ADA Website Compliance: Executive FAQ

Basic compliance (Score 70-90): $5,000 - $20,000

Full compliance (Score 90+): $15,000 - $50,000

Enterprise solution (Automated): $500 - $2,000/month

Doing nothing (Lawsuit): $92,000 - $316,000

Smart move: Budget $15,000 now, save $100,000+ later.

Yes. ADA compliance qualifies under several funding sources:

• ARPA funds: Qualifies as "government services" improvement
• CDBG funds: Removing barriers to access
• State IT modernization grants: Usually covers accessibility

Key: Frame it as "IT modernization" or "digital equity" not just "compliance."

Three funding strategies that work:

1. Risk management budget: This prevents lawsuits (legal/insurance line item)
2. Emergency allocation: Non-compliance = operational emergency
3. Phased approach: Fix critical pages now ($5k), rest in next budget

Reality: A lawsuit will blow your budget anyway. This is cheaper.

You're already liable. The deadline is for DOJ enforcement, but:

• Private lawsuits can happen today
• Discrimination complaints can be filed now
• Bad PR can happen anytime

Also: Every vendor is booked solid for 2025-2026. Wait = pay premium prices.

Depends on your approach:

Critical pages only: Can be done in 2-4 weeks.

Complicated answer:

YES: They fix 30-70% of issues automatically

YES: Courts have recognized them as good faith effort

NO: They don't fix everything (especially PDFs, videos, complex forms)

NO: Advocacy groups often criticize them

Executive take: Use them for quick protection, but plan for real fixes too.

The PDF problem is real. Here's the practical approach:

1. Stop creating new inaccessible PDFs immediately
2. Fix critical documents: Current forms, applications, notices
3. Archive old stuff: Move historical docs to archive subdomain
4. HTML alternative: Provide web versions of key documents

Cost-saver: Only remediate PDFs from last 2 years + current forms.

You are. Always. But:

• Check your contract for accessibility warranties
• Many vendors will fix for free to avoid liability
• Document all vendor communications about this issue

Leverage point: "We need this fixed or we'll need to discuss contract breach."

Three arguments that work:

1. Risk management: "This prevents a $100,000+ lawsuit"
2. Federal mandate: "DOJ requires this by [date]"
3. Constituent service: "25% of residents have disabilities"

Don't say: "It's the right thing to do" (they know that)
Do say: "Other cities have been sued for less than what we have"

Your 48-hour action plan:

1. Respond immediately: "Thank you, we're addressing this"
2. Offer alternative: Provide info by phone/email/in-person
3. Document everything: Shows good faith effort
4. Fix their specific issue within 72 hours if possible

Never say: "We're working on compliance"
Always say: "We'll ensure you can access this service immediately"

The Emergency Triage List:

1. Test your site (know your score)
2. Fix your homepage completely
3. Fix any payment/application systems
4. Fix contact information pages
5. Make public meeting info accessible

This buys you time by fixing what plaintiffs check first. Budget $5,000, take 30 days, reduce lawsuit risk by 70%.

Then: Plan for full compliance over next 6 months.