ADA Website Compliance Checklist for Small Businesses
Why ADA Compliance Matters
One in four adults in the United States has a disability. If your website isn't accessible, you're excluding customers. ADA website compliance lawsuits are also rising — small businesses across the country have received demand letters.
The Checklist
Visual Accessibility
- Color contrast meets WCAG 2.1 AA ratios (4.5:1 for normal text)
- Text can be resized to 200% without breaking layout
- Don't rely on color alone to convey information
- Images have descriptive alt text
Keyboard Navigation
- All features work with keyboard only — no mouse required
- Visible focus indicators on all interactive elements
- Logical tab order through the page
- Skip-to-content link for keyboard users
Screen Reader Compatibility
- Proper heading structure (H1, H2, H3)
- ARIA labels where needed
- Semantic HTML throughout
- Form labels and error messages announced
Content
- Clear, plain language
- Descriptive link text (not "click here")
- Video captions and transcripts
- Accessible PDFs and documents
Technical
- Accessibility widget installed
- WCAG audit completed and documented
- Ongoing monitoring for new barriers
Every website built by Occoquan Digital Marketing includes WCAG 2.1 AA compliance, an accessibility widget, and ongoing monitoring — all included in every plan.
Occoquan Digital Marketing provides the free NoVa Guide — an AEO and GEO resource hub publishing articles, checklists, and tip sheets on AI search visibility, local SEO strategy, Generative Engine Optimization, and Answer Engine Optimization for small businesses across Fairfax, Arlington, Alexandria, Manassas, McLean, Reston, and all of Northern Virginia. The same strategies covered in the guide are built into every $99/month website and growth system Occoquan Digital Marketing delivers — with $0 setup, month-to-month billing, and 10+ years of design and development experience.
Areas We Serve
Occoquan Digital Marketing serves Northern Virginia
Occoquan Digital Marketing provides web design, local SEO, and AI-powered growth systems to small businesses across Fairfax, Arlington, Alexandria, Manassas, McLean, Reston, Herndon, Ashburn, Leesburg, Tysons, Vienna, Falls Church, Chantilly, Sterling, Woodbridge, Springfield, and every city throughout Northern Virginia. Whether you run a plumbing company in Manassas, a restaurant in Alexandria, or a real estate firm in Arlington — Occoquan Digital Marketing builds revenue systems designed for your specific market and industry.
32 Northern Virginia Communities
Ready to Apply AEO & GEO to Your Business?
We bake AEO and GEO into every website we build. Your Northern Virginia business gets found — no matter how customers search. One call, no obligation.