The Department of Justice's March 2022 guidance says the ADA requires businesses open to the public to make sure their websites do not exclude people with disabilities, while giving businesses flexibility in how they comply. There is no detailed federal web standard for private businesses, so WCAG 2.2 level AA is a sensible working target. Frequent problems on contractor sites include poor color contrast, missing image text, unlabeled forms and menus that need a mouse.
What the DOJ guidance says
In March 2022, the Department of Justice published guidance on web accessibility and the ADA. For businesses open to the public under Title III, the guidance explains that inaccessible websites can keep people with disabilities from accessing the goods and services a business offers. It also says businesses have flexibility in how they comply with the ADA's general requirements, but they must comply. The guidance points to existing technical standards, including the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, as helpful resources.
The guidance lists examples of common barriers, including poor color contrast, missing captions on videos, inaccessible online forms and mouse only navigation.
A separate DOJ rule adopted in 2024 sets specific web accessibility requirements for state and local governments under Title II. That rule does not apply to private contractors, but it shows the direction of travel and uses WCAG 2.1 AA as its standard.
This guide is general information, not legal advice.
Why WCAG 2.2 AA is a good target
WCAG is published by the World Wide Web Consortium. Version 2.2 builds on earlier versions and adds criteria that matter on phones, such as a minimum target size for buttons and links. Level AA is the level most often used in policies and settlements. Building to WCAG 2.2 AA covers the earlier versions too.
The checks that matter most on HVAC sites
Color contrast
Text needs enough contrast against its background to be read by people with low vision. Light gray text on white, white text on pale photos and orange buttons with white text are common problems. WCAG AA asks for a contrast ratio of at least 4.5 to 1 for normal text and 3 to 1 for large text. Free contrast checkers make this quick to test.
Text alternatives for images
Every meaningful image needs alt text describing what it shows. "Technician checking a heat pump outside a brick house" is useful. "Image1.jpg" is not. Decorative images should have empty alt text so screen readers skip them. If your phone number or offer is inside an image, it also needs to be in real text.
Forms
Every field needs a visible label rather than placeholder text that disappears. Required fields should be marked in text, not only by color. Error messages should explain what to fix. Booking widgets from third parties need the same checks, because they are part of your site from the visitor's point of view.
Keyboard use
Everything you can do with a mouse should work with a keyboard: opening the menu, moving through links, using the booking flow and submitting forms. A visible focus outline shows where you are on the page. Try it yourself by pressing Tab through your home page.
Target size
WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.5.8, Target Size (Minimum), asks for interactive targets of at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels, with exceptions such as links inside sentences. Call and book buttons should be much larger than that for comfortable tapping.
Video and audio
If you use video, add captions. Auto playing video with sound is a barrier and an annoyance. A transcript helps for longer videos.
Headings and structure
Use one main heading per page and logical subheadings. Screen reader users often jump between headings to find what they need, just as sighted visitors scan.
A quick self test
| Test | How | Pass looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Keyboard | Press Tab through the home page | You can reach and use the menu, call link and booking button, and see where focus is |
| Zoom | Zoom the browser to 200 percent | Text reflows, nothing overlaps or disappears |
| Contrast | Run key colors through a contrast checker | Body text at 4.5 to 1 or higher |
| Images | Turn images off or use a screen reader | Important information still available as text |
| Forms | Submit a form with an error | Clear message telling you what to fix |
Overlays and quick fixes
Some vendors sell accessibility overlay widgets that promise instant compliance. Accessibility specialists widely criticize these tools, and they do not fix underlying problems in the site's code. Fixing contrast, labels, alt text and keyboard behavior at the source is more reliable.
Publish an accessibility statement
An accessibility statement explains your target, known issues and how people can contact you if they have trouble using the site. It shows good faith and gives visitors a way to get help. You can see ours as an example.
Third party tools count too
Booking widgets, chat tools, financing applications and review embeds are part of your site from a visitor's point of view. Before adding one, test it with a keyboard and check that its buttons and fields are labeled. Ask vendors whether they publish an accessibility conformance report. If a tool cannot be used without a mouse, offer an alternative nearby, such as a phone number or a simple request form.
Accessibility and your PDFs
Price sheets, plan terms and financing brochures are often uploaded as PDFs. Scanned PDFs are images of text and cannot be read by screen readers. Where possible, put important information on a web page instead, or make sure PDFs are created from the original document with real text and headings.
Where to start if your site has never been checked
Pick your five most visited pages, usually the home page, two service pages, the booking page and the contact page. Run the self test above on each. Fix contrast and form labels first, because they affect the most people and are quick to change. Then fix keyboard access to the menu and booking flow. Finally, write alt text for every meaningful image. Working through those four steps on your busiest pages removes most of the barriers visitors are likely to hit.
Keeping it accessible after launch
Accessibility slips when new content is added in a hurry. Make a few habits part of every update: write alt text when you upload a photo, use real headings instead of bold text, keep link text descriptive rather than "click here," and test any new form or widget with a keyboard before it goes live. A short checklist for whoever edits the site does more than a yearly audit.
Does the ADA apply to HVAC company websites?
DOJ guidance from March 2022 says businesses open to the public must make sure their websites do not exclude people with disabilities, with flexibility in how they comply. There is no detailed federal web standard for private businesses, so WCAG 2.2 AA is a common working target.
What accessibility problems turn up most on contractor websites?
Poor color contrast, missing alt text on images, form fields without labels, menus that do not work with a keyboard and phone numbers or offers shown only inside images.
Do accessibility overlay widgets make a site compliant?
They do not fix problems in the underlying code and are widely criticized by accessibility specialists. Fixing issues at the source is more reliable.
Sources
Disclosure: the owner of this site has commercial interests in web design services. This page is written to be useful whether or not you hire anyone, and it contains no paid placements.