How ADA Compliance Can Lawsuit-Proof Your Website
- Brand Storytelling
- by: Josh Moyer
- 12/20/2022
Did you know that thousands of companies a year are getting sued over their websites? The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that all public spaces are accessible to people with disabilities. Websites aren’t an exception, a caveat many companies unfortunately often realize when it’s too late. We’ll outline the importance of your website’s ADA compliance throughout this article.
How Does the ADA Apply to Your Website?
For blind, visually impaired, epileptic, and hearing impaired people, your website may be a nightmare. If your website isn’t equipped with disability accommodation software, it may not be fully accessible to people with these disabilities. They have a right to sue as a result.
Adding optional settings like screen readers, enhanced visuals, and flash-free visuals to your website can make it more accessible and safer for people with disabilities. Check out our website’s homepage for a great example.
The Bottom Line: ADA Compliance Lawsuits Are Costly
Plaintiffs file over 10,000 lawsuits against companies annually for their websites’ ADA noncompliance, according to the American Bar Association. Large and small companies are both at risk. In fact, 75% of digital ADA lawsuits target companies that have less than $25M in annual revenue. Companies that settle early typically pay plaintiffs between $7,000 and $20,000 and spend $5,000 to $20,000 on website remediation.
Since the ADA’s application to websites is so new, cases that go to court can take years to get resolved. Winn Dixie ended up spending $250,000 on website remediation over the course of an accessibility lawsuit. Small companies aren’t safe either. Midvale Corp, a smaller restaurant group, had to pay a blind plaintiff after they couldn’t access their website with a screen reader in 2019. BMI Travelware, a retailer, also lost their ADA accommodation suit. These organizations paid each individual plaintiff $4,000 along with a mountain of legal fees. All it takes is a small website update to avoid these extra costs.
Making your website accessible is both the ethical and economic choice for your business. Purplegator can provide you with a free assessment of your website’s ADA compliance today.
