Website Accessibility & ADA Compliance for Southern NH Businesses
✓ Manual & Automated Checks | ✓ Accessibility Statement Added to Site | ✓ Serving Southern NH Since 2011
ADA Website Lawsuits Are Increasing—And Small Businesses Are Targets
Remediation Approach:
Federal Lawsuit Trends
- 4,605 ADA website lawsuits filed in federal court in 2023
- 77% increase in filings over the past 5 years
- Small businesses are 60% of defendants
- Average settlement: $10,000-$50,000 (not including legal fees)
- Legal fees average: $20,000-$75,000 to defend
- Total cost per lawsuit: $30,000-$125,000+
Demand Letter Campaigns
- 250,000+ demand letters sent annually (many never reported)
- Typical demand: $5,000-$15,000 to settle before lawsuit
- Serial plaintiffs target multiple businesses in same industry
- No warning required - first notice is often the lawsuit
Industries Most Targeted
- Restaurants & Food Services (18% of cases)
- Retail & E-Commerce (16% of cases)
- Healthcare & Medical (12% of cases)
- Professional Services (10% of cases)
- Entertainment & Hospitality (9% of cases)
Ongoing Compliance:
Courts have ruled that websites are "places of public accommodation" under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) - just like physical stores.
This Means:
✓ Your website must be accessible to people with disabilities
✓ Non-compliance violates federal law (Americans with Disabilities Act)
✓ No minimum company size—even sole proprietors are sued
✓ No intent requirement—ignorance is not a defense
✓ Plaintiffs can sue without warning you first
✓ Attorney fees are recoverable—encouraging plaintiff lawyers
Who Gets Sued?
You don't have to be a large corporation:
- Small retail stores with e-commerce
- Local restaurants with online ordering
- Professional service practices (lawyers, doctors, accountants)
- Contractors and home service businesses
- Beauty salons and personal services
- Gyms, studios, and entertainment venues
If you have a website, you're potentially at risk.
The Perfect Storm: Legal Risk + Business Opportunity
Supreme Court Decision (2019):
The Domino's Pizza case established that websites must be accessible—even without specific DOJ regulations. Lower courts are following this precedent.
DOJ Guidance (2022-2024):
Department of Justice issued guidance that WCAG 2.1 Level AA is the expected standard for website accessibility.
State Laws Expanding:
California, New York, and other states have additional accessibility requirements with stricter enforcement.
A small number of law firms file thousands of cases annually, targeting businesses with obvious accessibility issues.
It's Not Just About Legal Risk. It's smart business:
26% of U.S. adults have some form of disability:
- 13.7% have mobility impairments
- 10.8% have cognitive disabilities
- 4.6% have vision impairments
- 3.2% have hearing impairments
That's 61 million potential customers - In New Hampshire specifically:
- Approximately 185,000 residents (14% of population) have disabilities
- $8.9 billion in aggregate income among NH residents with disabilities
- Growing senior population with age-related accessibility needs
Accessible Websites Perform Better:
Studies show accessible websites have:
- 50% better mobile usability (benefits all users)
- 30% faster load times (technical optimization required for accessibility)
- 25% higher conversion rates (clearer navigation and forms)
- Better SEO rankings (proper structure required for accessibility)
- You're not just avoiding lawsuits—you're improving your website for everyone.
Comprehensive Audit, Remediation, and Ongoing Compliance
We don't just run your site through an automated tool and call it done. Those tools catch maybe 30% of accessibility issues. We conduct thorough manual audits, fix what's wrong, document your compliance efforts, and provide ongoing monitoring to keep you protected.
Comprehensive Accessibility Audit
What we assess:
Automated Testing (Starting Point):
- Run multiple automated tools (WAVE, axe, Lighthouse)
- Identify obvious technical violations
- Generate baseline compliance score
Manual Testing (Where Real Issues Are Found):
- Keyboard-only navigation testing
- Screen reader compatibility (JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver)
- Color contrast and visual accessibility
- Form usability and error handling
- Interactive element functionality
- Video and audio content accessibility
- Document accessibility (PDFs)
WCAG 2.1 Level AA Compliance Review:
- Perceivable: Can users perceive all content?
- Operable: Can users navigate and interact?
- Understandable: Is content clear and predictable?
- Robust: Does it work with assistive technologies?
