Demand Fair Regulations and Give Website Hosting Platforms Time to Integrate ADA Compliance Tools

Thousands of small businesses across California are being targeted with abusive lawsuits over website ADA compliance—many facing demands of $50,000 or more for issues they don’t have the tools or knowledge to fix. These lawsuits are financially devastating, forcing business owners to either pay massive settlements or shut down completely.

 

We, the undersigned, are small business owners, customers, and local community members who support fair and reasonable regulations. Small businesses are the backbone of our communities, and we refuse to let them be destroyed by predatory lawsuits.

The issue is not that ADA compliance standards are unclear—they exist for good reason. The problem is that small business owners are being unfairly forced to implement technical fixes they don’t have the expertise or resources to handle. Most small businesses do not design or host their own websites; they rely on platforms like Shopify, Wix, and WordPress, which should have built-in accessibility compliance as required by law.

Instead, small businesses—who are just consumers of these website platforms—are being stuck with massive legal and compliance costs. Predatory law firms and compliance services are exploiting this, demanding tens of thousands of dollars for fixes that small business owners can’t verify or afford—with no guarantee they won’t be sued again. Some business owners pay for expensive remediation, only to be targeted by another law firm for a different issue.

 

In 2024 alone, over 4,000 ADA website accessibility lawsuits were filed in the U.S., with California accounting for nearly 25% of them. The lack of enforcement on website platforms leaves small businesses defenseless against these costly legal threats.

We Demand Immediate Action:

1. An immediate stay on all active ADA website lawsuits so that small businesses are not forced into financial ruin while waiting for fair regulations.

2. A moratorium on future website ADA lawsuits until clear, enforceable compliance standards are established at the website platform level—not unfairly placed on small business owners.

3. An amendment to Senate Bill 585 that gives small businesses a fair chance to fix website accessibility issues before being sued—which is just common sense fairness. Business owners should receive clear notice, specific guidance, and a reasonable timeframe to comply, rather than being blindsided with lawsuits that demand tens of thousands of dollars without warning.

Why This Matters:

• Small businesses are being hit with $50,000+ lawsuits for compliance issues they don’t have the tools or knowledge to fix.

• Website accessibility standards exist, but enforcement is targeting the wrong people—small businesses instead of website hosting platforms that should be responsible for compliance.

• Lawyers and compliance firms are profiting, while small businesses are being forced to shut down or go into massive debt.

• Website hosting platforms like Shopify, Wix, and WordPress should be responsible for integrating ADA compliance tools, ensuring accessibility at the platform level.

• Fairness matters! Businesses should be given time to fix accessibility issues before being sued—it’s common sense and protects both small businesses and the disabled community.

With 30.7 million small businesses in the U.S., representing 99.9% of all firms (U.S. Small Business Administration, 2021), this is a crisis that must be addressed NOW.

Sign this petition to STOP abusive ADA website lawsuits and demand fair, achievable accessibility standards!

✔ ADA standards are not the issue—the problem is forcing small businesses to implement fixes they can’t handle instead of holding website platforms accountable.

✔ Small businesses are consumers of website platforms, just like anyone else—they shouldn’t be held legally responsible for something they don’t control.

✔ The legal burden should be on website platforms to build accessibility features into their services, as they have the financial and technical means to do so.