Has your company or organization received a demand letter or faced a lawsuit regarding lack of accessibility on your website? If so, you are not alone. In 2020, there were approximately 11,000 ADA Title III Website Accessibility Lawsuits making a $6 billion+ industry. (Source: Seyfarth Shaw, LLP, Apr. 29, 2020)
Not counting the thousands of demand letters that are settled out of court, approximately 4,200 lawsuits are expected to be filed in 2021. Retailers are most at risk, representing 73.7% of cases filed so far in 2021. (Source: Monsido and Octans Legal, 8/27/2021)
If you’re not familiar with accessibility or the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990), Digital Dream Team will go into more detail in upcoming posts over the next few weeks.
In a nutshell, the ADA prohibits discrimination on the “basis of disability in the activities of public accommodations.” Traditionally, this has focused on physical accessibility such as wheelchair ramps and parking spaces. However, there’s new attention being paid to digital/website accessibility and making websites accessible for those who use screen readers.
Think about the visuals on your webpage – photos of products, videos, documents, reports with tables or charts. Perhaps you only have a few, or maybe you have thousands! If something is visible on your website, it needs to be formatted so that a screen reader can read it aloud for the sight-impaired. If it isn’t, you’re risking a demand letter or lawsuit.
Your Digital Dream Team can help – DDT can provide web site assessments for ADA compliance, ADA remediation, or trainings for your business featuring tips and tricks to make universal design a part of your daily routine.
Not only can DDT help you be proactive in avoiding expensive lawsuits, DDT can also help grow your business reach up to 26% by making it accessible to those who use screen readers or closed captions. Don’t forget improved search engine optimization through strategic alt text descriptions and other accessibility features. Reach out today for more information to info@yourdigitaldreamteam.com.
#accessibilitymatters #accessibilityforall #alttext #inclusivedesign #respecteveryone #disabilityinclusion #lawsuit #adacompliance
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