Website Accessibility & ADA Compliance 2025: The Complete Business Guide

Website Accessibility & ADA Compliance 2025: What Every Business Must Know

2,019 ADA website lawsuits have been filed in 2025 so far. By year-end, projections suggest nearly 5,000 lawsuits—a 20% increase over 2024.

If your website isn’t accessible, you’re not just excluding potential customers. You’re exposing your business to significant legal and financial risk.

This guide covers everything you need to know: the legal landscape, what compliance actually means, and how to protect your business.

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The Legal Landscape in 2025

Current ADA Website Requirements

Title II (Government):

• Must comply with WCAG 2.1 Level AA
• Deadline: April 2026 or April 2027 (based on population size)
• Explicit federal regulation

Title III (Private Businesses):

• No explicit WCAG standard in regulations
• Courts generally expect WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance
• DOJ has indicated WCAG 2.1 AA is the standard
• Enforcement through private lawsuits

Key Point: While there’s no law that explicitly says “all business websites must meet WCAG 2.1 AA,” courts consistently rule that inaccessible websites violate the ADA.

European Accessibility Act (June 2025)

If you do business in the EU:

• Similar to GDPR in scope and impact
• Applies to products and services
• Significant penalties for non-compliance
• Called “the next GDPR” by many experts

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2025 Lawsuit Statistics

The Numbers

Metric	2025 Data
Lawsuits filed (H1 2025)	2,019
Projected year-end	~4,975
E-commerce sites targeted	69%
Sites using overlays sued	30% (2023 data)
Top filing states	New York, Florida

Who Gets Sued?

Business Size:

• 77% of lawsuits target companies earning under $25 million
• Small businesses are primary targets
• Plaintiffs specifically seek easy settlements

Industries Most Affected:

1. E-commerce/Retail
2. Food service
3. Travel and hospitality
4. Healthcare
5. Professional services

Financial Consequences

Consequence	Cost
First ADA violation	Up to $75,000
Subsequent violations	Up to $150,000
Legal fees (defense)	$10,000-$100,000+
Settlement (typical)	$5,000-$50,000

High-Profile Cases:

• Target: $6 million settlement
• Domino’s: Lost Ninth Circuit case
• Winn-Dixie: Lengthy appeals, eventually won on appeal

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What WCAG 2.1 AA Actually Requires

The Four Principles: POUR

1. Perceivable Users must be able to perceive the information presented.

Requirement	What It Means
Text alternatives	Alt text for images
Captions	Video captions/transcripts
Adaptable	Content works in different presentations
Distinguishable	Easy to see and hear content

2. Operable Users must be able to operate the interface.

Requirement	What It Means
Keyboard accessible	Everything works without mouse
Enough time	Users can read and interact
Seizures	No flashing content
Navigable	Users can find content easily

3. Understandable Users must be able to understand the content.

Requirement	What It Means
Readable	Text is readable and understandable
Predictable	Pages work in predictable ways
Input assistance	Help users avoid and correct mistakes

4. Robust Content must work with assistive technologies.

Requirement	What It Means
Compatible	Works with screen readers, etc.
Parsing	Clean HTML code
Name, role, value	Proper ARIA labels

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Common Accessibility Issues (And How to Fix Them)

Issue 1: Missing Alt Text

The Problem:

<!-- Bad -->
<img src="product.jpg">

<!-- Also bad -->
<img src="product.jpg" alt="image">

The Fix:

<!-- Good -->
<img src="product.jpg" alt="Blue Nike Air Max 90 running shoes, side view">

<!-- For decorative images -->
<img src="decoration.jpg" alt="" role="presentation">

Issue 2: Poor Color Contrast

The Problem:

• Light gray text on white background
• Colored text on colored backgrounds
• Text over images without overlay

The Fix:

• Minimum 4.5:1 contrast for normal text
• Minimum 3:1 for large text (18pt+)
• Use contrast checking tools
• Provide sufficient contrast for all states (hover, focus)

Issue 3: Missing Form Labels

The Problem:

<!-- Bad -->
<input type="email" placeholder="Enter email">

The Fix:

<!-- Good -->
<label for="email">Email Address</label>
<input type="email" id="email" placeholder="you@example.com">

Issue 4: No Keyboard Navigation

The Problem:

• Interactive elements not focusable
• No visible focus indicators
• Custom components without keyboard support
• Focus traps

The Fix:

• All interactive elements keyboard-accessible
• Clear, visible focus indicators
• Proper tab order
• Skip links for main content

Issue 5: Missing Page Structure

The Problem:

• No heading hierarchy
• No landmarks
• No skip navigation

The Fix:

<!-- Good structure -->
<header role="banner">
  <nav role="navigation" aria-label="Main">
    <a href="#main-content" class="skip-link">Skip to content</a>
    <!-- navigation -->
  </nav>
</header>

<main id="main-content" role="main">
  <h1>Page Title</h1>
  <section aria-labelledby="section-heading">
    <h2 id="section-heading">Section</h2>
    <!-- content -->
  </section>
</main>

<footer role="contentinfo">
  <!-- footer -->
</footer>

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Why Accessibility Overlays Don’t Work

What Are Overlays?

“Accessibility widgets” like accessiBe, UserWay, AudioEye that promise one-click compliance by adding a JavaScript overlay to your site.

