Re: [AI] Lawsuits Over Digital Accessibility for People With Disabilities Are Rising

[vikas shivsharan]

Require legal help anyone lawyer is there in our group

On Sat, Oct 30, 2021, 5:42 PM Harshit Lohia  wrote:

> Dear List members,
> Please also note that if a visually impaired person is denied any
> banking service then he/she can also file a complaint with banking
> ombudsman as per the first circular. However, before making complaint
> with banking ombudsman, one is required to file a written complaint
> with branch manager/nodal officer of concerned bank via email or
> physical letter. If the grievance remains unaddressed even after 30
> days of giving a written complaint then banking ombudsman can be
> approached at https://cms.rbi.org.in
>
>
> On 10/28/21, Harshit Lohia  wrote:
> > Dear List members,
> > Provisions regarding availability of banking facility to differently
> > abled persons are contained in the 2 RBI circulars attached with this
> > mail. Para 2 [clause c-sub clause III & clause e] of first circular
> > and Para 9 and Para 10 of second circular are of special concern to
> > the people with disability. Verdict of CCPD dated 5th September, 2005
> > are contained in para 10.3 of second circular.
> >
> > On 10/27/21, Amena Kanchwala  wrote:
> >> Hi,
> >> It was good read. However, with inquisitiveness I would like to know
> >> that why don’t we often see such kind of lawsuits here in India? We
> >> are also having RPD act having accessibility clauses, if I am not
> >> wrong. So, can we work on strengthening our laws? I feel that, if laws
> >> are strong, then it would be mandatory to make websites and
> >> applications accessible. Then we don’t have to fight for the digital
> >> accessibility all the time. Dropping this mail just to get some
> >> clarity in my mind, as I don’t have much knowledge regarding to laws.
> >>
> >>
> >> Thanks and regards,
> >> Amena
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On 10/27/21, Kanchan Pamnani  wrote:
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Sorry don’t have the link but an interesting article for us.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Lawsuits Over Digital Accessibility for People With Disabilities Are
> >>> Rising
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> New reliance on e-commerce and other digital experiences during the
> >>> pandemic
> >>> has exposed problems with accessibility online, advocates say The
> number
> >>> of
> >>> U.S. lawsuits alleging that websites, apps and digital videos were
> >>> inaccessible to people with disabilities rose 64% in the first half of
> >>> 2021
> >>> from a year earlier, a new report says.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Plaintiffs filed 1,661 lawsuits claiming digital violations of either
> >>> the
> >>> federal Americans with Disabilities Act or California’s Unruh Civil
> >>> Rights
> >>> Act between Jan. 1 and June 30, up from 1,012 in the comparable period
> >>> of
> >>> 2020, according to the report
> >>> <
> https://f.hubspotusercontent30.net/hubfs/3280432/Remediated%20-%202021_MidYear_UsableNet_WebAccessibilityLawsuit_Report_FINAL_06292021%20(5).pdf
> >
> >>>  by UsableNet Inc., a technology firm that offers
> >>> accessibility-compliance
> >>> technology and services.
> >>>
> >>> Such lawsuits have risen steadily, to about 3,500 in 2020 from roughly
> >>> 2,900
> >>> in 2019 and about 2,300 in 2018, UsableNet said. The company predicts
> >>> more
> >>> than 4,000 such lawsuits for all of 2021 if trends hold.
> >>>
> >>> E-commerce companies are sued most often, accounting for 74% of federal
> >>> cases between Jan. 1 and June 21, the report said. Rounding out the top
> >>> five
> >>> categories were digital media and agencies, finance, food service and
> >>> healthcare, each accounting for less than 5% of the total.
> >>>
> >>> Companies with revenue below $50 million were the targets of two-thirds
> >>> of
> >>> lawsuits between Jan. 1 and June 21, a shift from the year-earlier
> >>> period,
> >>> when the share was less than half, UsableNet said.
> >>>
> >>> Consumers’ increased use of e-commerce and other digital experiences
> >>> during
> >>> the Covid-19 pandemic heightened awareness of accessibility issues, but
> >>> advocates say many companies still don’t give priority to accessibility
> >>> when
> >>> they design new products and features.
> >>>
> >>> A new decision in a case involving Domino’s Pizza LLC might encourage
> >>> more
> >>> lawsuits, accessibility advocates say. Guillermo Robles, who is blind,
> >>> sued
> >>> the pizza chain in 2016 after he was unable to order from its website
> >>> using
> >>> his screen-reader software. In June, federal Judge Jesus Bernal ruled
> >>> that
> >>> Domino’s site violated the Americans with Disabilities Act and the
> Unruh
> >>> Civil Rights Act, ordering the company to make its website accessible
> >>> and
> >>> pay $4,000 to Mr. Robles. A Domino’s spokesman declined to comment.
> >>>
> >>> Companies such as International Business Machines
> >>>   Corp. and Wix.com
> >>>   Ltd. have tackled the
> >>> problem
> >>> with accessibility checkers that 

