“More than 50 million Americans with disabilities are potential customers for retail businesses across the country.”
Source: U.S. Dept. of Justice, ADA.gov
“Using technology to promote efficiency and productivity has become an integral part of the way retailers do business. To stay competitive, retailers must utilize the latest technology and ensure that in doing so they are complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) non-discrimination requirements.”
Source: Lawline.com
“Retailers are increasingly faced with ADA lawsuits that claim their websites are not accessible, particularly for the visually impaired. Website accessibility lawsuits have already hit a record high this year, with retail being the most frequently targeted industry.”
Source: The National Retail Federation
Fact: e-commerce sites and retailers that display their products and services through websites and mobile applications -- but who do not meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level A/AA requirements -- are vulnerable to class action and other lawsuits as well as Department of Justice enforced actions.
And unfortunately because many e-commerce websites don’t have a physical address, there has long been confusion and debate over whether Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to them. However, in a growing number of legal cases regarding website accessibility, judges have upheld the spirit of the law, finding that online retailers must comply with the ADA as if shoppers were visiting them in person.
Additionally, if an e-commerce website isn’t accessible to people with disabilities, it isn’t just in violation of the ADA, it’s turning away millions of potential customers resulting in an astronomical loss of revenue. Don’t be an e-commerce accessibility dinosaur.
The Bureau of Internet Accessibility is here to help improve the accessibility of your website, which will both expand your audience and help bring you into compliance with disability legislation.
If you need to ensure greater website accessibility and compliance for persons with disabilities, don’t go it alone. The Bureau of Internet Accessibility has been helping retail businesses achieve compliance for more than 20 years.
Get in touch with us today to get started on your journey to website accessibility and compliance success. We offer both FREE consultation services and a FREE website accessibility scan to see where your biggest online pain points currently exist. Let’s get started.
