Website accessibility evaluations and remediation
Can Every Customer Use Your Website?
If a customer cannot navigate your website, understand its content, complete its forms, or purchase its services because of an accessibility barrier, the problem affects both the customer and the business. Accessibility complaints, demand letters, and lawsuits involving websites are an active and increasing concern.
Canton Digital Works helps businesses identify accessibility barriers, understand how those barriers affect real users, and create a prioritized remediation plan.
Request a Free Accessibility Risk SnapshotDocumented legal activity
Website Accessibility Claims Are Increasing
Businesses across the United States are receiving demand letters and facing lawsuits alleging that their websites prevent people with disabilities from accessing products, services, forms, or information.
- 3,117
- federal website-accessibility lawsuits identified in 2025
- 27%
- increase from the 2,452 cases identified in 2024
- 36%
- of the federal ADA Title III cases identified in the analysis
These figures come from an outside legal-industry analysis of federal court filings. They do not include every state-court case or private demand letter. Canton Digital Works is not the original source of these statistics.
Source: Seyfarth Shaw — ADA Title III News & Insights, “Federal Court Website Accessibility Lawsuit Filings Bounce Back in 2025,” March 25, 2026.
Published court decisions
Accessibility Claims Are Not Limited to Large Corporations
Large national companies receive the most publicity, but smaller retailers, local organizations, and community institutions have also faced website-accessibility claims. A business does not become invisible simply because it is small or locally operated.
The following examples come from published court decisions. They demonstrate that organizations of different sizes have been required to respond to allegations involving inaccessible websites.
Lanier Federal Credit Union — Gainesville, Georgia
A blind plaintiff alleged that the credit union's website contained empty or missing form labels, empty links, and redundant links that interfered with screen-reader access. In 2018, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia denied the credit union's motion to dismiss the accessibility claim.
Case: Jones v. Lanier Federal Credit Union, 335 F. Supp. 3d 1273 (N.D. Ga. 2018)
Read the Jones v. Lanier Federal Credit Union court decision (opens in a new tab)Family First Credit Union — Georgia
A blind plaintiff sued a Georgia state-chartered credit union, alleging that website barriers prevented visually impaired users from effectively finding its locations, services, amenities, and membership information. The court recognized that encountering the alleged barriers could constitute a concrete injury, but required corrected allegations about future injury before the plaintiff could pursue injunctive relief.
Case: Jones v. Family First Credit Union, 340 F. Supp. 3d 1356 (N.D. Ga. 2018)
Read the Jones v. Family First Credit Union court decision (opens in a new tab)Fairfield Collectibles of Georgia — Georgia Online Retailer
Blind plaintiffs alleged that the Georgia retailer's online store contained barriers that interfered with access. A California appellate court ruled that the lawsuit could proceed in California because the company conducted substantial sales there. This ruling addressed whether the California court had jurisdiction; it was not a final determination that the retailer violated accessibility law.
Case: Thurston v. Fairfield Collectibles of Georgia, LLC, 53 Cal. App. 5th 1231 (2020)
Read the Thurston v. Fairfield Collectibles of Georgia court decision (opens in a new tab)
These examples are provided for educational purposes. Allegations in a complaint are not findings of liability, and procedural rulings do not necessarily determine the final outcome of a case. Website-accessibility obligations and legal outcomes depend on the specific facts, jurisdiction, and applicable law. Canton Digital Works provides technical accessibility services, not legal advice.
What This Means for a Local Business
You do not have to be a national corporation to receive an accessibility complaint or become involved in litigation. Barriers such as missing form labels, unlabeled links, inaccessible keyboard navigation, missing image descriptions, and screen-reader incompatibility can prevent customers from using a website and may create legal exposure.
The practical response is not panic. It is to identify barriers early, document the testing, correct confirmed problems, and monitor the website as it changes.
Private warning and demand letters are generally not public court records. Therefore, publicly available lawsuit records provide stronger evidence than unverifiable stories about businesses receiving private notices.
Find accessibility barriers before someone else does.
Start with a free accessibility risk snapshot. We will identify detectable barriers, explain what they mean, and show you the practical next steps.
Get My Free Accessibility Risk SnapshotFederal guidance
The ADA Applies to Services Offered on the Web
The U.S. Department of Justice has consistently taken the position that the Americans with Disabilities Act applies to the goods, services, programs, and activities that covered organizations provide through websites.
Businesses open to the public
Title III of the ADA prohibits disability discrimination by covered businesses open to the public. The Department of Justice states that these obligations apply to the goods and services public accommodations offer through the web.
The Department of Justice currently does not provide one detailed federal technical website regulation for private businesses under Title III. It identifies recognized standards such as WCAG as helpful technical guidance. Coverage and legal obligations depend on the business, jurisdiction, and circumstances.
State and local governments
For state and local governments, the ADA Title II web-accessibility rule establishes WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the technical standard, subject to applicable exceptions and compliance dates.
- April 26, 2027: public entities with populations of 50,000 or more
- April 26, 2028: public entities with populations under 50,000 and special district governments
What Happens When a Business Receives an Accessibility Notice?