Re: [AI] Lawsuits Over Digital Accessibility for People With Disabilities Are Rising

[Harshit Lohia]

Dear List members,
Please also note that if a visually impaired person is denied any
banking service then he/she can also file a complaint with banking
ombudsman as per the first circular. However, before making complaint
with banking ombudsman, one is required to file a written complaint
with branch manager/nodal officer of concerned bank via email or
physical letter. If the grievance remains unaddressed even after 30
days of giving a written complaint then banking ombudsman can be
approached at https://cms.rbi.org.in


On 10/28/21, Harshit Lohia  wrote:
> Dear List members,
> Provisions regarding availability of banking facility to differently
> abled persons are contained in the 2 RBI circulars attached with this
> mail. Para 2 [clause c-sub clause III & clause e] of first circular
> and Para 9 and Para 10 of second circular are of special concern to
> the people with disability. Verdict of CCPD dated 5th September, 2005
> are contained in para 10.3 of second circular.
>
> On 10/27/21, Amena Kanchwala  wrote:
>> Hi,
>> It was good read. However, with inquisitiveness I would like to know
>> that why don’t we often see such kind of lawsuits here in India? We
>> are also having RPD act having accessibility clauses, if I am not
>> wrong. So, can we work on strengthening our laws? I feel that, if laws
>> are strong, then it would be mandatory to make websites and
>> applications accessible. Then we don’t have to fight for the digital
>> accessibility all the time. Dropping this mail just to get some
>> clarity in my mind, as I don’t have much knowledge regarding to laws.
>>
>>
>> Thanks and regards,
>> Amena
>>
>>
>>
>> On 10/27/21, Kanchan Pamnani  wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> Sorry don’t have the link but an interesting article for us.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Lawsuits Over Digital Accessibility for People With Disabilities Are
>>> Rising
>>>
>>>
>>> New reliance on e-commerce and other digital experiences during the
>>> pandemic
>>> has exposed problems with accessibility online, advocates say The number
>>> of
>>> U.S. lawsuits alleging that websites, apps and digital videos were
>>> inaccessible to people with disabilities rose 64% in the first half of
>>> 2021
>>> from a year earlier, a new report says.
>>>
>>>
>>> Plaintiffs filed 1,661 lawsuits claiming digital violations of either
>>> the
>>> federal Americans with Disabilities Act or California’s Unruh Civil
>>> Rights
>>> Act between Jan. 1 and June 30, up from 1,012 in the comparable period
>>> of
>>> 2020, according to the report
>>> 
>>>  by UsableNet Inc., a technology firm that offers
>>> accessibility-compliance
>>> technology and services.
>>>
>>> Such lawsuits have risen steadily, to about 3,500 in 2020 from roughly
>>> 2,900
>>> in 2019 and about 2,300 in 2018, UsableNet said. The company predicts
>>> more
>>> than 4,000 such lawsuits for all of 2021 if trends hold.
>>>
>>> E-commerce companies are sued most often, accounting for 74% of federal
>>> cases between Jan. 1 and June 21, the report said. Rounding out the top
>>> five
>>> categories were digital media and agencies, finance, food service and
>>> healthcare, each accounting for less than 5% of the total.
>>>
>>> Companies with revenue below $50 million were the targets of two-thirds
>>> of
>>> lawsuits between Jan. 1 and June 21, a shift from the year-earlier
>>> period,
>>> when the share was less than half, UsableNet said.
>>>
>>> Consumers’ increased use of e-commerce and other digital experiences
>>> during
>>> the Covid-19 pandemic heightened awareness of accessibility issues, but
>>> advocates say many companies still don’t give priority to accessibility
>>> when
>>> they design new products and features.
>>>
>>> A new decision in a case involving Domino’s Pizza LLC might encourage
>>> more
>>> lawsuits, accessibility advocates say. Guillermo Robles, who is blind,
>>> sued
>>> the pizza chain in 2016 after he was unable to order from its website
>>> using
>>> his screen-reader software. In June, federal Judge Jesus Bernal ruled
>>> that
>>> Domino’s site violated the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Unruh
>>> Civil Rights Act, ordering the company to make its website accessible
>>> and
>>> pay $4,000 to Mr. Robles. A Domino’s spokesman declined to comment.
>>>
>>> Companies such as International Business Machines
>>>   Corp. and Wix.com
>>>   Ltd. have tackled the
>>> problem
>>> with accessibility checkers that automate the process
>>> 
>>>  of finding potential problems for people with disabilities. And the
>>> startup
>>> Evinced Inc., which looks for accessibility problems on websites using
>>> artificial intelligence, raised $19.5 

