There has been a rise in the number of lawsuits alleging that companies with inaccessible websites are violating the American's with Disabilities Act (ADA). Specifically, the websites are not accessible to people with visual impairments and therefore are denying access to businesses and government services. This past fall several class-action cases were settled against a number of large businesses, including KMart and GrubHub.  The Department of Justice (DOJ) had planned to provide guidance on what the ADA required of businesses to be compliant. However, those proposed regulations have been put on hold, with no indication they will be pursued anytime soon. In the absence of DOJ guidance, and with courts increasingly recognizing the need for web accessibility, it is likely that companies will continue to reach settlements in web accessibility cases, rather than take cases to trial which may be unsuccessful.

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