Pub. 1 2019 Issue 2

T he Americans with Disabilities Act (the ADA) has generated litigation claims since it was enact- ed into law several years ago. In recent years, however, there has been a plethora of litigation claim- ing that company websites violate Title III of the ADA, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in “places of public accommodation” because the web- sites are not accessible to persons with disabilities. Traditionally, ADA claims were directed at brick-and- mortar, physical access barriers to dealership busi- nesses. The more recent claims, however, assert that private company websites qualify as places of public accommodation, and websites with access barriers (such as compatible screen-reading software, for example) deny persons with disabilities the right of equal access. Litigation has also challenged accessi- bility of mobile applications. A number of plaintiffs’ firms typically file numerous suits against different companies alleging violations of Title III and seeking injunctive relief against the companies (that is, to make their websites ADA accessible), along with payment of attorneys’ fees Dealer Website ADA Compliance Issues By Julie A. Cardosi, Law Of fice of Julie A. Cardosi, P.C., 6 Issue 2 2019