The Risk of ADA Website Accessibility Litigation

2 min read

Which businesses must have compliant websites?

After a recent Department of Justice affirmation, all business-related websites are now considered places of public accommodations and must be accessible for people with disabilities.

How many ADA Website Accessibility Lawsuits Have Been Filed in the United States?

Source: End of Year 2019 ADA Website and App Lawsuit Recap Report, UsableNet.

Which industries are seeing the most lawsuits?

According to UsableNet report depicting key trends found in 2019 case filings:

“Retail and Food Service topped the industry chart again in 2019 as they are highly visible websites, generally have a nexus to physical stores, are hard to make fully WCAG compliant and often have multiple brands, websites and apps.”

2019 ADA Website Lawsuit Industry Breakdown

What is ADA Compliance?

The disabled population in almost every society is about 20% of the residents. This population is limited to a significant percentage of its daily activities. Precisely because of this understanding, a WCAG 2.0 standard (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) was created. This standard was established by the World Wide Web Organization (W3) and aims to create a standard for the accessibility of the Internet, such that people with disabilities will be able to surf the internet freely and efficiently.

What Does It Take for Your Website to Be Accessible?

Accessible websites mean, they are:

1. Optimized for Keyboard Navigation

2. Optimized for Screen-Readers

3. Stopping all flashing animations to prevent epileptic seizures

4. UI and design adjustments for the visually impaired

5. Enabled UI & Design adjustments using an accessibility interface

6. Utilizing an online dictionary for Cognitive disorders compliance

The goal of accessibility is to make the internet accessible for everyone, no matter the disability, disorder, illness or injury in question. These might include people with the following conditions:

1. Blindness

2. Motor Impairment

3. Cognitive Disorders

4. Color Blindness

5. Macular Degeneration

6. Epilepsy

7. Blurred Vision

8. Old Age

9. Cataract

10. Others

Website ADA Compliance Services from Endorphin Advisors

There are several components, steps and services related to ADA and WCAG 2.1 Level AA website compliance accessibility guidelines. These include Website Analysis, Findings & Recommendations, Website Rectification, Accessibility Statement and Certification of Performance and Ongoing monitoring, compliance auditing, and website rectifications, as needed. Learn more about our website compliance consulting services here.

Contact Us For More Information at info@endorphinadvisors.com

or 518-351-2240. Thank you.