A few years ago, I remember watching big-name brands like Amazon and Walmart start getting hit with claims that their websites weren’t accessible to users with disabilities. At the time, it was easy to think, “That’s a big company problem.” But I’ve been around this industry long enough to see where it was headed. Once something like that gains traction at the top, it doesn’t stay there. It trickles down and eventually becomes everyone’s concern. We’re now at the point where that prediction is playing out in a very real way for local radio stations.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was originally passed to ensure that people with disabilities have equal access to public spaces – things like buildings, transportation, and services. Over time, as the internet became central to how businesses operate, the conversation shifted. If your website is where people interact with your brand, consume your content, or do business with you, then it’s increasingly being treated as part of that “public space.” That’s where the connection to our websites comes in, and why accessibility is no longer just a physical-world concern.
What’s accelerating this right now is the federal government tightening accessibility requirements for its own websites. That may sound unrelated to radio stations, but it’s not. Once those standards are clearly defined at that level, they quickly become the expectation everywhere else. Courts reference them, attorneys use them, and suddenly, what used to be a gray area becomes a lot more black and white. That’s the “trickle down” effect in action, and it’s exactly why this topic is starting to show up more often in conversations around radio station websites.
Our station websites sit right in the middle of this. You’re publishing content daily, you’re embedding audio players for your stream and podcasts, you’re running contests, showing events, and sponsor integrations – all things that can introduce accessibility issues if they’re not handled carefully. It’s not that anyone is intentionally building inaccessible sites; it’s that most platforms were never designed with this level of scrutiny in mind. And when you combine that with frequent content updates, the chances of something slipping through the cracks go up quickly.
So instead of overthinking this, let’s get practical. Here are some simple things you can check right now to put you ahead of many sites out there. Start with your images – if your site is full of news posts, concert shots, and sponsor graphics, make sure they have meaningful alt text. Not “image123.jpg,” but actual descriptions that explain what’s there. Every… single… image. Banner ads, too. It’s one of the easiest wins and one of the most common things content people bypass.
Next, take a look at your headings. If your pages are just bold text styled to look like headings, or you’re using heading tags (H1, H2, H3, etc) just so that the text appears bigger, screen readers struggle to make sense of the content. Proper heading structure isn’t just for SEO – it’s how many users navigate your site. It’s simple to fix, but it requires being intentional about how content is entered and displayed.
Your audio player is another big one, and this is where radio sites can get exposed. Can someone tab through your site using only a keyboard and actually hit “play,” “pause,” and control volume? Are those buttons labeled clearly, or are they just icons? If the answer is “not sure” or “never thought about it,” that’s worth digging into. The player might look great, but if it’s not usable without a mouse, it’s a problem.
Forms are another quick check. Whether it’s a contest entry, contact form, or newsletter signup, make sure every field has a proper label, error messages are clear, and nothing relies solely on color to communicate meaning. If a listener makes a mistake filling something out, they should know exactly what went wrong and how to fix it without guessing. I can see someone’s inability to enter a major contest will be the first ADA lawsuit filed against an unsuspecting local radio station.
We can no longer put this off. ADA compliance is legally required for websites operated by public entities. The compliance deadline is April 24, 2026, for public entities with populations of 50,000 or more; smaller entities will follow in April 2027.
If you want a fast reality check, there are tools that can scan your site in seconds. The WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool and axe DevTools are both solid starting points and will flag obvious issues like missing alt text, contrast problems, and structural errors. They’re not perfect, but they’ll give you a clear picture of where you stand. You can also drop your site URL into ChatGPT and ask for an accessibility review – it won’t replace a full audit, but it’s another quick way to surface problem areas.
The bottom line is this: ADA compliance is no longer just a big-company issue. Yes, even a smaller market radio station can face legal trouble if its website isn’t accessible. The number of ADA-related website claims continues to rise, and waiting it out isn’t a strategy. This is the time to have a real conversation with your website developer, streaming provider, and content team about where you stand and what needs to be addressed. At the end of the day, the responsibility falls on your organization—regardless of which vendors you use. The stations that take a proactive approach now will be in a far better position than those forced to react later under pressure.
Pic generated by Leonardo.AI
Jim Sherwood is a radio veteran turned digital strategist dedicated to helping radio stations thrive online through engaging websites and mobile apps. As the founder of Skyrocket Radio and host of the Better Radio Websites podcast, he shares best practices to help stations grow audiences and revenue in the digital space. With decades of experience in radio and a passion for connecting content with listeners, Jim ensures that every station—no matter its size—can make a lasting impact online.