If your business is open to the public, plan on your website needing to work for people with disabilities. The Department of Justice says the ADA covers the goods and services a business offers online, even though it hasn't written a detailed web rule for private businesses. The practical target is WCAG Level AA, and most small business sites can close the biggest gaps without a rebuild.
This is general information, not legal advice. If you're facing a claim, talk to a lawyer.
Does the ADA apply to a Fort Worth small business website?
Most likely, yes. Title III of the ADA covers businesses open to the public, like shops, restaurants, medical offices, salons and venues. The DOJ's position is that those businesses must make what they offer online accessible too, from a booking form to a menu.
There's no Texas carve-out. The ADA is federal law, so a Fort Worth bakery is under the same law as a shop in California. Federal courts still disagree on how far it reaches, especially for online-only businesses. That gray area is a reason to fix your site, not a reason to wait.
Texas does have its own website accessibility rules, but they apply to state agencies and public colleges and universities, not private businesses.
What changes if you work with the City of Fort Worth or Tarrant County?
In 2024 the DOJ set a firm rule for state and local governments: their web content and mobile apps must meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA. In April 2026 it pushed the deadlines back a year. Governments with 50,000 or more people, which includes the City of Fort Worth and Tarrant County, now have until April 26, 2027. Smaller governments and special districts have until April 26, 2028.
Why should a private business care? The rule covers content a government provides "directly or through contractual, licensing, or other arrangements." If your forms, booking pages, videos or documents show up on a public entity's site, expect questions. You may be asked for an accessibility statement or a VPAT, a standard document that explains how a product meets accessibility guidelines. If you sell to public entities in DFW, get ahead of that before your next renewal.
What does Squarespace handle, and what's on you?
Squarespace handles a good share of the structure. Its help center lists color settings that can match WCAG contrast guidance, a visible focus outline for keyboard users, an automatic "Skip to Content" link, labeled fields in the built-in checkout, alt text fields on images, an SEO Report that flags images missing alt text, and video captions.
What it can't do is write your content. Alt text, heading order, link wording, the colors you pick and anything you upload as a PDF or image are on you. Squarespace says plainly that you're responsible for meeting the laws that apply to your business. WordPress and Shopify work the same way: every edit after launch can add a new barrier.
Will an accessibility widget protect you?
No. In 2025 the Federal Trade Commission finalized an order requiring accessiBe, one of the best-known overlay companies, to pay $1 million. The order bars it from claiming its automated tool can make any website WCAG compliant unless it has evidence to back that up.
A widget paints changes on top of the page. The code underneath, which testers and scanners read, usually stays the same. Spend that monthly fee fixing the real pages instead.
What should a small business fix first?
Start with whatever stops someone from becoming a customer:
- Menus, price lists and flyers posted as images or PDFs. This is the big one for Fort Worth restaurants, bars and venues. A screen reader can't read a photo of a menu, and many PDFs aren't readable either. Put the menu, hours and event details on the page as real text.
- Missing or useless alt text. "IMG_4471" tells a blind visitor nothing. Describe what matters in the photo. Pure decoration doesn't need a description.
- Contact and booking forms. Every field needs a visible label, and error messages should say what went wrong in words, not just turn a box red.
- Headings used for looks. One main heading per page, then headings in order. Don't pick a heading level for its font size.
- Vague links. "Click here" means nothing out of context. "See our catering menu" does.
- Low contrast. Light gray text on white and white text on busy photos are common problems on modern sites.
- Videos without captions. Turn them on and check they're accurate.
Real text, clear headings and descriptive links also help Google and AI tools read the page. See how to structure your website content so AI tools cite it.
How can you test your own site in 20 minutes?
Open your homepage and your busiest page, then:
- Put the mouse away. Press Tab to move through the page. Can you see where you are, reach the menu and submit the form?
- Turn on your phone's screen reader. iPhones have VoiceOver and Android phones have TalkBack. Listen to your homepage. Does it make sense?
- Zoom to 200%. Does text overlap or disappear?
- Run a free scan. WAVE, a tool Squarespace points to, flags missing alt text, contrast and heading problems.
Write down what you find and the date you fixed it. That record matters if anyone ever asks.
What if you get an ADA demand letter?
Don't ignore it, and don't pay it right away. Call a lawyer who handles ADA cases first. A real lawsuit has a case number you can look up. Federal cases are listed on PACER, and Fort Worth falls in the Northern District of Texas.
Most letters list the barriers their tester found. That list is your to-do list. Fix the issues on the real pages and keep dated notes of every change.
Want help with the fixes?
Most accessibility problems are content and design problems, and they're cheaper to fix than to defend. If your site needs more than a cleanup, start with website development. Before you hire anyone, read do you own your website so you keep control of the pages you'll need to fix. You can also see our pricing, check the FAQ or start a project.
FAQs
Does a small business website have to be ADA compliant? If your business is open to the public, the Department of Justice says the ADA applies to the goods and services you offer online. There's no detailed federal web rule for private businesses, so WCAG Level AA is the usual target.
Is there a deadline for website accessibility in Texas? Not for private businesses. State and local governments, like the City of Fort Worth and Tarrant County, must meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA by April 26, 2027, and smaller governments by April 26, 2028. Vendors whose content appears on their sites may be asked to meet the same standard.
Is a Squarespace website ADA compliant? Not automatically. Squarespace includes contrast settings, focus outlines, a skip link, labeled checkout fields and alt text fields. You're still responsible for your own content, including alt text, headings, link wording, colors and PDFs.
Do accessibility overlay widgets make a website compliant? No. The FTC ordered accessiBe to pay $1 million in 2025 and barred it from claiming its automated tool can make any website WCAG compliant without evidence. Fixing the actual pages is the reliable approach.
What should I do if I get an ADA website demand letter? Don't ignore it or pay it right away. Talk to a lawyer who handles ADA cases, confirm whether a real case was filed, and fix the barriers the letter lists while keeping dated records of each fix.
