Seyfarth synopsis: The DOJ issued a new guidance on website accessibility that contains basic information about the ADA's requirements for lay people but no new information for legal practitioners.

We can only speculate as to whether it was a response to the recent demand of 181 disability advocacy groups for regulations on website accessibility, but this past Friday, March 18, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued an unexpected "Web Accessibility Guidance" for state and local governments and public accommodations under Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Those looking for new legal insights from DOJ on this subject will be disappointed because the Guidance merely reiterates what experienced legal practitioners in this area already know based on DOJ's prior statements. The Guidance seems to be targeted at business owners and government employees who are unfamiliar with the DOJ's position on website accessibility and/or legal basis for that position. In fact, the DOJ's press release explains that the Guidance "offers plain language and user-friendly explanations to ensure that it can be followed by people without a legal or technical background."

The Guidance discusses the importance of website accessibility to people with disabilities and provides some examples of common barriers on websites. In the section called "How to Make Web Content Accessible to People with Disabilities," DOJ acknowledges that "[t]he Department of Justice does not...

Read Full Story: https://www.mondaq.com/unitedstates/employment-and-hr/1175494/the-doj39s-new-...