Accessible Web Design · Grand Rapids, MI
Built for every visitor.
Required by law.
Better for everyone.
WCAG 2.1 AA compliance is standard on every site we build — not an add-on, not an afterthought. With the DOJ’s April 2026 deadline in effect and ADA web lawsuits reaching ~5,000 per year, accessible design is no longer optional. It’s also better design.
WCAG 2.1 AA on every build
Zero overlay tools — built in from day one
Bilingual English & Spanish available
The Deadline Is Here
The DOJ's April 2026 mandate is in effect. Most sites still aren't compliant.
The Department of Justice finalized Title II accessibility rules requiring WCAG 2.1 AA compliance. ADA web lawsuits have climbed to approximately 5,000 per year — and retail, healthcare, hospitality, and legal services are the most targeted sectors.
of websites remain non-compliant with WCAG 2.1 AA — including most of your local competitors.
ADA web accessibility lawsuits filed per year in the US — up consistently year over year since 2018.
Federal Disabled Access Credit covers 50% of accessibility costs for qualifying small businesses — up to $5,000 back.
The Difference
Overlay tools vs. built-in compliance.
Most agencies bolt on a $49/month accessibility overlay widget and call it compliant. Overlay tools do not pass WCAG 2.1 AA audits and have been named in lawsuits. Compliance is structural — it has to be built in from the beginning.
Without Accessibility
- ✕ Screen readers can't interpret your content — 26% of US adults with a disability can't use your site
- ✕ Color contrast failures make text unreadable in bright light or for visitors with low vision
- ✕ No keyboard navigation — visitors who can't use a mouse are completely locked out
- ✕ Missing alt text means Google can't index your images — and vision-impaired users get nothing
- ✕ Exposed to ADA litigation with no structural defense
Built by Public Thinking Studio
- ✓ Semantic HTML structure — screen readers, search engines, and all users navigate cleanly
- ✓ Every color pairing verified at 4.5:1 contrast ratio minimum — WCAG AA compliant by default
- ✓ Full keyboard navigation — every button, link, and form field reachable without a mouse
- ✓ Descriptive alt text on every image — better for users, better for Google indexing
- ✓ Documented WCAG 2.1 AA compliance — structural protection, not an overlay band-aid
Who Needs This
Every Grand Rapids business that wants to grow.
ADA compliance lawsuits target specific sectors disproportionately. If your business falls into one of these categories, the question isn’t whether to build an accessible site — it’s how soon.
Healthcare & Wellness
Clinics, dental offices, therapists, and wellness centers — the top lawsuit target sector. Patient portals and booking systems carry additional accessibility obligations.
Legal & Professional Services
Law firms and financial advisors that serve people with disabilities — while simultaneously being exposed to claims from them — need accessible sites as a matter of professional integrity.
Restaurants & Hospitality
Online menus, reservation systems, and ordering flows are heavily targeted. Grand Rapids' 250+ dining establishments are largely exposed.
Construction & Contractors
With Grand Rapids hitting a record $949M in construction value in 2025, contractor sites need to work for every potential client — including those using assistive technology.
Retail & E-Commerce
Shopping flows, product pages, and checkout forms carry the highest accessibility litigation risk in the commercial sector. Every inaccessible barrier is a potential claim.
Nonprofits & Community Orgs
Organizations serving the public — especially those receiving government funding — face Title II obligations. West Michigan's robust nonprofit sector is broadly under-compliant.
What WCAG 2.1 AA Actually Means
Four pillars. Every one built in from the start.
WCAG 2.1 AA is structured around four core principles — Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust. Every site we build satisfies all four before launch.
01 — Perceivable
Information must be available to all senses
Alt text on every image. Captions on video. Sufficient color contrast ratios. Text that scales without breaking layout. No content that relies solely on color to convey meaning.
02 — Operable
Every function must work without a mouse
Full keyboard navigation. Visible focus indicators. No time limits that can't be paused. Skip-to-content links. No seizure-inducing content. Touch targets sized for mobile users.
03 — Understandable
Content and behavior must be predictable
Correct language attributes (critical for Spanish pages). Clear error messages. Labels on every form field. Consistent navigation across pages. No unexpected context changes on interaction.
04 — Robust
Code that works with current and future tools
Valid, semantic HTML. ARIA landmarks where needed. Compatible with major screen readers (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver). Structured to remain compliant as assistive technology evolves.
How It Works
Three steps. No guesswork.
01 — Audit
We assess what exists or what you need.
New project or existing site — we start with an accessibility audit against all WCAG 2.1 AA criteria. You get a clear list of what passes, what fails, and what the build plan looks like.
02 — Build
We build compliance in from the first line of code.
Semantic HTML, proper heading hierarchy, verified contrast ratios, keyboard navigation, ARIA roles, and descriptive alt text — all built in during development, not retrofitted after.
03 — Verify
We verify before you launch — with documentation.
Pre-launch accessibility testing with automated and manual checks. You receive a documented compliance summary you can reference if your accessibility practices are ever questioned.
Work That Shows It
Accessible, bilingual, and built for Grand Rapids.
Every site we build meets WCAG 2.1 AA by default. The Las Morenas project demonstrates what accessible, bilingual design looks like when it’s built for a real Grand Rapids business — not a checkbox exercise. See it live at lasmorenas.com →.
Common Questions
What business owners ask about accessibility.
No. Overlay tools like AccessiBe, UserWay, and similar products do not achieve WCAG 2.1 AA compliance. Multiple overlay providers have been named in ADA lawsuits brought by blind users whose screen readers were broken by the overlay. The DOJ and accessibility legal community is clear: compliance requires structural changes to the HTML, not a script added after the fact.
Yes. ADA web lawsuits are filed against businesses of all sizes, and the trend is toward smaller defendants. The ADA defines a ‘place of public accommodation’ broadly — if you serve the public, your website likely qualifies. Retail, restaurants, healthcare providers, and legal professionals are the most targeted sectors. The cost of a single lawsuit settlement typically ranges from $10,000 to $75,000 — far more than the cost of building accessibly from the start.
Yes — the federal Disabled Access Credit (IRS Form 8826) covers 50% of eligible accessibility expenses between $250 and $10,250 per year, for a maximum credit of $5,000. This applies to businesses with gross receipts under $1 million or 30 or fewer full-time employees. An accessible website build qualifies as an eligible expense. We recommend confirming specifics with your tax advisor.
Yes — and there’s an additional requirement. Each page must declare its primary language in the HTML `lang` attribute. If your Spanish pages aren’t marked correctly, they fail WCAG 2.1 AA Criterion 3.1.1 regardless of everything else on the page. TranslatePress (which Public Thinking Studio uses for bilingual builds) handles this correctly when configured properly.
Directly and indirectly. Google’s crawlers use many of the same signals that screen readers use — semantic HTML, heading hierarchy, descriptive alt text, and fast load times all factor into both accessibility compliance and search ranking. An accessible site is structurally better for SEO. Sites with strong Core Web Vitals, clean heading structure, and descriptive content consistently outperform otherwise equivalent sites.
Remediation is possible and often faster than a full rebuild, depending on how the site was originally built. We assess existing sites against WCAG 2.1 AA criteria and provide a clear remediation plan — prioritized by litigation risk and user impact. If the site’s structure makes remediation more expensive than rebuilding, we’ll tell you directly. No upselling. Request a conversation and we’ll walk through your specific situation.
Limited Availability
Every day without an accessible site is a risk that compounds.
We take on a limited number of projects each quarter. If accessibility compliance is on your list for 2026, the time to act is now.
Start a project →Or write to leot@publicthinking.studio · Based in Grand Rapids, MI