What you receive:
Detailed Audit Report Including:
- Executive summary of risk level
- Complete list of violations by severity
- Specific page-by-page issues
- Screenshots and examples of problems
- Prioritized remediation roadmap
- Estimated time and cost to fix
- Comparison to WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards
Timeline:5-10 business days depending on site size
Accessibility Remediation
We fix the issues we find:
Code-Level Fixes:
- Add proper semantic HTML structure
- Implement ARIA labels where needed
- Fix heading hierarchy (H1, H2, H3 structure)
- Add alt text to all images
- Ensure color contrast meets standards
- Make all interactive elements keyboard-accessible
- Fix form labels and error messages
- Implement skip navigation links
Content Improvements:
- Rewrite confusing or unclear text
- Add text alternatives for non-text content
- Caption videos or provide transcripts
- Create accessible document alternatives
- Improve link text (no more "click here")
Testing After Fixes:
- Re-test with automated tools
- Manual verification with screen readers
- Keyboard navigation testing
- Mobile accessibility testing
- Document all fixes made
What you receive:
- All accessibility issues fixed
- Before/after comparison showing improvements
- Updated WCAG compliance score
- Documentation of remediation work
- Accessibility statement for your website
- Training on maintaining accessibility
Timeline:2-6 weeks depending on issues found and site complexity
Accessibility Statement & Legal Documentation
Protect yourself with proper documentation:
Accessibility Statement Page:We create a dedicated page on your website documenting:
- Your commitment to accessibility
- WCAG standard you're targeting (2.1 Level AA)
- Known issues and timeline for fixes
- Contact method for accessibility concerns
- Date of last accessibility review
- Ongoing monitoring and maintenance plan
Why this matters legally:Courts look more favorably on businesses making good-faith efforts to comply. A documented accessibility program shows:
- You're aware of requirements
- You're actively working on compliance
- You have a process for addressing issues
- You take accessibility seriously
This won't prevent lawsuits entirely, but it demonstrates good faith and can reduce penalties.
Ongoing Compliance Monitoring
Accessibility isn't one-and-done:
Websites change. New content gets added. Updates can break accessibility. Ongoing monitoring catches issues before they become lawsuits.
Monthly Monitoring Includes:
- Automated accessibility scans
- New page/content reviews
- Quarterly manual testing
- Updated compliance reports
- Priority alerts for critical issues
- Annual comprehensive re-audit
Plus:
- Staff training on accessible content creation
- Review of new features before launch
- Guidance on accessible design and development
- Updates as WCAG standards evolve
Investment:$295-$595/month depending on site size and complexity
OUR AUDIT PROCESS
Site Inventory & Prioritization (Day 1-2)
- Map all pages and content types
- Identify high-traffic and critical pages
- Document interactive features and functionality
- Prioritize testing based on risk and usage
Automated Testing (Day 2-3)
- Run multiple automated tools
- Generate technical violation reports
- Identify quick-win fixes
- Flag issues requiring manual review
Manual Testing (Day 3-7)
- Keyboard-only navigation testing
- Screen reader testing (multiple platforms)
- Color contrast verification
- Form and interactive element testing
- Mobile accessibility review
- Document and media assessment
Documentation & Reporting (Day 8-10)
- Compile comprehensive findings
- Categorize by severity (Critical, High, Medium, Low)
- Create prioritized remediation plan
- Estimate time and cost for fixes
- Generate executive summary
Review & Consultation (Day 10)
- Present findings via video call
- Explain issues in plain English
- Discuss remediation options
- Answer questions
- Provide clear next steps
Fixing Issues and Staying Compliant
Remediation Approach:
Phase 1: Critical Issues (Week 1-2)
Fix highest-risk violations first:
- Missing alt text on images
- Keyboard navigation blockers
- Form accessibility issues
- Color contrast failures
- Missing page structure
Phase 2: High Priority (Week 2-4)
Address serious usability issues:
- Heading hierarchy problems
- Link text clarity
- Interactive element accessibility
- Error handling improvements
Phase 3: Medium Priority (Week 4-6)
Improve overall accessibility:
- Enhanced navigation options
- Content clarity improvements
- Additional ARIA labels
- Performance optimization
Phase 4: Documentation & Statement (Final Week)
- Create accessibility statement
- Document all fixes
- Provide maintenance guidance
- Train your team
Ongoing Compliance:
What breaks accessibility:
- Content updates without alt text
- New features added without accessibility testing
- Design changes affecting color contrast
- Plugin updates breaking functionality
- New page types not following standards
How we keep you compliant:
- Monthly automated scans
- Quarterly manual reviews
- Alert you to critical issues immediately
- Annual comprehensive re-audit
- Guidance on maintaining accessibility
Investment & Pricing
Every project is different. Your investment depends on your business size, scope of work, current situation, and which services you need.
Our pricing is based on:
- The specific services yourequire
- Scope and complexity of your project
- Your timeline and business goals
- Whether this is new build or improvement of existing
See Complete Pricing & Packages
For detailed pricing on all our services including websites, e-commerce, SEO, and bundled packages:
Not Sure What You Need?
That's completely normal. Most businesses aren't sure which services they need or what the scope should be.
Schedule a free consultation
- Review your current situation
- Understand your business goals
- Recommend the right services
- Provide a custom quote with clear deliverables
Frequently Asked Questions
Am I really at risk? I'm a small business.
Can't I just use an accessibility widget or overlay?
What standard do I need to meet?
How long does accessibility last?
What if I get sued anyway?
Can you guarantee I won't be sued?
Do I need accessibility if I don't have e-commerce?
What about WordPress accessibility plugins?
Protect Your Business and Serve All Your Customers
Don't wait for a lawsuit to take accessibility seriously. Let us help you make your website compliant, reduce your legal risk, and reach more customers - all while doing the right thing.