Custom HTML/CSS vs. templates: why hand-coding wins
A template gets you a website. It doesn't get you control of it, and control is the whole ballgame when the requirement is ADA compliance or real speed.
The short answers
When is the DOJ ADA Title II web deadline?
Public entities serving 50,000 or more must meet WCAG 2.1 AA by April 26, 2027. Entities under 50,000 and special districts have until April 26, 2028. The April 2026 interim final rule moved the dates, not the obligation.
Can a PDF be made ADA compliant?
Rarely, and not reliably. Fillable PDFs keep failing screen-reader testing on JAWS and VoiceOver. The fix that passes is rebuilding the form as accessible HTML, which Web Chick does at $75 per fillable form up to three pages.
What does an accessible website cost?
Nothing extra. Accessibility is how every Web Chick site is built, not an add-on. A one-page site starts at $950, a small business site around $2,300, and a government build runs $3,200 to $7,800, all with unlimited updates for one flat yearly fee.
Fresh from the studio
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How-To
How-To
Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust
The four rules behind every accessible website, the failures we find most often on real Ohio sites, and how to audit your own in an afternoon.
How-To
How to get more Google reviews (even without Gmail)
Your customers don't need a Gmail address to review you, and nobody tells them. That one sentence is worth more reviews than any tactic on the list.
New Rules
California's Opt Me Out Act: what sites must do by 2027
A new one-click browser privacy signal arrives January 1, 2027. If your site reaches California visitors, it has to listen for it.
New Rules
New York: if your ad uses a fake person, say so
From June 9, 2026, ads with an AI-generated person shown in New York need a clear disclosure. Here is what counts.
New Rules
Why social media archiving matters for Ohio agencies
Every post, comment, reply and deletion on an official account can be a public record under ORC 149.43. Here's how to stay compliant.
How-To
Why PDFs can't be made ADA compliant (and the real fix)
We tried for years. PDFs keep failing WCAG testing. The fix that actually passes JAWS and VoiceOver is converting them to clean HTML.
New Rules
SB 84 could be the break small businesses need
A look at the Ohio bill and the 120-day cure window, and what the shifting ADA enforcement picture means for small business owners.
Search & AI
What is E-E-A-T? The 2026 guide to AI citations
Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trust. The framework that decides whether Google and the AI engines cite you or skip you.
Government
Ohio government website design & the DOJ deadline
What Title II compliance actually requires, the 2027 and 2028 deadlines and how Ohio counties and townships get ready in time.
Local
Lancaster Ohio web design, custom and local
Your hometown Fairfield County web designer. Custom, fast, ADA-compliant sites for Lancaster businesses and agencies.
Services
Accessibility services: audits, testing and the final OK
WCAG 2.2 AA audits with real screen-reader testing on JAWS and VoiceOver. Then Tyler, a legally blind screen reader user, checks the work before it ships.
Services
Every question we get, answered in one place
Pricing, ADA and WCAG compliance, DOJ deadlines, PDF conversion, and how unlimited 24-hour updates actually work.
Services
What a custom web development company actually does
Hand-coded HTML and CSS, no themes and no page builders, and what that means for speed, compliance and who owns the site at the end.
Services
Web Chick vs. the website builders
Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy and the rest, compared honestly on cost, accessibility, speed and what happens the day you want to leave.
Government
Government website compliance, start to finish
What Section 508, WCAG 2.1 AA and ADA Title II require of a public entity, and the order to tackle them in before the deadline.
Services
The portfolio: real Ohio clients you can call
County offices, townships, cabins, contractors and small businesses. Live sites, named clients, references available before you hire.
Local
Cabin and lodging websites in the Hocking Hills
Booking-ready sites for cabin owners and rental managers, built to load fast on a phone with one bar of signal.
Local
Columbus, Ohio web design
Custom, accessible websites for Columbus businesses and organizations, built and maintained from Central Ohio.
Local
Newark and Licking County web design
Hand-coded sites for Newark businesses, with unlimited updates handled for you.
Local
Chillicothe and Ross County web design
Websites for Chillicothe businesses, realtors and organizations across the Scioto Valley.
Local
Circleville and Pickaway County web design
Local sites built for Circleville businesses and county offices, accessible from the first line of code.
Local
Pickerington, Ohio web design
Custom websites for Pickerington businesses, built to be found locally and to pass accessibility testing.
Local
Canal Winchester web design
Small-business websites for Canal Winchester, with every update handled inside 24 hours.
Local
Fairfield County web design
The county we know best. Offices, courts, townships and businesses across Fairfield County, Ohio.
Nothing in this category yet. More is always brewing, check back soon. ☕
Coffee & a read
The longer stories live on Substack.
The Daily Brew is the quick stuff: rules, news, how-tos. When there's a real story to tell about accessibility, design or running a Central Ohio web shop, it goes on Substack. Pour a cup and follow along.