ADA Compliance and Website Accessibility: Circuit Split, Online Accessibility Act, W3C Guidance

Ms. Blank defends companies against lawsuits alleging violations of all aspects of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), including with respect to the accessibility of public accommodations and technology, and equivalent state and local laws. While the COVID-19 pandemic spurred a significant increase in lawsuits involving accessible technology, Ms. Blank has been handling hundreds of these cases over the last three years. As a trusted advisor, she counsels clients on all aspects of the employment relationship, avoidance of litigation, leave laws, employee discipline, separation and discharge, and harassment. She also advises on compliance with Title I and III of the ADA and the Family and Medical Leave Act and conducts internal investigations. Ms. Blank writes and speaks frequently about the ADA and public accommodation issues as well as ways of avoiding litigation, among other topics.

Mr. Sidoti – a commercial  litigator at Gibbons, P.C. and Chair of the firm’s E-Discovery Task Force, has more than 30 years of experience assisting companies with a wide range of business and legal challenges. As part of his practice, Mr. Sidoti counsels clients with respect to website access and compliance requirements under the ADA and other disability laws, and has represented numerous companies in website accessibility litigation. He has written and presented frequently on this topic.

Mr. Taylor is the Chief Innovation Strategist and Advisor to the UsableNet CEO with nearly 20 years of experience in usability and accessibility. He is a global technology leader for multichannel customer engagement, actively advising leading companies on how to extend their brands across multiple channels for all users. He has been an active member of the accessibility and usability communities since 2001, which started with leading partnerships between UsableNet, Macromedia (now Adobe), and The Nielsen Norman Group.