Many companies are concerned with not only achieving accessibility compliance, but also proving it. Given today's legal climate, their concern is justified. Fortunately, in addition to expert evaluation and audit services, we specialize in helping our clients prove that their digital properties are accessible. One way we do this is by providing our clients a Letter of Reasonable Accessibility®, which their attorneys can use to help defend against web accessibility lawsuits.
Following testing and remediation for accessibility, clients who opt in will have customized documentation that lets them quickly explain the testing methodology, outline the WCAG 2.1 audit process, identify plans for addressing any non-compliant issues, address third-party site integrations, and other points of information that might be pertinent to their defense.
We calculated that businesses spent billions of dollars on legal fees for inaccessible websites last year based on the number of website accessibility lawsuits filed, an estimate of the number of demand letters sent, and conservative costs associated with receiving an accessibility demand letter.
"Achieving digital compliance through accessibility puts companies on the right side of the law," said Mark Shapiro, President of the Bureau of Internet Accessibility. "But, in today's legal climate, that's only half the battle — they also need to be able to prove their compliance if a complaint or lawsuit is brought against them."
Companies who are just starting out on the road to accessibility compliance can start with learning and self-service options, like a free website scan with a graded report of accessibility issues and self-paced training.
When they're ready to audit their websites and ensure compliance, they should contact us to learn about a TruAccessTM audit and SuretyTM support.