ADA-WCAG lawsuits do not only target the large e-commerce websites any longer!
Lawsuits and demand letters relating to noncompliance ADA website accessibility increased in 2019/2020. With the effects of COVID-19 pandemic continuing into 2021 and the online consumer reliance on the internet for services and online purchases, this growth in lawsuits will to continue to grow.
What is ADA?
The ADA is a civil rights legislation that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities and guarantees that they have the same opportunities to participate in the mainstream of American life. This includes access to information and online buying on the internet. Seems fair enough, but very tough to do, when also trying to appeal to sighted people who expect aesthetically pleasing, media rich websites.
Why you need to care about ADA compliance?
Besides doing the ‘right thing,’ some legal experts and even some advocates for the disabled say plaintiff lawyers are taking advantage of small businesses that don’t realize they are doing anything wrong. Instead of reaching out to the businesses and asking for compliance, they sue. Link to article. And, in the last 12 months, lawyers have become more aggressive, searching for websites that are out of ADA, WCAG and 508 compliance. They have filed lawsuits against those companies. Initially, these lawsuits were mostly targeted towards e-commerce websites that made it difficult for people with some disabilities to make an online purchase. However, recently these lawyers seem to be turning their focus on any commercial, nonprofit and governmental service, which is putting every small and large companies and even nonprofit organizations at risk. We’ve seen ADA-WCAG lawsuit claims range from $75,000 and above.
ADA WCAG 508 Solution & Services
To mitigate this risk for our clients, KO Websites teamed up with accessibility compliance experts to bring your website(s) within ADA and WCAG compliance, while keeping the cost somewhat reasonable. Just last year, it could cost well over $10,000 per year to maintain an ADA and WCAG accessible website within standards. Obviously, this was beyond the reach for most small companies. Now, with these new partners and technology, we’re making these ADA requirements attainable and affordable for small businesses.
Our service includes:
- ADA, WCAG 2.1 Level AA and Section 508 compliance
- ADA/WCAG/508 compliance website work to fix any issues
- Re-scanning your website every 24 hours, for ADA issues
- An accessibility statement and certification of performance
- Monthly reporting
- Disability icons with interactive control panel allowing for dynamic website accessibility adjustments
- Legal support by way of reports and documentation
For a free website ADA evaluation and quote, please contact us at 510-276-9902 or use our contact form. Pricing is adjusted on both per-page and website interactive complexity bases.
Need more information on how we get your website to comply with ADA standards? Watch this 18 minute video.
