{"id":7548,"date":"2024-04-11T16:50:45","date_gmt":"2024-04-11T20:50:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/employerdefensereport.com\/?p=7548"},"modified":"2026-03-18T14:35:39","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T18:35:39","slug":"new-website-accessibility-rule-to-go-into-effect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.connmaciel.com\/employer-defense-report\/new-website-accessibility-rule-to-go-into-effect\/","title":{"rendered":"New Website Accessibility Rule to Go into Effect"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>On Monday, April 8, 2024, Attorney General Merrick Garland signed the final rule under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure the accessibility of web content and mobile applications (apps) for people with disabilities.\u00a0 This final rule clarifies the obligations of state and local governments to make their websites and mobile applications accessible and marks the United States Justice Department\u2019s latest effort to ensure that no person is denied access to government services, programs, or activities because of a disability.\u00a0 According to Attorney General Garland, \u201cby issuing clear and consistent accessibility standards for state and local governments\u2019 digital content, this rule advances the ADA\u2019s promise of equal participation in society for people with disabilities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While this rule does not yet apply to businesses in the private sector, it is inevitable that such a rule is forthcoming, and that this rule will be used as a model for any future rule.\u00a0 Thus, it is important for all hotels, restaurants, stores, and other places of public accommodation to be aware of the requirements set forth in this final rule and, where possible, to start preparing for the issuance of a similar rule.<\/p>\n<p>As for the content of the final rule, it mandates technical standards for state and local governments to help ensure the accessibility of their programs and services provided through the web and mobile apps by adherence to WCAG, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, which is a set of guidelines that say what is needed for web accessibility, such as requirements for captions for videos. The stated goal of this final rule is to achieve a more inclusive society by providing clarity on how to make sure these platforms are accessible for people with disabilities and provide standards for addressing a wide variety of perceived barriers. For example, the rule will help ensure blind individuals can access information about public transportation on a city\u2019s mobile app or website, enable people who are deaf or hard of hearing to participate in university lectures online, and allow individuals with manual disabilities affecting their ability to use a mouse to access web information about voter registration. A fact sheet detailing information about the final rule is\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ada.gov\/notices\/2024\/03\/08\/web-rule\/\">available here<\/a>. <!--more--><\/p>\n<p>Again, these rules are not (yet) required for businesses in the private sector. But it would be na\u00efve to think that such rules are not coming down the pike.\u00a0 Thus, it may not be a coincidence that, to get ahead of the curve, some businesses are being proactive when it comes to accessibility (both website accessibility and \u201cbrick and mortar\u201d accessibility).<\/p>\n<p>For example, one Starbucks in Washington DC is now known as the \u201cStarbucks Signing Store.\u201d\u00a0 That store, located near Gallaudet University, was created specifically for deaf and heard of hearing customers. It is staffed by ASL-fluent employees and uses technology and design elements that cater to its customers, and the outdoor umbrellas and green worker aprons even feature the word \u201cStarbucks\u201d spelled out in sign language.<\/p>\n<p>Another Washington DC Starbucks, this one in the Union Market area, also introduced another new concept focused on accessibility.\u00a0 This particular store, which is the first of its kind, is an effort to accommodate a wide range of disabilities \u2013 lower countertops for patrons who use wheelchairs, acoustic dampening for those with hearing aids, a point-of-sale system designed to be easier to use in various ways, and other design features intended to make the store\u2019s experience more welcoming to everyone.<\/p>\n<p>Some hotels and other places of lodging are also taking proactive steps to accommodate individuals with disabilities above and beyond what is required by the ADA.\u00a0 Indeed, some hotels have installed an audio format signage system, allowing visually impaired guests to navigate the property independently with a mobile app.<\/p>\n<p>Regardless as to whether your company wants to simply adhere to the requirements set forth in the ADA or go above and beyond, as a prudent business practice (and as a good corporate citizen) you should, at a minimum, consult with your ADA attorney to ensure that both your company\u2019s website and its physical spaces are ADA compliant and usable by individuals with disabilities.\u00a0 Being proactive in this regard could be the key to avoiding costly ADA lawsuits down the road.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On Monday, April 8, 2024, Attorney General Merrick Garland signed the final rule under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure the accessibility of web content and mobile applications (apps) for people with&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[815],"tags":[831,857],"class_list":["post-7548","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-discrimination-harassment-retaliation","tag-accessibility-ada-accommodations","tag-hospitality-retail"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>New Website Accessibility Rule to Go into Effect - 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-website-accessibility-rule-to-go-into-effect\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"New Website Accessibility Rule to Go into Effect - Employer Defense Report\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"On Monday, April 8, 2024, Attorney General Merrick Garland signed the final rule under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure the accessibility of web content and mobile applications (apps) for people with&hellip;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.connmaciel.com\/employer-defense-report\/new-website-accessibility-rule-to-go-into-effect\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Employer Defense Report\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-04-11T20:50:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-18T18:35:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jordan B. 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