Web Accessibility lawsuits went mainstream in 2019. Although these lawsuits have been rising over the last couple of years, last year it caught the public’s eye more than ever before. This increase in public awareness most likely came from big brands and names being at the center of these topics, which led to more coverage in mainstream media.
With it now being 2020, it’s a good time to reflect on the web accessibility highlights that populated much of our newsfeed in the past year. From Beyoncé, to presidential candidates, these are the three biggest web accessibility events in 2019.
Beyonce’s Website
In the beginning of 2019, Beyoncé’s official website was sued over not being in compliance with the American’s with Disabilities Act. Those who were blind or visually impaired could not navigate their way through the site.
The lawsuit claimed that the images on the website did not have the code needed to describe what the images were with screen readers, the drop-down menus and navigation links were not accessible and the website could not be navigated by a keyboard instead of a mouse.
Domino’s Pizza Supreme Court Case
The Ninth Circuit Court ruled in Domino’s Pizza LLC v. Robles, that the Americans with Disabilities Act applies to Domino’s website and app and that their current configuration stopped blind customers from accessing the goods and services offered at the physical location.
Domino’s challenged the ruling and took it to the Supreme Court, arguing that they could not be sued if there were no clear web accessibility guidelines. The Supreme Court denied hearing Domino’s case and let the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal’s ruling stand. If you’d like to learn more about this case click here.
2020 Presidential Candidates’ websites
The Miami Lighthouse for the Blind brought to light the fact that none of the 2020 presidential candidates’ websites were ADA compliant. Not one website- Democrat or Republican- was fully accessible for a blind or visually impaired person to navigate. With thirty-five million eligible disabled voters, they are excluding many Americans by not allowing them to conduct the needed research on their websites.
Key Takeaways
Although many household names are being sued over web accessibility, small businesses are the main target for these lawsuits. If Beyoncé can be sued, so can you. It’s important to be informed of all the requirements needed for an accessible website so you can be adequately prepared in case you receive a demand letter.
Besides avoiding a lawsuit, there are other unexpected benefits to making your website ADA compliant, as can be seen from the 2020 Candidates’ websites. An accessible website will allow you to reach a wider audience and help build a better society.
The idea of making your website compliant can seem a bit overwhelming but we’ve made it easy with our software. As seen in these top web accessibility events in 2019, it’s becoming a more important issue so contact us today to learn how we can make your site ADA complaint.