In 2025, over 4,600 ADA-related lawsuits were filed against companies with inaccessible websites. That is a 300% increase from 2020. If your website is not accessible, you are not just excluding 15% of the population — you are exposing your business to legal risk.
Who Is Getting Sued
It is not just big corporations. Small and mid-size businesses are increasingly targeted because they are less likely to fight and more likely to settle. E-commerce sites are the most common targets, followed by healthcare, financial services, and education.
The Minimum You Need to Do
WCAG 2.1 AA compliance is the standard most courts reference. Here are the critical items:
All images need alt text. All form fields need labels. Color cannot be the only way to convey information. The site must be navigable by keyboard alone. Videos need captions. Text must have sufficient contrast against its background. Interactive elements need visible focus indicators.
The Quick Test
Try navigating your website using only your keyboard (Tab, Enter, Escape). If you cannot reach every link, button, and form field, your site is not accessible. Try using your site with your monitor turned off and a screen reader on. If the experience is confusing, your site is not accessible.
The Business Case Beyond Lawsuits
Accessible websites are better websites. They load faster (because they use semantic HTML). They rank higher in search (because search engines read the same structure screen readers do). They convert better (because clear labels and logical flow help everyone).
15% of the world population has some form of disability. That is not a niche audience. That is a market segment bigger than most countries.
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