Re: [AI] Lawsuits Over Digital Accessibility for People With Disabilities Are Rising

[vikas shivsharan]

any1 lawyer in this grp  i need help

On Thu, Oct 28, 2021, 9:26 PM Harshit Lohia  wrote:

> Dear List members,
> Provisions regarding availability of banking facility to differently
> abled persons are contained in the 2 RBI circulars attached with this
> mail. Para 2 [clause c-sub clause III & clause e] of first circular
> and Para 9 and Para 10 of second circular are of special concern to
> the people with disability. Verdict of CCPD dated 5th September, 2005
> are contained in para 10.3 of second circular.
>
> On 10/27/21, Amena Kanchwala  wrote:
> > Hi,
> > It was good read. However, with inquisitiveness I would like to know
> > that why don’t we often see such kind of lawsuits here in India? We
> > are also having RPD act having accessibility clauses, if I am not
> > wrong. So, can we work on strengthening our laws? I feel that, if laws
> > are strong, then it would be mandatory to make websites and
> > applications accessible. Then we don’t have to fight for the digital
> > accessibility all the time. Dropping this mail just to get some
> > clarity in my mind, as I don’t have much knowledge regarding to laws.
> >
> >
> > Thanks and regards,
> > Amena
> >
> >
> >
> > On 10/27/21, Kanchan Pamnani  wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >> Sorry don’t have the link but an interesting article for us.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Lawsuits Over Digital Accessibility for People With Disabilities Are
> >> Rising
> >>
> >>
> >> New reliance on e-commerce and other digital experiences during the
> >> pandemic
> >> has exposed problems with accessibility online, advocates say The number
> >> of
> >> U.S. lawsuits alleging that websites, apps and digital videos were
> >> inaccessible to people with disabilities rose 64% in the first half of
> >> 2021
> >> from a year earlier, a new report says.
> >>
> >>
> >> Plaintiffs filed 1,661 lawsuits claiming digital violations of either
> the
> >> federal Americans with Disabilities Act or California’s Unruh Civil
> >> Rights
> >> Act between Jan. 1 and June 30, up from 1,012 in the comparable period
> of
> >> 2020, according to the report
> >> <
> https://f.hubspotusercontent30.net/hubfs/3280432/Remediated%20-%202021_MidYear_UsableNet_WebAccessibilityLawsuit_Report_FINAL_06292021%20(5).pdf
> >
> >>  by UsableNet Inc., a technology firm that offers
> >> accessibility-compliance
> >> technology and services.
> >>
> >> Such lawsuits have risen steadily, to about 3,500 in 2020 from roughly
> >> 2,900
> >> in 2019 and about 2,300 in 2018, UsableNet said. The company predicts
> >> more
