ADA Ready · Small business
US courts apply WCAG 2.1 AA to business websites under ADA Title III — thousands of demand letters land each year. Check the basics, and don't rely on an accessibility overlay.
📐 The honest answer: ADA web-accessibility expectations turn on being a 'public accommodation', not headcount — so small businesses are firmly in scope, and are in fact the most common targets of accessibility demand letters.
If it applies to you, here's what you need — these are the points small businesses most often miss:
⚠️ Exposure: DOJ up to $118,225 (1st violation) + private-suit costs · Status: In force. Regulators and plaintiffs do go after small businesses — being small is not a defence.
Compare the penalty for every rule →
ADA web-accessibility expectations turn on being a 'public accommodation', not headcount — so small businesses are firmly in scope, and are in fact the most common targets of accessibility demand letters.
US courts widely treat business websites as places of public accommodation under ADA Title III and apply WCAG 2.1 level AA. If you serve US customers, you're exposed to demand letters.
No. Overlay/widget tools don't ensure conformance and are themselves frequent lawsuit targets. Fix accessibility in the actual site.
Meet WCAG 2.1 AA basics (alt text, keyboard, contrast, labeled forms), test with assistive tech, and publish an accessibility statement with a contact to report barriers.
RuleGoose checks this against the ADA Title III (42 U.S.C. 12181) — courts apply WCAG 2.1 AA. Read it yourself: ADA.gov — web accessibility guidance →
or read the full ADA web accessibility (US) guide, or get one RuleGoose Score across every rule.
Informational only, not legal advice, and not affiliated with the DOJ. Thresholds can change and be fact-specific — confirm against the cited source. Last reviewed 2026-06-30.