{"id":6978,"date":"2023-08-01T12:00:47","date_gmt":"2023-08-01T16:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/employerdefensereport.com\/?p=6978"},"modified":"2026-03-20T11:54:45","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T15:54:45","slug":"new-california-bill-would-create-website-accessibility-obligations-for-businesses-nationwide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.connmaciel.com\/employer-defense-report\/new-california-bill-would-create-website-accessibility-obligations-for-businesses-nationwide\/","title":{"rendered":"New California Bill Would Create Website Accessibility Obligations for Businesses Nationwide"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Jordan B. Schwartz<\/a><\/p>\n

As our blog readers are aware, website accessibility claims have been on the rise for the past decade, with no end in sight.\u00a0 To make matters worse, there is a new bill making its way through the California assembly that will exacerbate these types of claims.\u00a0 And, although the bill is state-specific, it would have consequences throughout the country. \"Shutterstock<\/a>Indeed, if passed, this bill would immediately create liability for businesses everywhere<\/em>, so long as those businesses\u2019 websites have California-based visitors.\u00a0 In other words, virtually every business with a representative reading this blog would be affected.<\/p>\n

By way of background, the U.S. Department of Justice has emphasized that businesses should make websites accessible to the disabled and has emphasized that businesses should do so by relying on a set of accessibility guidelines called the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (\u201cWCAG\u201d).\u00a0Last year, the DOJ issued what it termed \u201chelpful guidance\u201d on website accessibility, stating that businesses have \u201cflexibility in how they comply with the ADA\u2019s general requirements of nondiscrimination and effective communication.\u201d<\/p>\n

In contrast, this proposed new CA law takes a much stricter and more rigid approach.\u00a0 Specifically, Assembly Bill 1757 Accessibility: internet websites (AB 1757)<\/a> would make the latest accepted version of WCAG (WCAG 2.1 Level AA) the required standard for websites and mobile apps of any business establishment covered by the California Unruh Civil Rights Act (California\u2019s equivalent to the ADA).\u00a0 In so doing, the bill not only would establish non-negotiable technical requirements for website accessibility in contrast to the DOJ\u2019s position, but would also allow both individuals with disabilities and businesses to bring lawsuits against website developers who have developed websites and mobile apps that they believe are noncompliant with WCAG 2.1.<\/p>\n

Notably, AB 1757 permits plaintiffs with disabilities to recover statutory damages when a website \u201cfails to provide equally effective communication or facilitate full and equal enjoyment of the entity\u2019s goods and services to all members of the public.\u201d\u00a0 At this point, it is unclear whether a California court would find that a business\u2019s substantial compliance with WCAG 2.1 would allow a plaintiff to recover damages.\u00a0 However, as with other claims under the ADA and the Unruh Act, injunctive relief and attorneys\u2019 fees would likely be recoverable.<\/p>\n

The passage of this bill would undoubtedly lead to a huge surge in litigation in California. \u00a0Importantly, there is no grace period<\/u><\/strong> built into the proposed bill, which is perhaps the most difficult part for businesses.\u00a0 As a result, businesses doing business in California would be expected to be compliant with this new bill as soon as it becomes law, which would likely be this fall\/winter. \u00a0Specifically, in terms of the timeline, the CA Legislature is in recess until August 14, 2023; it then has until September 14, 2023 to pass bills, and the Governor has until October 14, 2023 to sign or veto those bills.<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, it is important for all businesses to have a plan for website compliance, as Title III of the ADA, as well as the Unruh Act, applies to all places of public accommodation, and most courts have found that websites and mobile apps qualify as places of public accommodation.\u00a0 The potential passage of AB 1757, however, makes it essential to have compliance plan, and to have one immediately.\u00a0 Otherwise, businesses could be on the hook for significant damages, as well as attorneys\u2019 fees and substantial remediation costs.<\/p>\n

As mentioned above, if the bill then becomes law, it would immediately affect businesses everywhere<\/em>, so long as their websites have California-based visitors.\u00a0 Given that the vast majority of businesses will have at least some California based visitors on its website, almost all businesses are fair game under this new bill.\u00a0 To avoid this significant legal exposure, it is best to be proactive.\u00a0 We can work with you to come up with ways to identify problematic issues on your website and assist you in complying with the strict requirements set forth in this AB 1757 before its too late.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Jordan B. Schwartz As our blog readers are aware, website accessibility claims have been on the rise for the past decade, with no end in sight.\u00a0 To make matters worse, there is a new bill making…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[831,842],"class_list":["post-6978","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-state-local-trends","tag-accessibility-ada-accommodations","tag-california-compliance"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nNew California Bill Would Create Website Accessibility Obligations for Businesses Nationwide - Employer Defense Report<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.connmaciel.com\/employer-defense-report\/new-california-bill-would-create-website-accessibility-obligations-for-businesses-nationwide\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"New California Bill Would Create Website Accessibility Obligations for Businesses Nationwide - Employer Defense Report\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Jordan B. 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