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Why Website Accessibility Matters and What Hotels Need to Know – Image Credit Vizergy
Website accessibility is no longer just a “nice to have.” An inaccessible website can shut out guests with disabilities, frustrate users, and expose your property to real legal risk. Making your website ADA compliant isn’t just about avoiding lawsuits—it’s about inclusion, performance, and trust.
The legal landscape: accessibility lawsuits on the rise
Digital-accessibility lawsuits have become a consistent trend. Industry trackers report more than 4,000 ADA-related digital accessibility lawsuits filed in 2024, and over 2,000 more in the first half of 2025.
A small group of plaintiffs and law firms drive many of these cases, often focusing on common, easily preventable website issues. Even when claims are settled, the costs of remediation and legal fees can add up quickly.
Bottom line: The risk is real, and the best defense is a proactive, well-documented accessibility strategy.
What defines website accessibility?
While there’s no single “official” ADA website checklist, courts and accessibility experts generally refer to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) as the standard. WCAG is built around four principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust (POUR), with testable criteria at Levels A, AA, and AAA.
For most hotels, aiming for WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 Level AA compliance is considered the best practice.
Common accessibility issues include:
- Missing or incorrect alt text for images (screen readers can’t describe visuals)
- Poor color contrast that makes text difficult to read
- Lack of keyboard accessibility for users who can’t use a mouse
- Inaccessible forms, unlabeled inputs, or unclear error messages
- Videos without captions or transcripts
- PDFs and other downloads that aren’t optimized for accessibility
These are often simple to fix, but they require regular monitoring and training to prevent them from reappearing.
Why accessibility matters for hotels
Accessibility isn’t just about compliance. It’s about creating a digital experience that welcomes every guest. For hotels, that means ensuring your website works seamlessly for everyone who wants to explore, book, or connect with your property.
- Guest experience: Accessibility ensures all guests can navigate, book, and engage with your site easily.
- Brand reputation: An inclusive website shows that your property values every guest.
- Legal protection: Proactive compliance can reduce your exposure to costly ADA complaints.
- SEO benefits: Many accessibility improvements—like descriptive alt text, clear structure, and faster page load times—also improve your search visibility.
How to improve your website’s ADA compliance
- Start with an accessibility audit: Use a mix of automated scans and manual testing (keyboard navigation, screen reader checks, and human review). Automated tools are helpful but can’t catch everything.
- Fix the high-impact issues first: Alt text, color contrast, heading order, and form labels make an immediate difference.
- Aim for WCAG 2.1/2.2 Level AA: This standard covers most usability issues for modern websites.
- Train your content team: Teach editors how to write accessible alt text, use proper headings, and add captions to videos.
- Evaluate every new widget and feature. Accessibility should be part of your approval process for new content.
- Document your progress. Keep a record of audits, fixes, and testing so you can demonstrate ongoing compliance.
How Vizergy supports accessibility
Vizergy helps hotels maintain ADA compliance through:
- Comprehensive accessibility audits (manual + automated testing)
- Prioritized remediation roadmaps
- Ongoing ADA monitoring and content team training
- Accessible design and development aligned with WCAG standards
Our goal is to help hotels protect their brands, serve every guest, and capture the performance benefits of a more inclusive digital experience.
About Vizergy Digital Marketing
For over 25 years, Vizergy has served the hospitality industry with leading marketing technologies and exceptional service for clients worldwide. Vizergy’s platform is easy to use, turnkey, and SMART — continually enhanced to help hotels compete within the market and maximize revenue. By leveraging a data-first approach, hospitality marketing is not only the mission, but Vizergy’s sole focus. Reach out to our team for more information.
