Pub. 11 2016-2017 Issue 5

www.nebankers.org Extraordinary Service for Extraordinary Members. Is Our Bank Website ADA Compliant? Russ Horn, CISA, CISSP, CRISC, President, CoNetrix W EBSITE ADA COMPLIANCE HAS RECEIVED A GREAT deal of attention over the past few months. Sev- eral community banks have received demand- ing letters from law firms alleging the bank is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. Purportedly these letters claim that unless the bank modifies its website to meet the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), the bank will continue to violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). So, what does this mean? Let’s take a look at some common questions banks are asking about ADA compliance. What is ADA compliance? The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities. The Internet as it is today did not exist when ADA was passed and signed into law on July 26, 1990. In order to provide better ADA guidance for websites, the Department of Justice (DOJ) initiated rulemak- ing concerning website accessibility in 2010; however, it has been repeatedly delayed, including a recent delay, pushing it to 2018. Nevertheless, even with the stalled regulations, the DOJ appears to consider a website “accessible” if it complies with theWCAGbased on previous investigations, settlements, and court filings. What are some specific expectations for ADA-compliant websites? A few examples of how accessibility standards might apply to your bank’s website include: 1. Providing text alternatives for all non-text content (e.g., pictures). The text can then be presented in other forms needed for accessibility (e.g., large print, braille, speech). 2. Providing alternatives for time-based media (e.g., video, audio, slideshows). TECH TALK