March 05 2012

Is Your Website a Prime Target for a Lawsuit?

Sure, there's nothing libelous on your website and you own all of the content or you've been granted permission to reprint it.

But how does your website rate when it comes to being compliant with the American Disabilities Act and laws pertaining to accessibility for the disabled?

You might be surprised to find out that your website doesn't meet the threshold defining how images and text must be displayed.

Target and Wells Fargo Cases

A couple of high-profile lawsuits have been filed against companies for not providing proper access to people who are deaf or blind. Target Corporation was a defendant in one such case filed by the National Federation of the Blind. Target settled the case for $6 million in 2008 and promised to use code that makes their site fully functional for blind people.

Last May, Wells Fargo was ordered to pay up to $16 million to compensate deaf and blind people who experienced access restrictions through electronic channels. Though the complaint didn't target Wells Fargo's website, the lawsuit indicates that more people and advocacy groups are scrutinizing all levels of electronic access.
 

Check Your CMS

We use the Sitefinity Content Management System as the foundation for our development, and the system contains multiple features that exceed accessibility expectations. But if your website is built on another platform, you may not meet federal regulations.

Plus, new regulations were adopted by the ADA in 2010 and become effective this March, so if your website is built on an older version of Sitefinity, there could be sections of your site that need to be updated for compliance.

We encourage you to contact us so we can use tools to test your website and find out where problem areas exist when it comes to full accessibility.

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posted by
ZAG Interactive
ZAG Interactive
Staff Writer

ZAG Interactive is a full-service digital agency in Glastonbury, CT, offering website design, development, marketing and digital strategy to clients nationwide. See current job openings.