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How Common Are ADA Website Lawsuits — And Who Is At Risk?
Recent 2025 mid‑year lawsuit reports show 2,014 ADA website accessibility cases filed in the U.S. between January and June, representing roughly a 37% increase over the same period in 2024. Retail and e‑commerce companies are the most frequently targeted, accounting for around two‑thirds of digital accessibility lawsuits, with fashion, food, beauty, and health brands particularly affected.
Websites on platforms such as Shopify, WordPress, Magento, Squarespace, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, and fully custom builds all appear in litigation data, underscoring that no technology stack is inherently “safe” from ADA claims. A relatively small number of plaintiffs and law firms are responsible for a large share of filings, which are often concentrated in states like New York, California, and Florida but are now spreading more broadly across the country.
What Is The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)?
The ADA is a U.S. civil rights law enacted in 1990 that prohibits discrimination based on disability in areas including employment, public services, and “places of public accommodation.” Although it initially focused on physical locations, courts and regulators increasingly interpret the ADA as applying to public‑facing websites and online services that provide goods, information, or transactions to the public.
ADA Title III And Website Accessibility
Title III covers private businesses and nonprofits that are open to the public, requiring them to provide equal access to their goods and services. Many courts now view websites and digital platforms as part of these “places of public accommodation,” which means inaccessible sites can be challenged under Title III.
The ADA itself does not specify technical web standards, so the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)—especially WCAG 2.1 Level AA—are widely used in litigation, settlements, and regulations as the reference for what “accessible” means. Meeting WCAG 2.1 Level AA is generally treated as the prevailing industry expectation for ADA‑aligned website accessibility.
What Does ADA Website Compliance Mean?
In practice, ADA website compliance means aligning websites, apps, and other digital content with WCAG success criteria so people with disabilities can perceive, operate, and understand content using assistive technologies. Lawsuits frequently cite WCAG violations such as:
- Missing alt text on images
- Insufficient color contrast for text and UI elements
- Forms and buttons without accessible labels
- Inability to navigate and complete key tasks using only a keyboard
- Videos without captions or transcripts
Reducing these failures through WCAG 2.1 Level AA‑guided remediation both improves usability and strengthens a business’s legal position.
Why Some Websites Face Higher Legal Risk
Several patterns contribute to elevated risk:
- E‑commerce complexity – Checkout flows, account areas, filtering, promotions, and pop‑ups create many points where accessibility can break.
- Documented testing by plaintiffs – Plaintiffs commonly use automated tools and manual testing (including screen readers) to document specific barriers.
- Overreliance on overlays – Sites that rely mainly on accessibility overlays or widgets, without fixing code‑level issues, continue to be sued; hundreds of cases have specifically targeted overlay‑using sites.
Potential Legal Consequences
If a business is sued over website accessibility, potential outcomes include:
- Court orders and settlement terms requiring remediation of accessibility barriers
- Financial settlements and payment of attorney fees
- Reputational harm and loss of customer trust
- Ongoing monitoring or reporting obligations as part of a consent decree or settlement
Many organizations first receive ADA demand letters or pre‑suit notices; failing to act on them can increase the likelihood and cost of litigation.
How To Reduce Risk Of ADA Website Lawsuits
A proactive, WCAG‑based approach is the most effective way to minimize risk:
- Audit your website – Use both automated tools and expert manual testing, including screen‑reader and keyboard‑only reviews.
- Fix documented issues – Prioritize navigation, headings, forms, images, media, focus management, and key transactional paths.
- Use WCAG 2.1 Level AA as your internal standard – Apply it to new builds, redesigns, and ongoing content updates.
- Maintain documentation – Keep detailed records of audits, fixes, policies, and future remediation plans.
- Provide user support channels – Offer clear ways for users to report accessibility problems and respond promptly.
- Build internal accessibility knowledge – Train designers, developers, and content creators so accessibility becomes part of everyday work, not a one‑off project.
Trends Seen In 2025
- Certain states and federal districts have emerged as litigation hotspots, with steep increases in filings.
- Lawsuits impact sites on hosted platforms and fully custom stacks alike.
- Overlay‑reliant sites continue to be heavily targeted, and regulators have even taken action against overlay vendors for misleading compliance claims.
- A small cluster of repeat plaintiffs and law firms drives a large share of filings nationwide.
Why This Matters For Businesses
Legal risk is substantial and affects companies of all sizes, not just large enterprises. At the same time, accessibility is a core user‑experience requirement that directly influences reach, conversions, and customer loyalty.
By prioritizing accessibility, scheduling regular audits, and building WCAG‑aligned workflows into design and development, organizations can significantly reduce lawsuit risk while delivering better digital experiences for every user. QSeed Solutions helps businesses navigate this landscape and build accessible, future‑ready digital environments.