Are ADA Web Accessibility Lawsuits Common?
On an annual basis, thousands of different ADA web accessibility lawsuits are filed. Some of these lawsuits have severe consequences for those who own the website, while others do not.
No matter the consequences that a business faces for its website, one thing is certain: dealing with the lawsuit costs time and, given the need for an ADA defense lawyer when faced with an ADA web accessibility lawsuit, money.
If a business is found guilty of violating the ADA’s web accessibility guidelines, then they can face penalties, such as being forced to pay damages and, of course, correcting the ADA web accessibility violations on their website.
Given the facts outlined above, it is of the utmost importance that your website meets the ADA’s web accessibility guidelines. Failure to do so can lead to serious consequences.
How Can You Make Your Website ADA Accessible?
Your website, in order to be ADA accessible, must be:
-Perceivable
-Operable
-Robust
-Understandable
Some of the ways your website can meet these guidelines are as follows:
-Make sure that every video comes with a transcript of what happens in the video.
-Include alternative text for images.
-Test your website and make sure it works with assistive technologies.
-Offer audio versions of written, text-based content.
-Rely on a clean, easy-to-understand design.
If applied, Every one of the above will help you meet the guidelines defining ADA accessibility. If your website does not meet these guidelines at this time, then it is in violation of the ADA.
Will An ADA Web Accessibility Lawsuit Harm Your Business?
To answer the question outlined above, “Yes, an ADA web accessibility lawsuit will harm your business.”
A variety of reasons exist for this. But the three most notable reasons are as follows:
You will likely need to pay damages and other forms of compensation to the individual who filed the lawsuit against you and your business.
You will need to make the necessary changes to your website, and even if you do so during the lawsuit, it is likely that you will still owe compensation.
You may find that your business’ reputation suffers due to the fact that your website was not accessible to those with disabilities.
The best way to prevent this harm is to make your website ADA-accessible as soon as possible.