Executive Summary: Many business
owners have faced litigation under the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) by disabled individuals who claim the businesses'
websites are inaccessible. Now, many plaintiffs are turning their
attention to municipalities and their websites.
Websites and the Americans with Disabilities
Act: The ADA was enacted decades ago, before companies or
municipalities even had websites. Yet courts across the country
repeatedly have held that the law applies to internet
accessibility, resulting in an increasing trend in ADA litigation
over websites. Serial plaintiffs visit a multitude of websites and
then pick a niche. Some sue art galleries without screen readers
that enable the visually impaired to navigate the site, or hotels
whose websites do not list their accessible accommodations. Lately,
though, these plaintiffs and their attorneys have begun targeting
cities, towns, and counties, alleging that their websites are
inaccessible, most often
