Editing Web accessibility (section)

===United States===
In the [[United States]], [[Section 508 Amendment to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973]] requires all Federal agencies' electronic and information technology to be accessible to those with disabilities. Both members of the public and federal employees have the right to access this technology, such as computer hardware and software, websites, phone systems, and copiers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-section-508-standards|title=About the Section 508 Standards – United States Access Board|first=Dave|last=Yanchulis|website=www.access-board.gov|access-date=18 March 2018|archive-date=22 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180322141909/https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-section-508-standards|url-status=live}}</ref>  
Also, [[Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act]] prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability for entities receiving federal funds and has been cited in multiple lawsuits against organizations such as hospitals that receive federal funds through medicare/medicaid.

In addition, [[Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990#Title III—public accommodations (and commercial facilities)|Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)]] prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability.  There is some debate on the matter; multiple courts and the U.S. Department of Justice have taken the position that the ADA requires website and app operators and owners to take affirmative steps to make their websites and apps accessible to disabled persons and compatible with common assistive technologies such as the JAWS screen reader, while other courts have taken the position that the ADA does not apply online.  The U.S. Department of Justice has endorsed the WCAG2.0AA standard as an appropriate standard for accessibility in multiple settlement agreements.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/titleIII_2010/titleIII_2010_regulations.htm|title=Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in Public Accommodations and Commercial Facilities|website=www.ada.gov|date=8 March 2012 |access-date=14 May 2018|archive-date=18 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180518160944/https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/titleIII_2010/titleIII_2010_regulations.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

Numerous lawsuits challenging websites and mobile apps on the basis of the ADA have been filed since 2017. These cases appears spurred by a 2017 case, ''Gil v. Winn Dixie Stores'', in which a federal court in Florida ruled that [[Winn Dixie]]'s website must be accessible. Around 800 cases related to web accessibility were filed in 2017, and over 2,200 were filed in 2018. Additionally, though the Justice Department had stated in 2010 that they would publish guidelines for web accessibility, they reversed this plan in 2017, also spurring legal action against inaccessible sites.<ref name="dominos"/>

A notable lawsuit related to the ADA was filed against [[Domino's Pizza]] by a blind user who could not use Domino's mobile app. At the federal district level, the court ruled in favor of Domino's as the Justice Department had not established the guidelines for accessibility, but this was appealed to the [[Ninth Circuit]]. The Ninth Circuit overruled the district court, ruling that because Domino's is a brick-and-mortar store, which must meet the ADA, and the mobile app an extension of their services, their app must also be compliant with the ADA. Domino's petitioned to the Supreme Court, backed by many other restaurants and retail chains, arguing that this decision impacts their [[Due Process Clause|Due Process]] since disabled customers have other, more accessible means to order.<ref name="dominos">{{cite web | url = https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/25/dominos-asks-supreme-court-to-say-disability-protections-dont-apply-online.html | title = A blind man couldn't order pizza from Domino's. The company wants the Supreme Court to say websites don't have to be accessible | first = Tucker | last = Higgens | date = 25 July 2019 | access-date = 1 August 2019 | work = [[CNBC]] | archive-date = 30 July 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190730025336/https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/25/dominos-asks-supreme-court-to-say-disability-protections-dont-apply-online.html | url-status = live }}</ref> In October 2019, the Supreme Court declined to hear the case, which effectively upheld the decision of the 9th Circuit Court and requires the case to be heard as it stands.<ref>{{cite web |title=Robles v. Domino's Pizza LLC |url=https://adasoutheast.org/court/robles-v-dominos-pizza-llc/ |website=Information, Guidance and Training on the Americans with Disabilities Act |publisher=Southeast ADA Center |access-date=22 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220408074426/https://adasoutheast.org/court/robles-v-dominos-pizza-llc/ |archive-date=8 April 2022 |location=Syracuse University |date=23 June 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url = https://equidox.co/blog/robles-vs-dominos-pizza-explained-no-published-guidelines-doesnt-mean-no-standards/|title = Robles v. Domino's Pizza Explained|date = 18 October 2019|access-date = 27 January 2020|archive-date = 19 May 2022|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220519225329/https://equidox.co/blog/robles-v-dominos-pizza-explained-no-published-guidelines-doesnt-mean-no-standards/|url-status = live}}</ref>

The number and cost of federal accessibility lawsuits has risen dramatically in the last few years.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Number Of Federal Website Accessibility Lawsuits Nearly Triple, Exceeding 2250 In 2018|url=https://www.adatitleiii.com/2019/01/number-of-federal-website-accessibility-lawsuits-nearly-triple-exceeding-2250-in-2018/|date=2019-01-31|website=ADA Title III|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-14|archive-date=18 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200518095813/https://www.adatitleiii.com/2019/01/number-of-federal-website-accessibility-lawsuits-nearly-triple-exceeding-2250-in-2018/|url-status=live}}</ref>