At DeckerDevs, we’ve always been committed to helping businesses stay ahead of the curve. But as the digital landscape evolves, ensuring your website is accessible to everyone is no longer just a "nice-to-have." It’s a legal requirement, and failure to comply can lead to serious financial consequences.

We recently partnered with accessiBe, the leading provider of web accessibility solutions, to help our clients ensure their websites are fully accessible. This partnership isn't just about offering a new service—it’s about protecting businesses from the growing trend of web accessibility lawsuits and ensuring their websites are compliant with laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The Legal Risks: A Case in Point

To illustrate just how high the stakes can be, we recently worked with an online retail client who faced a targeted lawsuit for not providing an accessible shopping experience for a disabled customer. The result? Over $80,000 in fines and legal fees. This wasn’t an isolated incident—2022 saw a record 3,250 ADA lawsuits related to web accessibility, with even more demand letters sent to non-compliant businesses.

The ADA mandates that websites must be accessible to people with disabilities, treating them as places of public accommodation. With lawsuits and demand letters increasing year after year, having a non-compliant website isn’t just a risk—it’s an invitation for costly legal battles.

Why Compliance is Critical

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), passed in 1990, was initially focused on physical accessibility. However, as the internet became a critical part of everyday life, the ADA has been interpreted to apply to websites, making them subject to the same accessibility standards as physical locations. According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), websites are considered public accommodations and must comply with ADA standards, which includes adhering to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

Failure to comply with these standards can lead to fines as high as $150,000, not to mention the reputational damage and lost business from being inaccessible to a significant portion of the population. The numbers speak for themselves: in 2022 alone, over 100,000 businesses were targeted with demand letters for failing to comply with web accessibility standards.

Why We Partnered with accessiBe

At DeckerDevs, we’re committed to helping our clients not only grow but protect their businesses. That’s why we’ve partnered with accessiBe, a leader in AI-powered web accessibility solutions. Their technology ensures your website is accessible to everyone, offering tools that allow users to select their own accessibility profiles and seamlessly navigate your site.

accessiBe’s solutions don’t just protect you from legal risk—they also expand your audience. With 1 in 4 Americans living with a disability, an accessible website opens the door to an additional 25% of potential customers, increasing your reach and helping you grow your business.

The Business Benefits of Accessibility

Ensuring your website is accessible comes with more than just legal compliance. Here’s what you stand to gain:

• Expand Your Audience: Make your business accessible to 25% of the population, many of whom are eager to engage with businesses that prioritize inclusion.
• Boost SEO and Web Performance: Accessibility improvements such as image alt tags and structured content not only make your site more usable but also enhance your SEO, driving organic traffic.
• Enhance User Experience: An accessible site is easier for everyone to use, reducing confusion and frustration for all visitors.
• Protect Your Reputation: Demonstrating a commitment to accessibility shows that your business values inclusion and social responsibility.
• Mitigate Legal Risk: With lawsuits on the rise, web accessibility compliance is a safeguard against expensive fines and legal fees.

Ready to Protect Your Business and Enhance Your Website?

At DeckerDevs, we’re not just about providing cutting-edge web development—we’re about future-proofing your business. With our accessiBe partnership, we can help you stay compliant, avoid costly lawsuits, and expand your reach.

Let’s start the conversation about how we can make your website accessible, compliant, and ready to grow.