Webinar Access:
View the webinar
Presented on:
March 28, 2024
Objective:
Companies that sell their products through e-commerce websites, mobile apps and social media have seen a sharp rise in website accessibility lawsuits and demand letters. Several courts have ruled that The Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) (a federal law requiring public places be accessible to disabled people) and state laws require websites, mobile apps, and other digital media to be accessible to people who are blind and with other disabilities.
During this one-hour webinar you will hear from experts on what puts companies at risk for accessibility lawsuits; tools to test for accessibility; how to remove digital barriers; and strategies to maintain accessibility. Toy retailers will also discuss their first-hand experience with these lawsuits.
Who Should Attend:
Retail, marketing, and e-commerce teams that promote or sell products through websites or mobile apps.
What You Will Learn:
Companies that own or operate websites or mobile apps that are not optimized for use by disabled people have become targets of lawsuits.
In view of these persistent claims, companies need to know the prevailing judicial view—that websites and mobile apps be accessible to disabled visitors. Accessibility includes:
- (i) allowing words to be converted to audio translations by screen-reading software;
- (ii) having images and video made accessible to the visually impaired by way of adequate written descriptions of voiced content; and
- (iii) for keyboard commands to allow those unable to handle a mouse to use a website’s interactive functions.
Companies can substantially comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which aims to provide a single shared standard for web content accessibility that meets the needs of individuals including the disabled.
Attendees will get actionable tips for proactive compliance and post-litigation corrective measures. They will hear how making their digital channels more accessible to people with disabilities can help them reach a wider audience, increase search presence, and offer a better overall user experience.
Moderator:
Sue Warfield, president, Astra
Presenters:
Jeremy D. Richardson, partner, SGR Law
Jeremy leads Smith Gambrell & Russell’s Consumer Products Industry Team, is a Partner in the Litigation Practice Group, and a member of the Intellectual Property Practice Group. He works primarily with consumer product manufacturers, partnering with clients to provide practical solutions on an array of matters. His professional affiliations include The Toy Association, Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association, the International Consumer Products Health and Safety Organization, and ASTM International. Jeremy has also spoken at ASTRA’s Marketplace and Academy.
Kris Rivenburgh, founder, Accessible.org
Kris Rivenburgh is an attorney who has over seven years of experience in ADA compliance for websites. Kris is the author of The ADA Book and has helped hundreds of clients – from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies – with ADA compliance and website accessibility. Kris has published numerous resources including 300 videos on YouTube, WCAG guides, and on-demand training. Kris also offers audit, remediation, and user testing services through Accessible.org.
Maryam Al-Hammami, owner, The Game Chest
David Castillo, vice president, The Red Balloon Toy Store