Can You Really Get Sued Because Your Website Isn’t ADA Compliant? Accessibility Compliance
Posted on August. 26. 2021
Can you really get sued because your website isn’t ADA compliant? Yes. If that’s all you wanted to know, then you can stop reading right here. But if you would like the back story about the ADA and answers to some common questions about Website ADA Compliance, read on.
Three Reasons Not To Make Your Website ADA Compliant
When I speak with business owners, executives and managers about ADA compliance for their websites, I hear a variety of reasons why they might not want to make their sites ADA compliant. Despite knowing that there are thousands of website ADA lawsuits every year, and that there are nearly 100,000 threats of ADA lawsuits that result in out of court settlements worth tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, some companies still decide not to move forward. Usually, it’s one or more of these three reasons.
- They don’t believe ADA Compliance for Websites is required. Well, ADA compliance for websites is definitely required for businesses of all sizes, and the Department of Justice confirmed that in 2018.
- They choose to be risky. With the millions of websites that are non-compliant, they choose to play the odds, and take the risk that someone else will get sued instead of them…even though they spent thousands or millions to be ADA compliant in their buildings to eliminate similar ADA Compliance risks.
- They don’t want to spend the money. This is the most common reason, and paired with the other two, it’s sometimes a powerful clincher to the decision.
So how much does it cost to make your website ADA compliant? Making a website ADA compliant the usual way is a meticulous, detail-oriented and highly technical task, and can cost many thousands of dollars, even for a very small website. Sometimes, it can cost as much as the initial website development. And other times, a site cannot be made compliant at all and needs to be totally rebuilt at a cost that can be more than double the original website. (Note, I can recommend a method that uses Artificial Intelligence at its core and generally costs a fraction of other methods. Still, it’s sometimes more than a business wants to invest.)
Whatever the cost, the Federal Government is willing to pay as much as half the cost…maybe even more.
Get Your Tax Credit For Website ADA Compliance Costs
The Americans with Disabilities Act actually altered the Tax Code.
So whatever you spend beyond $250, up to $10,000, gets multiplied by 50%, and that is your tax credit for website ADA compliance, up to a maximum of $5,000. (Please consult your tax professional for your specific situation.)
My number one goal in life is to avoid being sued so if you’re like me and want to avoid this problem while also saving money at the same time then I am here to help 800-582-1484.
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Anna Petrossian is a former educator turned successful businesswoman with over 31 years’ experience in the world of manufacturing/import/consultancy and marketing. She has focused her strengths on how to grow Companies and found creative solutions and resources others envied. Through her expertise and efforts, companies have grown into multi-million dollar ventures and she is often asked to assist other business owners on topics of where to get growth capital, reduce costs and improve profits. A valued resource to the business community, Anna prides herself first on helping others.