website accessibility
Website Accessibility Standards Get an Update – What Businesses Should Know
Jim Butler | July 30, 2024
By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group® Hotel Lawyers | Authors of www.HoteLawBlog.com In October 2023, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines were updated to version 2.2. These updates introduced new requirements for improving web accessibility, such as focus visibility and alternative input methods. For hospitality business owners, understanding and implementing these changes is crucial for ensuring ADA compliance and providing an inclusive online experience for all guests. In the article below, JMBM partner Stuart Tubis explores the key updates in WCAG 2.2 and their importance for businesses. WCAG 2.2: Website Accessibilit...
The European Accessibility Act: What Hoteliers Need to Know
Cendyn | July 8, 2024
As the hospitality industry continues to evolve, it is crucial for hospitality businesses to stay head of the latest legislation impacting their operations. One critical law that all hoteliers should be aware of is the European Accessibility Act (EAA). The EAA is a landmark EU directive that establishes common accessibility requirements for a wide range of products and services. With full enforcement coming in 2025, now is the time for hoteliers to understand the EAA’s implications, as well as take steps to ensure compliance. Here’s an overview of the most important considerations facing the hospitality industry in the wake of the E...
ADA Update: Accessibility Legislation and the Importance of Website Compliance
Jim Butler | May 16, 2023
By Jim Butler The Americans with Disability Act (ADA) is an important piece of legislation guaranteeing equal access to public facilities to the nearly 60 million people with disabilities in the US today. Stuart Tubis, a partner in JMBM’s ADA Compliance and Defense practice, recently presented on why accessibility legislation is something all business owners should be aware of, and how many lawsuits have shifted focus to online spaces instead of brick-and-mortar locations. Hotels in particular must be familiar with the requirements of the ADA in order to accommodate the needs of disabled guests on their properties. Unlike building ...
ADA Defense Lawyer: DOJ Issues Guidance On Website Accessibility
Jim Butler | June 9, 2022
By Jim Butler, Stuart Tubis ecently on March 18, 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a “Web Accessibility Guidance” statement for state and local governments and public accommodations (including businesses) under Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). A copy of the Guidance document can be found here. In the Guidance, the DOJ clarifies once again that the ADA applies to websites: “the Department’s longstanding interpretation of the general nondiscrimination and effective communication provisions applies to web accessibility.” The Guidance also provides some examples of website acces...
Hotels Must List Accessible Features on the Web or Risk Lawsuits
Jim Butler | February 3, 2021
By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group® Hotel Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com As we’ve discussed in previous blogs, there has been an uptick in lawsuits filed against hotels alleging a failure to list accessible features on their website as required by the ADA. While many of these cases have been successfully defended in federal courts, new filings continue to surge and many plaintiffs are turning to state courts which have different requirements for dismissal. Martin Orlick, Chair of JMBM’s ADA Compliance & Defense Group, explains why we should expect these cases to continue in 2021 and what hotels should be...
Making Your Website ADA Compliant: What Businesses Need to Know
Michael Del Gigante | February 25, 2020
By Michael Del Gigante Many businesses fail to take a key thing into account when developing and maintaining their websites: accessibility. Specifically, they don’t consider whether their sites meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). While accessibility challenges aren’t new—websites have long been difficult to use for those with certain disabilities—a number of recent court cases have pushed the issue into the limelight and highlighted its importance. Why is accessibility so critical? What’s going on with the recent legal actions? How can you make your website ADA compliant? Here’s what ...
How Hoteliers Can Create ADA Compliant Content
Paul DeHart | September 12, 2019
The internet was not what it is today when The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush in 1990. This law prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in all areas of public life – jobs, schools, transportation, access to areas that are open to the general public - and has been extended since then to include websites and web applications. Courts today are interpreting Title III of the ADA, which requires places of “public accommodation” like hotels, to ensure that their web presences are accessible. A study published by Open Doors Organization found that American adults with...
