--- title: "Website accessibility for dental practices: a checklist" description: "A plain checklist for dental practice website accessibility, based on Department of Justice guidance under the Americans with Disabilities Act." url: https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/blog/dental-website-accessibility publisher: Copeland Consulting Services email: drcopeland@joncopelanddds.com contact: https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/contact --- # Website accessibility for dental practices: a checklist The U.S. Department of Justice says the Americans with Disabilities Act applies to the web services of businesses open to the public. It has no detailed web rule, so offices choose how to comply. Its guidance lists practical items: color contrast, alt text, captions, labeled forms and keyboard use. Ask an attorney about your office. Practice managementPublished October 26, 20264 min read A note on terms first: in this post, “ADA” means the Americans with Disabilities Act, a federal civil rights law. It does not mean the American Dental Association, which is named in full. This post is a checklist built from U.S. Department of Justice guidance. It is general education and not legal advice. An attorney can advise on a specific office. ## Does the ADA apply to a dental practice website? The Department of Justice (DOJ) says yes for businesses open to the public. Its guidance says Title III of the ADA “prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities by businesses open to the public.” It states that the department “has consistently taken the position” that ADA requirements apply to goods and services offered on the web. A dental office is a business open to the public, so the guidance is the place to start. Whether it covers your office in a given case is a legal question for an attorney. The DOJ page also says its guidance does not reflect rules published in April 2024 for state and local governments, which do not apply to a private practice. ## Is there a technical standard to follow? The DOJ says it has no detailed rule for private business websites, and that businesses may choose how to comply. It states: “The Department of Justice does not have a regulation setting out detailed standards, but the Department’s longstanding interpretation of the general nondiscrimination and effective communication provisions applies to web accessibility.” The DOJ also says that “existing technical standards provide helpful guidance.” These include the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and Section 508 standards that the federal government uses for its own websites. Flexibility in method does not remove the duty. The DOJ adds that businesses “still must ensure” that what they offer online is accessible. The glossary explains [web accessibility](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/web-accessibility) and the [Americans with Disabilities Act](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/americans-with-disabilities-act). ## What does the DOJ list as common barriers? The DOJ lists barriers that lock people out of a website. Each has a simple form on a dental site. Barrier the DOJ names Where it shows up on a practice site Poor color contrast Light gray text on a white page Color used alone to give information Red text alone marking required form fields Images with no text alternative Team photos, maps and charts Videos with no captions Welcome videos and patient education clips Unlabeled forms and unclear errors Contact and new-patient forms No keyboard navigation Menus that only work with a mouse ## What is a plain accessibility checklist for the website? The DOJ guidance lists practices that businesses should consider. Use the list below as a starting point for a conversation with your web vendor. 1. **Color contrast.** Check that text stands out from its background. 2. **Text cues with color.** Add the word “required,” not only red text, on required fields. 3. **Alt text.** Give images short, descriptive text alternatives. 4. **Captions.** Add accurate, synchronized captions to videos. 5. **Forms.** Use labels, keyboard access and clear instructions. The DOJ says these “are important for forms to be accessible.” 6. **Keyboard use.** Make sure the whole site works without a mouse. 7. **Text size and zoom.** Check that the page still works when a visitor enlarges the text. 8. **Headings.** Build headings into the page layout so screen readers can find them. 9. **Reporting.** Give visitors a way to report accessibility problems, so the office can fix them. The DOJ page also covers checking for accessibility and giving the public a way to report problems. It says its list is not complete. Read the full page with your vendor. Testing with a screen reader and with the keyboard alone shows problems that a quick look misses. ## What does the American Dental Association add? The American Dental Association has a page on federal accessibility rules for dental practices. It says dentists “are responsible for providing quality dental care that is accessible to everyone.” It calls the Americans with Disabilities Act “the broadest” of several laws, and says the law “applies to most government agencies and many private businesses, even if they do not receive federal funding.” The page also tells dentists to “ensure your patient-facing technology is accessible to individuals with disabilities.” That includes online forms, scheduling tools and portals, not only the public pages of a website. The ADA page links to other topics, such as effective communication and Section 1557 of federal law. ## How can an office keep this on track? Accessibility is not a one-time fix, because sites change. The steps below keep a checklist alive. Step Owner Add an accessibility line to the web vendor contract and to every site update Practice owner or office manager Test new pages with keyboard only Web vendor Review forms after any change to the scheduling or intake tool Office manager Keep a visible way for visitors to report a problem Practice owner Revisit the checklist each year [Office manager](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/office-manager) The glossary also explains the [electronic health record](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/electronic-health-record), which patient portals often connect to. The related posts on [HIPAA for dental offices](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/blog/hipaa-for-dental-offices) and [ransomware