Website Accessibility Lawsuits Continue and Accelerate in 2019
Innovation, design, and ease-of-use are synonymous with most of our experiences on websites. However, if you have a disability, you will most likely have a different experience.
Disabilities affect how you navigate a website, read and hear content, and perform tasks that an able-bodied person might find menial.
Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that private businesses and nonprofit organizations provide equal access to services, which includes digital content and functionalities. And with nearly 1 in 5 people reported having a disability, it makes sense that website accessibility is a big topic in a time when websites and digital content is more prevalent than ever.
Businesses that don’t comply with Title III run the risk of having a lawsuit against their business. Lawsuits filed in federal court under Title III of the ADA grew to at least 2258 cases in 2018, a 177% increase over 2016. We’re seeing this trend continue for 2019.
Domino’s Pizza is in the middle of a website accessibility case right now, which might go before the Supreme Court this fall. Their website and mobile app are not accessible to the blind, even when using screen reading software, which makes ordering custom pizzas impossible for those not fully able-bodied.
With the Domino’s Pizza case pending and the topic of website accessibility is growing in traction, at Accessible Web we see the question of making your website accessible shift from “why” to “why not?”
Accessible websites not only help you avoid legal issues and meet the requirements of Title III of the ADA, but it could also open up different revenue streams if more people are able to use your website and buy the goods or services you’re offering. In a relatively new area of interest, there is room to innovate and develop new tools and solutions for accessibility.
Making your website accessible to all users is also just the right thing to do. When nearly 1 in 5 Americans have a disability, the odds that you will be disabled at some point in your life is high, and if you do become disabled, imagine how frustrated you would be if you couldn’t access the content you’ve been used to accessing your entire life.
At Accessible Web, we offer services to ensure that your website is accessible and stays accessible. Contact us today for help with your web and digital accessibility needs.
