ADA Website Compliance
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities. Courts have consistently ruled that websites of public accommodations must be accessible.
Legal Risk Notice
ADA website lawsuits have increased dramatically. In 2023, over 4,600 lawsuits were filed against businesses with inaccessible websites. Proactive compliance is significantly cheaper than litigation.
4,605
ADA web lawsuits filed in 2023
14%
Increase from 2022
$25K+
Average settlement cost
98%
Top 1M websites fail WCAG
What ADA Requires for Websites
While the ADA doesn't specify technical standards for websites, the Department of Justice has stated that WCAG 2.1 Level AA is the appropriate standard for web accessibility.
Websites must provide equal access to goods, services, and information for people with disabilities.
Alternative formats must be available for users who cannot access standard content.
Businesses cannot discriminate against customers with disabilities in their digital services.
Websites must make reasonable modifications to policies and practices when needed.
Who Must Comply?
ADA Title III applies to "places of public accommodation." Courts have broadly interpreted this to include websites of businesses that serve the public.
Common ADA Website Violations
These accessibility issues are frequently cited in ADA lawsuits.
Images without alternative text cannot be understood by screen reader users.
Text that doesn't have sufficient contrast with its background is hard to read.
Form inputs without labels or error messages are difficult to complete.
Users navigating with keyboards can get stuck in certain page elements.
Pages without descriptive titles make navigation confusing.
Audio or video that plays automatically can be disorienting.
How to Achieve ADA Compliance
Audit Your Website
Run an automated accessibility scan to identify WCAG violations. Follow up with manual testing for issues automation can't catch.
Fix Critical Issues
Prioritize fixing issues that block users from accessing key functionality like navigation, forms, and checkout.
Add an Accessibility Widget
Provide users with tools to customize their experience while you work on underlying fixes.
Publish an Accessibility Statement
Document your accessibility efforts and provide a way for users to report issues.
Monitor Continuously
Set up ongoing monitoring to catch new issues before they become legal problems.
Related Compliance Standards
Check Your ADA Compliance
Run a free scan to identify accessibility issues before they become legal problems.