> >> than 4,000 such lawsuits for all of 2021 if trends hold.
> >>
> >> E-commerce companies are sued most often, accounting for 74% of federal
> >> cases between Jan. 1 and June 21, the report said. Rounding out the top
> >> five
> >> categories were digital media and agencies, finance, food service and
> >> healthcare, each accounting for less than 5% of the total.
> >>
> >> Companies with revenue below $50 million were the targets of two-thirds
> >> of
> >> lawsuits between Jan. 1 and June 21, a shift from the year-earlier
> >> period,
> >> when the share was less than half, UsableNet said.
> >>
> >> Consumers’ increased use of e-commerce and other digital experiences
> >> during
> >> the Covid-19 pandemic heightened awareness of accessibility issues, but
> >> advocates say many companies still don’t give priority to accessibility
> >> when
> >> they design new products and features.
> >>
> >> A new decision in a case involving Domino’s Pizza LLC might encourage
> >> more
> >> lawsuits, accessibility advocates say. Guillermo Robles, who is blind,
> >> sued
> >> the pizza chain in 2016 after he was unable to order from its website
> >> using
> >> his screen-reader software. In June, federal Judge Jesus Bernal ruled
> >> that
> >> Domino’s site violated the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Unruh
> >> Civil Rights Act, ordering the company to make its website accessible
> and
> >> pay $4,000 to Mr. Robles. A Domino’s spokesman declined to comment.
> >>
> >> Companies such as International Business Machines
> >>   Corp. and Wix.com
> >>   Ltd. have tackled the
> >> problem
> >> with accessibility checkers that automate the process
> >> <
> https://www.wsj.com/articles/website-makers-tinker-with-tools-to-serve-blind-users-11621473692?mod=article_inline
> >
> >>  of finding potential problems for people with disabilities. And the
> >> startup
> >> Evinced Inc., which looks for accessibility problems on websites using
> >> artificial intelligence, raised $19.5 million in Series A funding in
> >> February
> >> <
> https://www.wsj.com/articles/evinced-a-web-accessibility-startup-raises-17-million-11612353609?mod=article_inline
> >
> >>  from investors including Microsoft
> >>   Corp.
> >>
> >> Accessibility advocates say these services can miss errors, however, or
> >> inadvertently 

Re: [AI] Lawsuits Over Digital Accessibility for People With Disabilities Are Rising

[shruti pushkarna]

I think our tolerance to malpractices and lack of implementation of
policies is not limited to the domain of disability. We should really unite
and launch advocacy efforts on a mass scale for the society to take notice
of the disability population.

*Shruti*


On Thu, Oct 28, 2021 at 4:56 PM Dhananjay Bhole 
wrote:

