Explaining UserWay: Free vs. Pro Widget
What is Website Accessibility?
Website accessibility is the practice of building and designing websites and other digital products so that even people with disabilities can use them without complications or barriers. Making the web accessible benefits individuals, businesses, and society. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a set of standards and guidelines called WCAG have been put in place to create a universal standard for website accessibility. WCAG was designed to help website owners achieve the level of accessibility that is required by laws like the ADA.
Who is Required to Be Accessible Online?
Every state has its own requirements for public and private businesses to achieve ADA compliance and website accessibility. In 2024, the Department of Justice made a final rule regarding updating its regulations for Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Title II of the ADA requires state and local governments to make sure that all their services, programs, activities and offerings are accessible to people with disabilities — including state and local government provided websites that are required to meet WCAG 2.1 standards. This federal rule applies to:
- Township and county websites
- State and local government offices that provide public services (i.e. social services, health insurance or food assistance)
- Public school districts
- Community college and public universities
- State and local police departments
- State and local court systems
- State and local elections offices
- Public hospitals and healthcare clinics
- Public parks and recreational programs
- Public libraries
- Public transit agencies
- Non-profit organizations that contract with state and local governments to provide public services (i.e. public health services, childcare services or shelters)
Achieve WCAG 2.1 Compliance with UserWay
Many websites cannot achieve WCAG 2.1 compliance on their own; it would be too time consuming and costly in the end. It will also be hard to maintain the future as websites expand and accessibility standards evolve over time. UserWay is the leading website accessibility software on the market, and is trusted by millions of websites across the internet — including ours — to address accessibility compliance. With many different pricing plans and features, it might be hard for businesses to tell which plan is right for them. As a trusted UserWay partner, Katava Marketing is here to help break down UserWay features and help you determine what’s best for your business.
Free vs Pro Widget
While UserWay does offer a free version of their widget, the free widget is not compliance-focused. The free widget is only designed to be the first stepping stone into accessibility by improving website experiences for those with disabilities. It does not offer all of the necessary features to reach full WCAG 2.1 compliance. View the table below for more detailed examples of how UserWay’s paid pro widget can help your website achieve WCAg 2.1 compliance.
| Feature | Free | Pro |
| Alt Text For Images | ❌ | ✅ |
| Sensory Characteristics | ❌ | ✅ |
| Meaningful Sequence | ❌ | ✅ |
| Identify Input Purpose | ❌ | ✅ |
| Keyboard Controls | ❌ | ✅ |
| Link Purpose | ❌ | ✅ |
| Use of Color | ✅User Triggered | ✅ Automatic |
| Audio Control | ✅User Triggered | ✅ Automatic |
| Text Resizing | ✅User Triggered | ✅ Automatic |
For the full list, visit the UserWay features page.
UserWay’s Pro Widget is completely compliance-focused, adding over 50 additional tools and features that will help websites achieve WCAG 2.1 compliance at scale. Additionally, the Pro Widget includes automated code recommendations for any manual changes that might need to be made if the widget cannot access the source code. With the Pro monitoring feature included, businesses can also automate accessibility audits in the future, saving even more time and money in the long run.
Katava Marketing Partnership with UserWay
Your business shouldn’t have to worry about website accessibility compliance on your own. As a full-service agency serving New Jersey and beyond for over 2o years, we always look for the best software and tools to deliver high-quality digital solutions for our clients. With an in-house development team, Katava Marketing is fully prepared to handle the UserWay integration and management for you.
Contact Katava Marketing to request your proposal today.