A demand letter is generally a private communication from an individual or attorney alleging that accessibility barriers violate applicable disability-rights laws. It may request remediation, legal fees, a settlement, or other action.
A demand letter is an allegation. It is not automatically a court judgment, government determination, or government fine.
- Some claims begin with a demand letter; others may be filed directly as lawsuits.
- Settlements can involve remediation, legal expenses, attorney fees, or other negotiated terms.
- State-law remedies may differ, and government enforcement is different from a private demand letter.
A business that receives a demand letter, complaint, or lawsuit should preserve the communication, avoid making unsupported admissions, consult a qualified attorney, and begin a documented technical accessibility review.
Demand Letters, Lawsuits, Settlements, and Fines
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Demand letter | A private allegation or request sent before or outside litigation. It is not automatically a fine or judgment. |
| Lawsuit | A legal action asking a court to provide relief. |
| Settlement | An agreement resolving a dispute, potentially involving remediation and financial terms. |
| Private claim | A claim that may seek accessibility changes, attorney fees, financial terms, or other relief depending on the laws and claims involved. |
| Government enforcement | A government investigation or legal action that may seek remedies available under federal law. |
| State-law claim | A claim whose available remedies depend on the applicable state law. |
Financial consequences can arise through settlements, attorney fees, remediation costs, state-law remedies, or government enforcement. The available remedies depend on the law, jurisdiction, claims, and circumstances.
Problems That Can Prevent Customers From Using a Website
Free initial review
Find the Most Important Barriers Before They Become Bigger Problems
The free accessibility risk snapshot includes:
- Automated homepage scan
- Manual keyboard-navigation review
- Color-contrast review
- Review of one important customer form or task
- Plain-language summary of significant findings
- Recommendation about whether a complete audit is warranted
The free snapshot is an initial technical review. It is not a complete accessibility audit, legal opinion, certification, or guarantee of compliance.
Request My Free Accessibility Risk SnapshotWe Identify the Barriers and Help Fix the Code
Our goal is to help business owners understand the condition of their websites before a customer is excluded or a legal complaint becomes the first warning. We explain findings in plain language, prioritize the barriers that affect customers most, and provide practical remediation options.
- Initial risk snapshot
- Automated and manual evaluation
- Plain-language findings
- Prioritized remediation plan
- Code corrections
- Manual verification
- Optional ongoing monitoring
Complete accessibility services
- WCAG-based technical audit
- Keyboard testing
- Screen-reader evaluation
- Semantic HTML review
- Forms and validation review
- Color, contrast, and visual-state review
- Prioritized remediation plan
- Code remediation
- Post-remediation verification
- Ongoing monitoring when requested
Automated scanning alone cannot establish that a website is accessible. Automated tools can identify some problems, but manual testing is necessary to evaluate many real user interactions.
Verified Sources and Further Reading
Sources last reviewed: July 30, 2026
- U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division — ADA.govMarch 18, 2022Guidance on Web Accessibility and the ADA
The ADA and web services, common barriers, technical guidance, and the need to pair automated checks with manual review.
- U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division — ADA.govUpdated April 20, 2026Web Accessibility Rule for State and Local Governments
WCAG 2.1 Level AA requirements and the current Title II compliance dates.
- U.S. Department of JusticeFebruary 2, 2026; updated February 3, 2026Department of Justice Opposes Unfair Class Action Settlement Involving Accessibility of Website under the ADA
An example of website-accessibility litigation involving proposed remediation, class payments, and attorney fees.
- Seyfarth Shaw — ADA Title III News & InsightsMarch 25, 2026Federal Court Website Accessibility Lawsuit Filings Bounce Back in 2025
Attributed federal lawsuit-filing totals, year-over-year change, share of identified Title III filings, and methodology limits.
- World Wide Web Consortium — Web Accessibility InitiativeLiving standards overviewWCAG 2 Overview
Technical information about WCAG standards and versions.
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of GeorgiaSeptember 26, 2018Jones v. Lanier Federal Credit Union court decision
The pleaded website barriers, case citation, court, date, and denial of the credit union's motion to dismiss the accessibility claim.
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of GeorgiaAugust 6, 2018Jones v. Family First Credit Union court decision
The pleaded website barriers, standing analysis, partial ruling on the motion to dismiss, and permission to amend the request for injunctive relief.
- California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate DistrictAugust 26, 2020Thurston v. Fairfield Collectibles of Georgia, LLC court decision
The accessibility allegations and the appellate court's personal-jurisdiction ruling, which was not a decision on liability.
Do Not Wait for a Complaint to Discover the Problem
Accessibility barriers are easier to address through a planned technical review than during the pressure of a demand letter or lawsuit. An initial evaluation can show where customers are being blocked and which corrections should receive priority.
Check My Website NowCall: (678) 664-9858Text: (678) 664-9858Email: cantondigitalworks@gmail.comCanton Digital Works provides technical accessibility evaluations and remediation services, not legal advice. No technical audit can guarantee legal compliance or prevent complaints or claims. Businesses seeking advice about legal obligations or responding to a demand letter, complaint, or lawsuit should consult a qualified attorney.