Since 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act has required businesses and public entities to make reasonable accommodations to meet the needs of disabled individuals. Most individuals and business owners are aware of the legal requirement to ensure physical locations, such as hotels, restaurants, banks, government facilities and other public areas have wide enough doors and turnaround spaces, gently sloped entry ramps, and other features that provide equal access for all. This awareness has been brought about in part, by education and social values and, when necessary, litigation to force equal access. One area which has gone relatively unnoticed, however, and might be said to be “behind the times” is website accessibility in the digital marketplace.

This may all be about to change as recent events stand to impact the issue of website accessibility.