> Hello,
>
> Very interesting article.
>
> We all should also have law suits over digital accessibility in India.
> But i think we all tollarate inaccessibility alot. Only many of us
> discuss accessibility  on some foram like Access India.
>
> Banking services, Academic services, Postal and currier services,
> E-commerce services, E-governance services etc. are very much
> inaccessible In India.
>
> We all should start activism and file cases against these organization.
>
> Regards
>
> On 10/27/21, Kanchan Pamnani  wrote:
> >
> >
> > Sorry don’t have the link but an interesting article for us.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Lawsuits Over Digital Accessibility for People With Disabilities Are
> Rising
> >
> >
> > New reliance on e-commerce and other digital experiences during the
> pandemic
> > has exposed problems with accessibility online, advocates say The number
> of
> > U.S. lawsuits alleging that websites, apps and digital videos were
> > inaccessible to people with disabilities rose 64% in the first half of
> 2021
> > from a year earlier, a new report says.
> >
> >
> > Plaintiffs filed 1,661 lawsuits claiming digital violations of either the
> > federal Americans with Disabilities Act or California’s Unruh Civil
> Rights
> > Act between Jan. 1 and June 30, up from 1,012 in the comparable period of
> > 2020, according to the report
> > <
> https://f.hubspotusercontent30.net/hubfs/3280432/Remediated%20-%202021_MidYear_UsableNet_WebAccessibilityLawsuit_Report_FINAL_06292021%20(5).pdf
> >
> >  by UsableNet Inc., a technology firm that offers
> accessibility-compliance
> > technology and services.
> >
> > Such lawsuits have risen steadily, to about 3,500 in 2020 from roughly
> 2,900
> > in 2019 and about 2,300 in 2018, UsableNet said. The company predicts
> more
> > than 4,000 such lawsuits for all of 2021 if trends hold.
> >
> > E-commerce companies are sued most often, accounting for 74% of federal
> > cases between Jan. 1 and June 21, the report said. Rounding out the top
> five
> > categories were digital media and agencies, finance, food service and
> > healthcare, each accounting for less than 5% of the total.
> >
> > Companies with revenue below $50 million were the targets of two-thirds
> of
> > lawsuits between Jan. 1 and June 21, a shift from the year-earlier
> period,
> > when the share was less than half, UsableNet said.
> >
> > Consumers’ increased use of e-commerce and other digital experiences
> during
> > the Covid-19 pandemic heightened awareness of accessibility issues, but
> > advocates say many companies still don’t give priority to accessibility
> when
> > they design new products and features.
> >
> > A new decision in a case involving Domino’s Pizza LLC might encourage
> more
> > lawsuits, accessibility advocates say. Guillermo Robles, who is blind,
> sued
> > the pizza chain in 2016 after he was unable to order from its website
> using
> > his screen-reader software. In June, federal Judge Jesus Bernal ruled
> that
> > Domino’s site violated the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Unruh
> > Civil Rights Act, ordering the company to make its website accessible and
> > pay $4,000 to Mr. Robles. A Domino’s spokesman declined to comment.
> >
> > Companies such as International Business Machines
> >   Corp. and Wix.com
> >   Ltd. have tackled the
> problem
> > with accessibility checkers that automate the process
> > <
> https://www.wsj.com/articles/website-makers-tinker-with-tools-to-serve-blind-users-11621473692?mod=article_inline
> >
> >  of finding potential problems for people with disabilities. And the
> startup
> > Evinced Inc., which looks for accessibility problems on websites using
> > artificial intelligence, raised $19.5 million in Series A funding in
> > February
> > <
> https://www.wsj.com/articles/evinced-a-web-accessibility-startup-raises-17-million-11612353609?mod=article_inline
> >
> >  from investors including Microsoft
> >   Corp.
> >
> > Accessibility advocates say these services can miss errors, however, or
> > inadvertently cause additional problems, by incorrectly describing an
> image,
> > for example.
> >
> > Ambiguity is a challenge. Unlike accessibility regulations for the
> physical
> > world, there is no clear framework for violations on the internet, said
> > Jason Taylor, chief innovation strategist at UsableNet. Companies can
> end up
> > being sued over accessibility despite their efforts, said Peter Shapiro,
> > partner and Northeast regional vice-chair of labor and employment
> practice
> > at law firm Lewis 

Re: [AI] Lawsuits Over Digital Accessibility for People With Disabilities Are Rising

[Dhananjay Bhole]

Hello,

Very interesting article.

We all should also have law suits over digital accessibility in India.
But i think we all tollarate inaccessibility alot. Only many of us
discuss accessibility  on some foram like Access India.

