Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Website compliance services for the Real Estate Industry offered by RealtyTech Inc.
RealtyTech’s CEO, Richard Uzelac states the services include ADA Compliance Assessment, Compliance Resolution, Website End User Compliance Control Panel, and Monthly Monitoring and Compliance Updates. Richard Uzelac provides information on the current ADA issues now facing Real Estate Agents and Real Estate Companies with websites. Richard Uzelac reviews the current compliance lawsuit landscape and how to react quickly to lawsuits should the Realtor or Real Estate Firm be served. Key areas to watch for ADA Compliance issues and how they are best addressed are covered.
ADA Compliance analysis resolution can put quite a burden upon individual real estate agents with their template or custom websites.
‘What are the rules, what do I have to do?’ ‘I’m a real estate agent, not a website developer!’ The ADA law can also put a serious burden upon Real Estate companies that are bigger targets for lawsuits, be they valid or malicious,’ said Richard Uzelac, CEO of RealtyTech Inc.
RealtyTech Inc Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) Website Compliance Services for Real Estate Companies
“Zillow and Compass have been sued for ADA non-compliance. I’m not a lawyer and neither do we offer legal advice, this is all opinion, Richard Uzelac said. “My opinion is; most of the lawsuits are going to be aimed at the larger national franchises and companies, down to local Real Estate companies. Lawsuits against individual agents are going to be few and far between. Law groups just won’t see enough money in suing Agents. I also believe courts will be easier on agents than large companies with highly ranked websites,” added Richard Uzelac.
The team at RealtyTech decided to offer specific ADA Website Compliance Services to their Clients, and any Real Estate franchise, company or agent that wanted to become compliant. Compliance is basically adjusting the site to be usable for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Blind, and Partially Blind.
“It is far better to pay for compliance now, than waiting to be sued before you act. Court costs can be very costly., Richard Uzelac, CEO of RealtyTech Inc
“In early 2019 we were approached by quite a few Real Estate Companies that wanted bids and pricing for website Americans with Disabilities Act compliance. In some cases, the companies told us the fees others were charging for compliance and we were astounded at the astronomical prices,” said Richard Uzelac.
“Real Estate Companies with thirty-page websites with IDX were getting quotes of $25,000 or more to get their sites ADA Compliant. We saw quite a bit of price gouging going on because business owners simply did not know what was involved and what it took to become compliant. Many owners were terrified to become the next sued company in their space,” added Richard Uzelac.
RealtyTech offers several reasonably priced programs designed to meet the needs of any company and their websites. The process to compliance is usually straight forward and it is clearly explained with no mystery to our Clients.
Analysis: Analyzing the current website and identify all issue the site has that is keeping the site from becoming compliant.
Development: Developing the backend and frontend code and content of the website to meet ADA Compliance, this includes providing changes to the site for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Blind, Partially Blind.
Ongoing Changes and Monitoring: As a site is updated, ADA compliance may need to be applied to those changes. RealtyTech can offer ongoing ADA compliance services monthly to keep your site compliant.
Here are examples of just some of the items addressed during ADA Compliance Optimization by RealtyTech:
- Logical overall layout of the site and navigation
- Forms are logical and follow a pattern throughout the website.
- No auto-submissions of forms, all must have an action performed to be submitted.
- Images: Adding Titles, Captions and/or Alt-Text to each picture that explains what is on the picture to someone with sight impairment.
- Videos: Adding closed captions to all videos for the hearing disabled to understand what is being communicated in the video. Also, ability for all users to pause, stop or replay a video.
- Audio Transcriptions: For recorded sound media, adding the transcription text from the media to the page or quickly reachable by a link for the hearing impaired.
- Keyboard Accessibility: The website must be navigable by just a keyboard, without the use of a mouse or similar.
- Easy to read Text, Contrast, and Sizing.
These are just a sample of the requirements for ADA Website Compliance. In addition to the actions taken above to become compliant, RealtyTech offers a new proprietary website program that allows all impaired users to alter their individual interface when they visit a Clients website.
RealtyTech offers new software: ADA User Interface Controller, allows the blind/partially blind or deaf/partially deaf to adjust the following aspects of an Agent’s or Company site automatically:
User Accessibility Interface (Foreground App.) allows users to change:
- Fonts and Font Sizes
- Site Colors and Contrasts
- Use a Virtual Keyboard
- Control Cursor type and size
- Engage an Online Glossary
- Stop/Pause Animations/Videos
- Artificial Machine Learning (Background App.) supports users with:
- WAI-Aria 1.1 Compliant
- Adds Alt tags to Images to Describe them to the blind, auto updated daily.
- Menus-Made compatible for accessibility software
- Dropdowns- Made compatible for accessibility software
- Popups- Made compatible for accessibility software
- Forms- Made compatible for accessibility software
- Widgets- Made compatible for accessibility software
- Icons- Made compatible for accessibility software
- Buttons- Made compatible for accessibility software
About RealtyTech:
Richard Uzelac’s RealtyTech Inc was created in 2002. Since that time RealtyTech has helped thousands of Agents and Offices to build strong brands and online presences to enhance their real estate businesses. RealtyTech specializes is Websites, IDX, and Internet Marketing and Advertising for the Real Estate Industry. Contact Richard Uzelac directly at RealtyTech Inc. at 805-413-7888 for more information.
About Richard Uzelac:
Richard Uzelac has been in the real estate business for over thirty years. He started as a real estate agent in New Jersey then office owner in California to real estate technology leader. Richard Uzelac was the Senior Director of Realtor.com before starting RealtyTech Inc. in 2002. Richard has given thousands of presentations and talks on real estate technology. Richard Uzelac is available as a Speaker and Consultant for Franchises, Offices and Agents. Contact Richard Uzelac at 805.413.7888
