A Look into 2024 ADA Compliance Lawsuits

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Website Accessibility in 2025: Lessons from 2024 Lawsuit Trends

Posted January 22, 2025

AudioEye

Posted January 22, 2025

Government building with an accessibility flag on top; a checklist with 'ADA' on the top is on the right side of the building. Two stacked books with a raised gavel over it is on the left side of the building.
Government building with an accessibility flag on top; a checklist with 'ADA' on the top is on the right side of the building. Two stacked books with a raised gavel over it is on the left side of the building.

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The number of digital accessibility lawsuits remained high in the first half of 2024, with websites and mobile apps facing ongoing legal scrutiny. Below, we discuss some of the key trends in digital accessibility compliance today — and how organizations can apply these learnings to minimize legal risk in 2025.

Year-end data is still being analyzed, but initial findings from the first half of 2024 reveal some important trends in digital accessibility compliance. Chief among them: The number of web accessibility lawsuits is projected to rise in 2024, after slight decreases the previous three years.

At the end of June 2024, roughly 4,280 Title III ADA lawsuits were filed in federal courts — and that number is expected to double by the end of 2024. 

And with updates to accessibility laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and European Accessibility Act (EAA) taking effect in the next two years, it's more important than ever for organizations to have a clear plan for digital accessibility compliance.

In this blog, we’ll examine some of the key web accessibility lawsuit trends in the first half of 2024 — and how you can use these insights to help inform your strategy for digital accessibility in 2025.

ADA Lawsuit Data: A Look Back at 2024 Trends

Between 2021 to 2023, the number of web accessibility lawsuits decreased, with filings in federal court dropping from a record 6,304 in the first half of 2021 to 4,081 in 2023.

In the first half of 2024, there was a slight uptick in the number of lawsuit filings from the previous year, although the number was slightly lower than the first half of 2022. However, the issue of ADA compliance is far from resolved. Lawsuits are highly likely to continue as businesses fail to meet digital accessibility requirements, with Seyfarth Shaw projecting around 8,500 lawsuits by the end of 2024.

What’s striking about these numbers is their concentration. California led the way in the first half of 2024, with 1,588 ADA Title III filings. Close behind was New York (1,106 lawsuits), with Florida, Texas, and Pennsylvania rounding out the top five for ADA lawsuits.

The lawsuits themselves spanned a range of accessibility issues under both Title II and Title III of the ADA, such as:

  • Websites excluding people with visual or hearing disabilities, such as poor color contrast, missing image alt text, or compatibility with screen readers and other assistive technology.
  • Communication barriers, such as lack of closed captioning or inaccessible online documents.
Text box reading 'Look Back at 2024' with balanced scale in the upper left-hand corner and raised gavel in the bottom right-hand corner.

Why ADA Lawsuits Increased in 2024 — and What It Means for 2025

Even though accessibility — in both physical and online spaces — has come a long way, the projected rise in lawsuits in 2024 underscores the need for continued focus in 2025. Many organizations are struggling to meet accessibility standards, and new laws are condensing timelines and strengthening requirements.

Here’s a closer look at some of the things that could be influencing the rise in ADA lawsuits:

New Standards and Evolving Expectations

A possible reason for the uptick in legal risk is the introduction of new and updated accessibility standards, many of which organizations are unaware of. For example, recent updates to Title II of the ADA require state and local government programs and services to make their online services and information accessible to individuals with disabilities. Additionally, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act has established the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA as the accessibility standard for entities receiving federal funding, as determined by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Not only have these changes raised the bar in terms of accessibility, but they’ve also increased the legal exposure for organizations that haven’t updated their websites or systems to comply with new technical standards.

Increased Enforcement from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)

The U.S. DOJ ramped up enforcement efforts in 2024, issuing new guidance and taking legal action against organizations failing to meet ADA standards. This heightened enforcement makes it clear that compliance is no longer optional in 2025 — it’s a legal requirement.

Lack of Awareness Remains an Issue

A lack of awareness about ADA compliance and digital accessibility requirements continues to leave many businesses at risk of legal action in 2025. Small businesses are particularly at risk, with 77% of ADA lawsuits in 2023 targeting companies with under $25 million in revenue.

A checklist with an accessibility symbol at the top of the page, in front of a laptop computer.

How to Reduce Legal Risk in 2025

To avoid becoming a website accessibility lawsuit statistic in 2025, you should take proactive steps to improve your website’s accessibility and comply with ADA requirements:

1. Understand Your Legal Obligations

As we discussed above, one reason organizations are sued is because they don’t know which compliance requirements they have to follow, which puts them at significant risk. Start by understanding which accessibility standards apply to your organization.

For example, if your organization operates within the U.S., you must comply with the ADA. However, there may be some additional accessibility requirements you need to meet on a state level. The California Unruh Act, for example, applies to all businesses operating within the State of California.

Government and federal agencies also have additional legal requirements around accessibility they need to comply with, including those outlined in Section 508.

2. Aim for WCAG 2.1 — and Plan for WCAG 2.2

As a best practice, aim to conform with the accessibility standards outlined in WCAG 2.1 Level AA. These guidelines are considered the international standard for creating accessible web designs and cover everything from color contrast and keyboard navigation to ensuring images include alt text. Following WCAG 2.1 can help you significantly lower your legal exposure while making your digital spaces more inclusive.

It’s important to note that while it’s not yet a legal standard in the U.S., you should aim to conform to WCAG 2.2. WCAG 2.2 includes nine additional success criteria that reflect evolving industry needs, including improved keyboard focus states, additional considerations for users with cognitive disabilities, and improvements for mobile devices. Staying ahead of these updates can help you adapt to new changes in accessibility requirements while building a more accessible, compliant experience for your users.

3. Build Accessibility Into Your Processes

Accessibility shouldn’t be an afterthought — it should be part of your content creation process. Embedding accessibility into your design and development workflows helps you ensure your content is accessible from the start, saving you a significant amount of time and effort later on.

Here are a few simple, accessible design practices you can add to your workflows:

  • Use clear, descriptive headings to ensure your content is organized logically.
  • Ensure all non-text content, including images, charts, and graphs, have alt text.
  • Choose color combinations that have sufficient color contrast ratios. 
  • Ensure your interactive elements, such as buttons or menus, have visible focus indicators.
  • Provide captions for videos and transcripts for audio content.
  • Ensure all digital content is compatible with assistive technology, including screen readers.

Following these practices can help you create digital content that meets accessibility standards while improving the overall user experience.

4. Conduct Regular Accessibility Testing

No matter how well you design for accessibility, regular testing is essential to catch issues before they become a problem. Using free tools, like AudioEye’s Web Accessibility Scanner, can help you find common accessibility issues, enabling you to take proactive steps to fix them.

However, it’s important to note that automated tools can only find common accessibility issues. More complex issues, like how descriptive your alt text is or how user-friendly your site is to screen reader users, are typically missed by automated tools. To ensure these issues don’t slip through the cracks, it’s important to conduct accessibility testing overseen by accessibility experts.

5. Prioritize Accessibility as a Core Value

Accessibility needs to be more than just a checklist — it should be a core part of your organization’s values and processes. By prioritizing accessibility in every part of your business, you not only reduce your legal risk but also demonstrate a commitment to inclusion that resonates with customers, employees, and the broader community.

Here’s the bottom line: Accessibility isn’t just a legal obligation; it’s a business opportunity that allows you to build trust and loyalty while making a meaningful impact.

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