Banking services, Academic services, Postal and currier services,
E-commerce services, E-governance services etc. are very much
inaccessible In India.

We all should start activism and file cases against these organization.

Regards

On 10/27/21, Kanchan Pamnani  wrote:
>
>
> Sorry don’t have the link but an interesting article for us.
>
>
>
>
> Lawsuits Over Digital Accessibility for People With Disabilities Are Rising
>
>
> New reliance on e-commerce and other digital experiences during the pandemic
> has exposed problems with accessibility online, advocates say The number of
> U.S. lawsuits alleging that websites, apps and digital videos were
> inaccessible to people with disabilities rose 64% in the first half of 2021
> from a year earlier, a new report says.
>
>
> Plaintiffs filed 1,661 lawsuits claiming digital violations of either the
> federal Americans with Disabilities Act or California’s Unruh Civil Rights
> Act between Jan. 1 and June 30, up from 1,012 in the comparable period of
> 2020, according to the report
> 
>  by UsableNet Inc., a technology firm that offers accessibility-compliance
> technology and services.
>
> Such lawsuits have risen steadily, to about 3,500 in 2020 from roughly 2,900
> in 2019 and about 2,300 in 2018, UsableNet said. The company predicts more
> than 4,000 such lawsuits for all of 2021 if trends hold.
>
> E-commerce companies are sued most often, accounting for 74% of federal
> cases between Jan. 1 and June 21, the report said. Rounding out the top five
> categories were digital media and agencies, finance, food service and
> healthcare, each accounting for less than 5% of the total.
>
> Companies with revenue below $50 million were the targets of two-thirds of
> lawsuits between Jan. 1 and June 21, a shift from the year-earlier period,
> when the share was less than half, UsableNet said.
>
> Consumers’ increased use of e-commerce and other digital experiences during
> the Covid-19 pandemic heightened awareness of accessibility issues, but
> advocates say many companies still don’t give priority to accessibility when
> they design new products and features.
>
> A new decision in a case involving Domino’s Pizza LLC might encourage more
> lawsuits, accessibility advocates say. Guillermo Robles, who is blind, sued
> the pizza chain in 2016 after he was unable to order from its website using
> his screen-reader software. In June, federal Judge Jesus Bernal ruled that
> Domino’s site violated the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Unruh
> Civil Rights Act, ordering the company to make its website accessible and
> pay $4,000 to Mr. Robles. A Domino’s spokesman declined to comment.
>
> Companies such as International Business Machines
>   Corp. and Wix.com
>   Ltd. have tackled the problem
> with accessibility checkers that automate the process
> 
>  of finding potential problems for people with disabilities. And the startup
> Evinced Inc., which looks for accessibility problems on websites using
> artificial intelligence, raised $19.5 million in Series A funding in
> February
> 
>  from investors including Microsoft
>   Corp.
>
> Accessibility advocates say these services can miss errors, however, or
> inadvertently cause additional problems, by incorrectly describing an image,
> for example.
>
> Ambiguity is a challenge. Unlike accessibility regulations for the physical
> world, there is no clear framework for violations on the internet, said
> Jason Taylor, chief innovation strategist at UsableNet. Companies can end up
> being sued over accessibility despite their efforts, said Peter Shapiro,
> partner and Northeast regional vice-chair of labor and employment practice
> at law firm Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP.
>
> “The current situation is very perilous for businesses—they don’t know
> whether they comply, no matter how much they expand and resources they
> devote to trying to be compliant,” Mr. Shapiro said.
>
> And litigation isn’t always the best approach, some advocates say.
>
> The lawsuits can sometimes force organizations to recognize the importance
> of digital accessibility, said Lainey Feingold, a disability-rights lawyer
> and author. But they often result in confidential settlements, without
> transparency into the 

Re: [AI] Lawsuits Over Digital Accessibility for People With Disabilities Are Rising

[Amena Kanchwala]

Hi,
It was good read. However, with inquisitiveness I would like to know
that why don’t we often see such kind of lawsuits here in India? We
are also having RPD act having accessibility clauses, if I am not
wrong. So, can we work on strengthening our laws? I feel that, if laws
are strong, then it would be mandatory to make websites and
applications accessible. Then we don’t have to fight for the digital
accessibility all the time. Dropping this mail just to get some
clarity in my mind, as I don’t have much knowledge regarding to laws.


