most importantly, it’s front and center on your site so everyone can see and access easily without getting in the way of the content.  

Have questions? Drop us a line– We’re here to help.