and data breaches](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/blog/dental-ransomware-data-breach) cover other patient-facing technology risks. The [dental compliance checklist](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/guides/dental-compliance-checklist) lists the wider set of compliance areas. Website choices also belong in the wider [dental technology](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/guides/dental-technology) pillar. ## Next step Read the [dental compliance checklist](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/guides/dental-compliance-checklist) for the wider view. To ask about consulting, [contact Dr. Copeland about consulting](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/contact?topic=consulting). ## Frequently asked questions ### Does the ADA apply to dental practice websites? The Department of Justice says the Americans with Disabilities Act applies to businesses open to the public, including what they offer online. Here ADA means the Americans with Disabilities Act, not the American Dental Association. An attorney can advise on a specific office. ### Is there a federal technical standard for private business websites? The Department of Justice says it does not have a regulation setting out detailed standards for this, and that businesses can choose how to comply. It points to existing technical standards such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines as helpful guidance. ### What does the American Dental Association say about accessibility? The American Dental Association has a page on federal accessibility and anti-discrimination requirements for dentists. It says the Americans with Disabilities Act is the broadest of several laws and that patient-facing technology should be accessible. ## Terms on this page - [Americans with Disabilities Act](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/americans-with-disabilities-act) - [American Dental Association](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/american-dental-association) - [Electronic health record](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/electronic-health-record) - [Compliance checklist](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/compliance-checklist) - [Web accessibility](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/web-accessibility) - [Office manager](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/office-manager) - [Practice owner](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/practice-owner) - [Ransomware](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/ransomware) - [HIPAA](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/hipaa) - [ADA](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/ada) ## Sources 1. [ADA.gov: Guidance on Web Accessibility and the ADA](https://www.ada.gov/resources/web-guidance/) 2. [ADA.gov: Guidance on Web Accessibility and the ADA, legal basis](https://www.ada.gov/resources/web-guidance/) 3. [ADA.gov: Guidance on Web Accessibility and the ADA, forms](https://www.ada.gov/resources/web-guidance/) 4. [American Dental Association: Navigating Accessibility](https://www.ada.org/resources/practice/legal-and-regulatory/navigating-accessibility) Written by Copeland Consulting Services and checked against the sources above on October 26, 2026. Rules, data and guidance change, so check the linked page before you act on it. ## Keep reading - [Dental practice compliance checklist: OSHA, HIPAA and infection controlA dental compliance checklist covers three federal areas: OSHA workplace safety, HIPAA privacy and security, and CDC infection control. OSHA has no dentistry-specific standard but applies general industry standards such as bloodborne pathogens. HIPAA covers patient information. Use the checklist to organize questions, then confirm requirements with your own advisers.](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/guides/dental-compliance-checklist) - [Ransomware and data breaches: steps for a dental practiceFederal guidance says to keep offline, encrypted backups, test restores and keep a written incident response plan. HHS says a ransomware attack on patient data is presumed a breach unless the office shows a low probability of compromise. CISA says to report incidents to CISA or the FBI. Confirm duties with an adviser.](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/blog/dental-ransomware-data-breach) - [HIPAA for dental offices: a plain checklist for ownersHIPAA has three rules most dental offices must know: the Privacy Rule, the Security Rule and the Breach Notification Rule. The Security Rule asks for administrative, physical and technical safeguards for electronic patient information. After a breach, notice goes to patients and HHS, and sometimes the media. Ask a qualified adviser about your office.](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/blog/hipaa-for-dental-offices) - [Dental technology: digital dentistry, AI, how to judge a purchase and what the implant literature showsDental technology covers digital impressions, imaging, CAD/CAM, 3D printing, practice software and AI. Sound decisions rest on published evidence, not brochures. Review the study design, ask what the tool changes in daily work, count the full cost, and check patient data duties before you buy.](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/guides/dental-technology) - [Dental practice management: people, money, schedule, patients and complianceDental practice management is the business side of running a dental office: finances, scheduling, patient communication, insurance decisions, team systems and legal compliance. Track a few core numbers, build written systems, review them on a set schedule, and use federal and ADA sources for compliance basics.](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/guides/dental-practice-management) - [Buying a dental practice: steps, financing and due diligenceBuying a dental practice usually runs in six stages: define your goals, get financing, value the practice, sign a letter of intent, complete due diligence, and close. Lenders, attorneys and accountants each own part of the work. This guide explains the steps and lists questions to ask. It is not legal, tax or financial advice.](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/guides/buying-a-dental-practice) ## Talk with Dr. Copeland [Contact Dr. Copeland](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/contact)[Email](mailto:drcopeland@joncopelanddds.com)