The National Federation of Independent Business discussed on Apr. 17 efforts to shield Missouri small business owners from lawsuits alleging non-compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regarding their websites.
This issue is important because some small businesses have faced legal threats and settlement demands over alleged website accessibility violations, even though there are no clear federal guidelines for ADA compliance in this area.
Brad Jones, state director for the National Federation of Independent Business, said, “We’ve got some enterprising trial lawyers out there that are looking for websites that they think do not fall under ADA compliance. Which is an interesting thing, because there is no ADA compliance [guidelines] that is directly related to websites. […] They are not very specific about what it is that makes a website compliant.”
Jones described a recent incident involving a Kansas City lawyer who sent out 70 settlement letters demanding payment between $10,000 and $15,000 to avoid court action. He said: “We had a trial lawyer in Kansas City who sent out 70 settlement letters. And basically, they said, you either fix your website, or we will sue you. They have one blind plaintiff for all of these settlement letters. Interestingly enough, they said, along with it, the letter, they said, and by the way, we’ll settle this for you. for what’s going anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000… And it’s a shakedown. It is nothing more than a shakedown.”
The National Federation of Independent Business supports SB 907 as a measure intended to prevent attorneys from seeking settlements without giving businesses time to address any alleged issues.
The organization strengthens Missouri communities by supporting small businesses according to its official website. It also advocates through legislative efforts and economic updates according to its official website, focusing on priorities throughout Missouri according to its official website. The group influences policy by engaging with the state legislature on behalf of small business interests according to its official website and maintains nonprofit and nonpartisan status according to its official website. Founded in 1943 according to its official website, it continues offering advocacy and policy updates relevant for independent business owners.
