Is Compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Required by the ADA?
By Rick Hoel
Published March 10, 2021
In 1990 when the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted, web accessibility was an unknown concept. The world was based on brick and mortar operations and the ADA’s requirements for these locations — to provide reasonable accessibility to people with disabilities— typically involved the need for a business to provide handrails or a wheelchair ramp.
Fast forward 30 years to our digital world today and online transactions are now a critical component of commerce. As a result, the issue of digital accessibility is a hot topic and ADA related litigation has followed suit. Statistics reveal that the number of lawsuits filed in federal court which allege inaccessible websites has increased over the past several years. Demand letters sent to companies describing web access violations and seeking recompense have increased even more dramatically, with an estimated 265,000 mailed last year (2020 Website Accessibility Lawsuit Recap).
Without clear statutory law or governmental rules and [...]