Is Your Restaurant's Online Ordering ADA Compliant?

What "ADA compliant" actually means for a website

There's no separate "website checklist" in the ADA law itself — courts and the DOJ point to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA as the practical standard. In plain English, your ordering page should be usable by someone who:

• Uses a screen reader (can't see the screen)
• Navigates with a keyboard only (can't use a mouse)
• Needs high color contrast or larger text

Quick self-check for your ordering page

• Keyboard test: can you tab through the menu, add an item, and reach checkout using only the Tab/Enter keys — and always see where you are?
• Images: do food photos and icons have text alternatives?
• Contrast: is the text easy to read against its background (no light-gray-on-white)?
• Forms: are checkout fields clearly labeled, with helpful error messages?
• Zoom: does the page still work zoomed to 200%?

Free tools like the WAVE browser extension or Google Lighthouse can flag many issues in seconds.

The hidden risk with "accessibility widget" plugins

You may have seen one-click "accessibility overlay" widgets that promise instant compliance. Be careful: the accessibility community has widely criticized these, and businesses using them have still been sued — because a widget bolted on top doesn't fix an inaccessible page underneath. Real compliance comes from building the page correctly, not a band-aid.

How Boom handles it

Every Boom Online Ordering page is built to WCAG 2.1 AA from the ground up — semantic markup, keyboard navigation, labeled forms, readable contrast, and screen-reader support. When we build or host your ordering page, accessibility is baked in, so your guests can all order and you're protected. See our accessibility statement for the details.