Thanks and regards,
Amena



On 10/27/21, Kanchan Pamnani  wrote:
>
>
> Sorry don’t have the link but an interesting article for us.
>
>
>
>
> Lawsuits Over Digital Accessibility for People With Disabilities Are Rising
>
>
> New reliance on e-commerce and other digital experiences during the pandemic
> has exposed problems with accessibility online, advocates say The number of
> U.S. lawsuits alleging that websites, apps and digital videos were
> inaccessible to people with disabilities rose 64% in the first half of 2021
> from a year earlier, a new report says.
>
>
> Plaintiffs filed 1,661 lawsuits claiming digital violations of either the
> federal Americans with Disabilities Act or California’s Unruh Civil Rights
> Act between Jan. 1 and June 30, up from 1,012 in the comparable period of
> 2020, according to the report
> 
>  by UsableNet Inc., a technology firm that offers accessibility-compliance
> technology and services.
>
> Such lawsuits have risen steadily, to about 3,500 in 2020 from roughly 2,900
> in 2019 and about 2,300 in 2018, UsableNet said. The company predicts more
> than 4,000 such lawsuits for all of 2021 if trends hold.
>
> E-commerce companies are sued most often, accounting for 74% of federal
> cases between Jan. 1 and June 21, the report said. Rounding out the top five
> categories were digital media and agencies, finance, food service and
> healthcare, each accounting for less than 5% of the total.
>
> Companies with revenue below $50 million were the targets of two-thirds of
> lawsuits between Jan. 1 and June 21, a shift from the year-earlier period,
> when the share was less than half, UsableNet said.
>
> Consumers’ increased use of e-commerce and other digital experiences during
> the Covid-19 pandemic heightened awareness of accessibility issues, but
> advocates say many companies still don’t give priority to accessibility when
> they design new products and features.
>
> A new decision in a case involving Domino’s Pizza LLC might encourage more
> lawsuits, accessibility advocates say. Guillermo Robles, who is blind, sued
> the pizza chain in 2016 after he was unable to order from its website using
> his screen-reader software. In June, federal Judge Jesus Bernal ruled that
> Domino’s site violated the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Unruh
> Civil Rights Act, ordering the company to make its website accessible and
> pay $4,000 to Mr. Robles. A Domino’s spokesman declined to comment.
>
> Companies such as International Business Machines
>   Corp. and Wix.com
>   Ltd. have tackled the problem
> with accessibility checkers that automate the process
> 
>  of finding potential problems for people with disabilities. And the startup
> Evinced Inc., which looks for accessibility problems on websites using
> artificial intelligence, raised $19.5 million in Series A funding in
> February
> 
>  from investors including Microsoft
>   Corp.
>
> Accessibility advocates say these services can miss errors, however, or
> inadvertently cause additional problems, by incorrectly describing an image,
> for example.
>
> Ambiguity is a challenge. Unlike accessibility regulations for the physical
> world, there is no clear framework for violations on the internet, said
> Jason Taylor, chief innovation strategist at UsableNet. Companies can end up
> being sued over accessibility despite their efforts, said Peter Shapiro,
> partner and Northeast regional vice-chair of labor and employment practice
> at law firm Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP.
>
> “The current situation is very perilous for businesses—they don’t know
> whether they comply, no matter how much they expand and resources they
> devote to trying to be compliant,” Mr. Shapiro said.
>
> And litigation isn’t always the best approach, some advocates say.
>
> The lawsuits can sometimes force organizations to recognize the importance
> of digital accessibility, said Lainey Feingold, a disability-rights 

[AI] Lawsuits Over Digital Accessibility for People With Disabilities Are Rising

[Kanchan Pamnani]

 

Sorry don’t have the link but an interesting article for us. 