Why They Fail

1. They Don’t Fix Underlying Issues

• Overlays can’t fix missing alt text
• Can’t restructure poor heading hierarchy
• Can’t make custom widgets keyboard-accessible
• Don’t address fundamental code problems

2. They Often Break Things

• Interfere with actual assistive technology
• Can make sites harder to use for disabled users
• Create new accessibility barriers

3. Legal Protection Is Questionable

• 30% of 2023 lawsuits targeted sites using overlay widgets
• Courts have ruled overlays don’t constitute compliance
• “Trolling lawyers” now specifically target overlay users

4. Disability Community Opposes Them

• Over 700 accessibility professionals signed statement against overlays
• Disability advocates actively speak against them
• The National Federation of the Blind opposes overlay products

What Plaintiffs’ Lawyers Say

Accessibility lawyers specifically target sites with overlays because:

• They know the underlying issues aren’t fixed
• Overlay presence signals awareness of accessibility issues
• Easy cases to win or settle

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How to Actually Become Compliant

Step 1: Audit Your Current Site

Automated Testing (Start Here):

• WAVE (free browser extension)
• axe DevTools (free browser extension)
• Lighthouse (built into Chrome)
• Pa11y (command line tool)

Note: Automated tools catch only 25-40% of issues. Manual testing is required.

Manual Testing Checklist:

• Navigate entire site with keyboard only
• Test with screen reader (NVDA, VoiceOver)
• Check all forms for proper labels
• Verify all images have appropriate alt text
• Test color contrast throughout
• Check video captions
• Test on mobile devices

Step 2: Prioritize Fixes

Critical (Fix First):

• Form labels and error messages
• Keyboard navigation
• Alt text for informational images
• Color contrast issues
• Page titles and headings

Important (Fix Soon):

• Skip navigation
• ARIA landmarks
• Focus management
• Link purpose clarity
• Error prevention

Enhancement (Ongoing):

• Transcripts for audio
• Extended descriptions
• Cognitive accessibility
• Additional ARIA enhancements

Step 3: Implement Fixes

Development Best Practices:

• Build accessibility into development process
• Test accessibility during development, not after
• Use semantic HTML first
• Add ARIA only when needed
• Include accessibility in code reviews

CMS Considerations:

• Choose accessible themes
• Configure media library to require alt text
• Train content editors on accessibility
• Use accessibility plugins that actually help

Step 4: Document and Maintain

Create an Accessibility Statement:

• Current conformance level
• Known limitations
• Contact information for issues
• Commitment to improvement

Ongoing Maintenance:

• Regular automated scans
• Periodic manual audits
• Accessibility in QA process
• Staff training updates

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Accessibility Business Case

Beyond Legal Compliance

Market Size:

• 1 in 4 US adults has a disability
• $6.9 billion annually lost by ignoring accessible markets
• Aging population increasingly needs accessible sites

SEO Benefits:

• Alt text helps image search
• Proper headings help crawlers
• Transcripts provide indexable content
• Site structure helps rankings

User Experience:

• Accessible sites are better for everyone
• Mobile users benefit from accessibility features
• Keyboard users include power users
• Clear structure helps all users

Brand Reputation:

• Demonstrates social responsibility
• Avoids negative PR from lawsuits
• Appeals to values-driven consumers

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Cost of Accessibility

Remediation Costs

Site Size	Basic Audit	Full Remediation
Small (10 pages)	$500-1,500	$2,000-5,000
Medium (50 pages)	$1,500-4,000	$5,000-15,000
Large (100+ pages)	$4,000-10,000	$15,000-50,000+
E-commerce	$3,000-8,000	$10,000-40,000+

Building Accessible From Start

Added Cost: 10-20% more than non-accessible development Benefit: Dramatically cheaper than retrofitting

Cost Comparison

Approach	Initial Cost	Long-term Cost	Legal Risk
Ignore accessibility	$0	$50,000+ (lawsuit)	High
Overlay widget	$500-2,000/year	Ongoing + lawsuit risk	High
Basic remediation	$5,000-15,000	Low maintenance	Low
Built-in accessibility	+15% dev cost	Minimal	Very Low

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Action Plan for Business Owners

This Week:

1. Run free automated scan (WAVE or Lighthouse)
2. Try navigating your site with keyboard only
3. Review lawsuit risk factors

This Month:

1. Get professional accessibility audit
2. Prioritize critical issues
3. Create remediation plan
4. Budget for fixes

This Quarter:

1. Fix critical issues
2. Train content team
3. Update development processes
4. Publish accessibility statement

Ongoing:

1. Regular automated monitoring
2. Annual professional audit
3. Include accessibility in all new features
4. Maintain documentation

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Key Takeaways

1. Lawsuits are increasing - 5,000 projected in 2025
2. Small businesses are targets - 77% of suits target <$25M revenue
3. WCAG 2.1 AA is the standard - Even without explicit regulation
4. Overlays don’t work - They increase, not decrease, lawsuit risk
5. Real accessibility costs money - But much less than lawsuits
6. Build it in from the start - Remediation costs 3-5x more

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Conclusion

Website accessibility isn’t optional anymore. With lawsuits increasing yearly and courts consistently ruling that websites must be accessible, the question isn’t whether to invest in accessibility—it’s when.

The smart move: address accessibility now, before you receive a demand letter. The cost of proper remediation is a fraction of legal defense costs, and you’ll end up with a better website that serves more customers.

Don’t wait for a lawsuit to take action.

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Need help making your website accessible? Contact us for an accessibility audit and remediation plan.

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Sources:

• ADA.gov: Web Accessibility Guidance
• AudioEye: 2025 Lawsuit Trends
• AccessiBe: ADA Lawsuits Guide
• American Bar Association: Digital Accessibility Under Title III