Creating Accessible Websites in Fredericksburg, VA

Custom Accessible WordPress Websites

Custom, user-friendly, responsive WordPress websites that meet standards for accessibility, ADA and EAA compliance

Accessibility for Existing Websites

Audits, remediation and monitoring to reduce legal liability , comply with accessibility laws and improve sales

Accessible, WCAG-conformant Divi Websites

Is your website built with Divi? Our custom plugin fixes inherent accessibility flaws with Divi theme and page builder.

A diverse team of professionals working together in an office with laptops and a wheelchair user.

Loosing out on Sales? At Legal Risk?

If your website is not accessible, you are missing out on sales and are at greater risk of being sued. Take the self-assessment survey to see where you stand.

Free Accessibility Assessment

People with Disabilities Spend Money Online

Americans with disabilities have over $600 billion in disposable income.
71% of people with disabilities leave a site that is not accessible and potentially go to a competitor’s site.

Most Websites Have Accessibility Issues

Over 90% of all websites have accessibility issues.
Top issues include low color contrast, missing image alt text and e-commerce tools that are not compatible with assistive technologies.

Over 4,000 Lawsuits Against Inaccessible Sites in 2024

41% have been sued previously
77% were against E-commerce sites
25% were against sites with accessibility widgets/toolbars/overlays (ex. accessiBe, UserWay) that don’t work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) – all public websites are subject to the ADA. State and local governments are required to meet WCAG 2.1 AA for all of their digital content starting in 2026.
Section 504 and Section 508 – If your business is subject to Section 504 or Section 508, your website must meet WCAG 2.1 AA
European Accessibility Act (EAA) – If your business sells to customers in European Union countries, your website must meet WCAG 2.1 AA starting in June 2025
Virginia Information Technology Standard (VITA) – All Virginia state agencies, colleges, universities, and other public organizations must meet WCAG 2.0 AA
Other states and countries may have additional laws and regulations that you need to meet. These laws apply based on where your customers are, not where your business is based.

It is estimated that up to 25% of the population has a disability. People with disabilities may not be using your website because you haven’t made it accessible. But if your competitors have done a better job, they are likely getting the sales you are missing out on.

Applying accessibility best practices also helps people who:

have trouble reading small text, especially in low light
have ADHD
find it hard to read their phone screen in bright outdoor sunlight
watch videos in noisy environments and prefer to read the captions
have broken or have had surgery on their dominant hand/arm, making it hard to use a computer mouse
have arthritis in their hands, making it painful or difficult to use a computer mouse
have conditions like vertigo, seizures, or migraines that can be triggered by motion or flashing lights
have dyslexia

Do any of these describe your current or target customers?

No! Approximately 25% of accessibility lawsuits are against sites that have these tools. Despite their marketing claims, these tools cannot make your site WCAG compliant. One such tool has even been fined by the FTC for these misleading claims.

People with sight-related disabilities typically have their own assistive technology tools that can be used across all websites. They don’t need you to provide special tools. In fact, these toolbars often get in the way of their assistive technologies, which is part of the reason for the high number of lawsuits against sites with these widgets.

Achieving accessibility is a journey and every journey starts with a step. Here are some steps you can consider:

Remove Accessibility Toolbars, Widgets and Overlays: The presence of these tools on your site can increase the risk of being sued and will interfere with testing and properly fixing issues on your site
Test your site: Use free tools and Chrome extensions to start identifying issues. Use only your keyboard to navigate and interact with your site. For more extensive testing, have a full accessibility audit conducted for your site.
Add an Accessibility Statement: Let your users know you are committed to finding and fixing accessibility issues on your site. Include contact information for the person heading your accessibility initiatives in case users have trouble using your site.
Here are some additional steps to consider

Elevage Digital can audit websites built on any platform (ex. Wix, Shopify, SquareSpace, Drupal, CivicPlus, etc.). Depending on the platform, you may need to work with the website software provider or a developer that specializes in a particular platform in order to remediate issues. Elevage Digital only remediates and builds new sites on WordPress.

Yes! Elevage Digital frequently partners with other agencies who are leading the website redesign and building project. We can review color palettes, design mockups, page templates and nearly complete sites to identify accessibility issues that should be addressed before launch. We also offer post-launch monitoring and maintenance to help you maintain accessibility.