Accessibility, ADA & WCAG on Your Lofty Website (Lofty AOS)

Introduction

Lofty builds digital accessibility directly into the foundation of every website — rather than relying on bolt-on widgets that often fall short. All Lofty-hosted websites are built to align with WCAG 2.1 Level AA, the widely recognized standard for digital accessibility.

This article explains what Lofty handles for you, what remains your responsibility, and how to respond if you receive an accessibility audit.

What Real Estate Professionals Need to Know About ADA

Private businesses (most real estate agents and brokers) — Title III: Most real estate professionals fall under Title III of the ADA. As of 2026, there is no specific federal rule mandating technical standards or deadlines for private websites. However, courts increasingly apply WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the benchmark in accessibility litigation, making voluntary compliance a strong risk-management practice.

Government entities — Title II: State and local government entities face strict compliance deadlines (April 2026 or 2027) under recent Department of Justice rulings. While this applies to the public sector, it has raised general expectations for web accessibility across all industries.

What Lofty Handles Automatically

Every Lofty default website template includes these accessibility features, built in at the platform level — no configuration required:

• Semantic Markup — Page elements are tagged to convey meaning to screen readers
• ARIA Implementation — ARIA landmarks and labels identify page regions
• Data Tables — Tables include captions and headers for proper interpretation
• Tagging — All page elements are appropriately tagged
• Code Cleanliness — Unnecessary whitespace is removed to improve screen reader performance
• Link Descriptions — Links include title or aria-label properties to describe their purpose
• Form Validation — Input errors are automatically detected with correction suggestions
• Location Awareness — User location information is available to assistive technologies
• Enhanced Properties — Iframes include titles; images include ALT attributes
• Background Images — Descriptive pictures are presented correctly as background images
• Tooltips — Hover/focus content uses role="tooltip" for accessibility
• Keyboard Operability — All basic site functions are operable by keyboard
• Focus Management — Keyboard focus can move freely throughout the page
• Accessible Naming — Forms, buttons, tags, and links have accessible names
• Component Transparency — Component information is properly disclosed
• Status Messages — Screen readers are notified of status changes

Why Lofty Doesn't Include an Accessibility Widget

Many websites add "accessibility icons" or overlay widgets. Lofty intentionally does not include a built-in accessibility widget, and here's why:

Native accessibility is more effective than overlays. Accessibility experts widely criticize overlay widgets for creating a false sense of compliance while failing to fix the underlying code. Lofty's approach addresses accessibility at the structural level — which is both more reliable and more defensible.

If you prefer to have a visible accessibility menu on your site, you can integrate a third-party tool through Lofty's Custom Code feature: - AccessiBe (accessibe.com) - UserWay (userway.org)

Your Responsibility: Content Accessibility

While Lofty handles the platform's technical foundation, the content you upload to your website must also be accessible. Customizations can affect your compliance score.

Follow these content best practices:

• Add alt text to all images — Describe what each image shows. Don't skip this for decorative images either — use an empty alt attribute (alt="") to tell screen readers to skip it.
• Maintain color contrast — When customizing your theme, ensure sufficient contrast between text and background. Use tools like WebAIM's Contrast Checker to verify.
• Use proper heading structure — Organize content with H1, H2, H3 in logical order. Don't use bold text to simulate headings — use the correct heading tags in the editor.
• Add captions to videos — Any video content embedded on your site should include captions for users who are deaf or hard of hearing.

How to Verify Your Site's Accessibility

You can test your site the way assistive technology users experience it:

Browser plugins: Install screen reader browser extensions (such as Screen Reader for Chrome) to hear how your content is read aloud.

Native screen readers: Use VoiceOver (Mac) or Narrator (Windows) to test your site without any plugins.

If You Receive an Accessibility Audit

Automated accessibility tests catch approximately 30% of potential issues and may also produce false positives. If you receive a third-party audit report:

1. Contact Lofty Support — Send the report to support@lofty.com or call 1 (855) 981-7557.
2. Lofty reviews the findings — The team identifies which issues can be addressed through platform updates versus content adjustments on your end.

Lofty monitors regulatory developments and updates the platform accordingly.

Questions?

If you have any questions regarding this topic or any others, please reach out to our Support Team via email at support@lofty.com, by phone at 1 (855) 981-7557, or by chat with us through your Lofty CRM.