Not legal advice
Got an ADA demand letter? What to know
Many US online shops receive letters claiming their website is not accessible to people with disabilities. Here is general information on what people in your position usually do, and how a scan can help you understand your site.
Talk to a lawyer. A demand letter is a legal matter with deadlines. A qualified attorney in your state is the right person to advise you on how to respond. WideDoor is software and cannot give legal advice.
First steps
- Don't ignore it, and note any deadline. Write down when you received it and how.
- Contact an attorney before you reply, pay, or sign anything. Your insurer may also want to know: some business policies cover this.
- Keep records. Save the letter, and keep dated records of what your site looks like now and of any changes you make.
- Don't rush to install an overlay widget. Widgets don't fix the underlying code, and shops with widgets still receive letters.
Questions worth bringing to your lawyer
These can help you and your attorney understand the letter. They are not a way to judge whether a claim is valid.
- Does the letter name your shop and website address correctly?
- Does it describe specific barriers (pages, products, dates, assistive technology used), or only general statements?
- Can the barriers it describes be found on your site today? An automated scan can check some of them (missing image descriptions, unlabeled form fields, low contrast, empty buttons, keyboard focus). Others need a person to test.
- Have you made changes since the date mentioned in the letter? Dated records show when.
How WideDoor can help
Our reports are generated automatically and describe what automated tests found on your pages, on a specific date. They don't say whether a claim is valid, and they don't make a shop "compliant".
- Start with the free scan: it shows automated issues on your home page in about a minute.
- If you and your lawyer want a dated record of more pages, the paid reports test up to 5 or 20 pages, with a keyboard and focus test on the home and product pages (every page in the Priority Evidence Pack), and the Evidence Packs add an Evidence ZIP (PDF, data and method statement). See pricing.
This page is general information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws and procedures vary by state.