If Beyoncé Can Be Sued for Having a Website That Is Not Accessible, So Can You!

Beyoncé Knowles company Parkwood Entertainment was sued for having a website that was not accessible by the visually impaired. Mary Conner who is blind according to the filing, claims the website isn’t fully accessible for her and for millions of others who have visual impairments. The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that businesses and organizations that offer goods and/or services to the public make sure that these services are equally enjoyed by those with disabilities. Under Title III, businesses that fall into the category of “public accommodations,” such as e-commerce, hotels, restaurants, grocery stores, retail outlets, social services centers, laundromats, accountants, lawyer’s offices, health care offices, medical services schools, banks, etc. are required to comply. In most jurisdictions, this law has been interpreted to apply these standards to web-based and electronic content as well, requiring that websites be easily accessible for people with disabilities. Approximately 1 in 5 people in the United States identify as individuals with disabilities. If you are not making your web content fully accessible, you are potentially missing out on a substantial portion of your potential business. Most Federal Courts are now interpreting public accommodation to include websites. Failing to make your website ADA accessible, means your business is susceptible to lawsuits. Business owners who are defendants in lawsuits are obligated to pay for their attorney fees, pay to remediate their website, and almost always, pay for the plaintiff’s attorney fees and expert fees to settle the case. The Bottom line is that remediating your website to be ADA compliant insulates your business from being targeted by lawsuits. ADA Website Accessibility Lawsuits Are Increasing Substantially* According to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), there was an approximate 174% increase from 314 lawsuits filed in 2017 to 2,235. Lawsuits filed in 2019. Contact ADA WebGuard for your FREE Website Assessment.