Bars, Taprooms, and Tasting Rooms: Why Your Website’s “Accessibility Widget” May Not Protect You (and What Will)

Retailer Websites Must be ADA Compliant

Florida retailers need to worry about ADA-compliant websites because the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) treats businesses like bars, restaurants, and stores as “public accommodations.” That means their websites and mobile apps must provide equal access to goods and services for people with disabilities. If a site isn’t accessible—such as missing screen reader support or keyboard navigation—it can lead to lawsuits, settlements, and lost customers. Courts and the Department of Justice often look to WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) as the standard for compliance, so building and testing to those guidelines is the safest approach.

Accessibility Widgets Might Not Do Enough

If your bar, taproom, or tasting room relies on a pop‑up “accessibility” widget to check the ADA box, you may be exposed. Widgets can help some visitors change visual settings, but they don’t fix the code underneath—where most accessibility problems live. The safer path is a real accessibility program: build to WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), test regularly, and require your vendors (online ordering, reservations, loyalty, delivery) to meet the same standard.

A familiar case study: A Florida food retailer’s site declares it “conforms as closely as possible” to WCAG 2.2 AA thanks to an automatic tool. The widget offers font resizing, color toggles, link highlights, and more. It also warns that third‑party components—social media, videos, chat, and ordering—may not be accessible. On closer look, the site still likely has code‑level barriers: missing labels for forms, confusing keyboard focus, small tap targets on mobile, and messages that aren’t announced to screen readers. Ordering flows run through third‑party platforms; if those pathways aren’t accessible, customers with disabilities still hit roadblocks. Translation: the site appears compliant but might not be.

WCAG 2.2 Basics for Hospitality Retailers

WCAG 2.2 adds criteria that matter a lot for bars and taprooms:

Focus not obscured: When customers tab through a page, the highlighted element must be visible (think sticky headers, cookie banners, and chat buttons that hide the highlight).
Target size: Tap targets on mobile (menu items, filters, “Order Now”) should be large enough to avoid mis-taps.
Dragging alternatives: If you use drag gestures, offer a simple click/tap alternative.
Redundant entry: Don’t force customers to retype information you already have during multi‑step flows.
Accessible authentication: Let password managers and copy‑paste work; avoid puzzles or memory games.

Where bars and taprooms get tripped up:

Online menus and events: Fancy menu PDFs that aren’t tagged, tiny contrast on dark themes, decorative images used for key information, or tap lists in images without real text.
Reservations and ordering: Forms without programmatic labels, error messages that aren’t announced, unclear instructions, or focus that jumps unexpectedly during checkout.
Third‑party platforms: Toast, Square, delivery services, loyalty widgets, and social embeds become part of your experience; if they’re inaccessible, you still own the customer’s frustration.
Age gates and disclaimers: Overlays that don’t trap focus correctly or REQUIRE mouse use can block keyboard users.
“Overlay‑only” fixes: Widgets that claim automatic compliance rarely repair underlying semantics, roles, names, and states—critical for screen readers and keyboards.

Common myths to retire:

“We have a widget, so we’re compliant.”
Widgets don’t fix unlabeled controls, broken focus, or missing announcements. Real fixes live in the code.
“Our social and delivery pages aren’t our responsibility.”
Customers experience your service as one journey; inaccessible segments still create barriers.
“Accessibility is too expensive.”
Fixing the top issues (keyboard/focus, forms, alt text, contrast, target size) is achievable and pays off through better usability for everyone.

Hospitality‑specific checklist

Location finder and hours: Ensure address/hours are in real text, not images; link phone numbers; add accessible maps with clear alternatives.
Menus and tap lists: Provide text versions with headings, prices, allergens, ABV/IBU, and tasting notes; tag any PDFs.
Events and bookings: Make date pickers, time slots, and seat counts keyboard‑operable; announce updates (e.g., “2 seats added”).
Ordering and pickup: Label every field and button; announce errors and totals; keep focus stable when the cart updates.
Loyalty and contact: Don’t block password managers; allow copy‑paste; give simple recovery paths.
Age verification: Use accessible dialogs with clear focus, keyboard support, and screen reader labels.

Bottom line A site that “looks” accessible because it sports an overlay can still create barriers for the people you most want to welcome. Bars, taprooms, and tasting rooms that build to WCAG, test like real users, and hold vendors accountable reduce legal risk and—more importantly—offer a better experience to every guest.

Because we’re attorneys: Disclaimer. Posted December 28, 2025.

Rate this Post

0 votes, average: 0.00 out of 1
You need to be a registered member to rate this.