2,258 Website Lawsuits in 2018

Just as the digital ink had dried on our post about website accessibility, the Wall Street Journal published an article titled “Lawsuits Surge Over Websites’ Access for the Blind.” The article details a steep incline in the number of complaints filed against all kinds of companies regarding the inaccessibility of their websites to the blind and visually impaired.  All types of businesses are being targeted, from art galleries to Domino’s.

A survey found nearly 3 times the number of federal accessibility cases (2,258 in total) were filed in 2018 compared to 2017.  What’s more is that the law isn’t clear on what guidelines websites must meet in order to comply and avoid or settle these suits.  In addition to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 being referenced as a basis for these lawsuits, the Equality Act of 2010 is also commonly being cited in the United Kingdom.

As we referenced in our earlier blog post, there are 38 criteria that list prescriptive methods in order to be considered generally compliant. We at Counterpart are absolutely advocates for accommodating accessibility standards, and these lawsuits are a prime example of the consequences of not going to that effort. As you prepare for your next software or website project, click here for a quick reference guide to accessibility guidelines and techniques.