 


Lawsuits Over Digital Accessibility for People With Disabilities Are Rising


New reliance on e-commerce and other digital experiences during the pandemic 
has exposed problems with accessibility online, advocates say The number of 
U.S. lawsuits alleging that websites, apps and digital videos were inaccessible 
to people with disabilities rose 64% in the first half of 2021 from a year 
earlier, a new report says.


Plaintiffs filed 1,661 lawsuits claiming digital violations of either the 
federal Americans with Disabilities Act or California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act 
between Jan. 1 and June 30, up from 1,012 in the comparable period of 2020, 
according to the report 

  by UsableNet Inc., a technology firm that offers accessibility-compliance 
technology and services.

Such lawsuits have risen steadily, to about 3,500 in 2020 from roughly 2,900 in 
2019 and about 2,300 in 2018, UsableNet said. The company predicts more than 
4,000 such lawsuits for all of 2021 if trends hold.

E-commerce companies are sued most often, accounting for 74% of federal cases 
between Jan. 1 and June 21, the report said. Rounding out the top five 
categories were digital media and agencies, finance, food service and 
healthcare, each accounting for less than 5% of the total.

Companies with revenue below $50 million were the targets of two-thirds of 
lawsuits between Jan. 1 and June 21, a shift from the year-earlier period, when 
the share was less than half, UsableNet said.

Consumers’ increased use of e-commerce and other digital experiences during the 
Covid-19 pandemic heightened awareness of accessibility issues, but advocates 
say many companies still don’t give priority to accessibility when they design 
new products and features.

A new decision in a case involving Domino’s Pizza LLC might encourage more 
lawsuits, accessibility advocates say. Guillermo Robles, who is blind, sued the 
pizza chain in 2016 after he was unable to order from its website using his 
screen-reader software. In June, federal Judge Jesus Bernal ruled that Domino’s 
site violated the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Unruh Civil Rights 
Act, ordering the company to make its website accessible and pay $4,000 to Mr. 
Robles. A Domino’s spokesman declined to comment.

Companies such as International Business Machines 
  Corp. and Wix.com 
  Ltd. have tackled the problem 
with accessibility checkers that automate the process 

  of finding potential problems for people with disabilities. And the startup 
Evinced Inc., which looks for accessibility problems on websites using 
artificial intelligence, raised $19.5 million in Series A funding in February 

  from investors including Microsoft 
  Corp.

Accessibility advocates say these services can miss errors, however, or 
inadvertently cause additional problems, by incorrectly describing an image, 
for example.

Ambiguity is a challenge. Unlike accessibility regulations for the physical 
world, there is no clear framework for violations on the internet, said Jason 
Taylor, chief innovation strategist at UsableNet. Companies can end up being 
sued over accessibility despite their efforts, said Peter Shapiro, partner and 
Northeast regional vice-chair of labor and employment practice at law firm 
Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP.

“The current situation is very perilous for businesses—they don’t know whether 
they comply, no matter how much they expand and resources they devote to trying 
to be compliant,” Mr. Shapiro said.

And litigation isn’t always the best approach, some advocates say.

The lawsuits can sometimes force organizations to recognize the importance of 
digital accessibility, said Lainey Feingold, a disability-rights lawyer and 
author. But they often result in confidential settlements, without transparency 
into the defendants’ plans to become more accessible, she said.

“Digital inclusion is about including disabled people in the digital world, and 
it is so vital for participation, diversity, civil rights,” Ms. Feingold said. 
“Funneling it into a question of is-it-legal compliance really gets away from 
that.”

Companies should focus on accessibility from the start, said Samuel Proulx, who 
is blind and works as an accessibility evangelist at Fable Tech Labs Inc., an 
accessibility-testing platform.

“It is much easier to have accessible processes from the outset and not be 
doing all these high-cost