Illinois ADA Website Compliance Guide

🏙️ ILLINOIS: 746% LAWSUIT SURGE — FASTEST-GROWING STATE

237 federal ADA lawsuits filed in H1 2025 alone — up from just 28 in H1 2024, a staggering 746% increase. New York plaintiff law firms are migrating cases to Illinois federal courts to avoid frustrated NY judges applying stricter standing requirements. 5,502 government entities face April 2026 deadline.

🎯 Chicago Metro Enforcement: Cook County's $85,000 settlement (2024) and Chicago Public Schools' $72,000 settlement (2023) establish precedent for high-value government cases in Illinois.

⚖️ Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA): State law allows private lawsuits with attorney fees and damages - more aggressive than federal ADA enforcement alone. Section 5/1-103 specifically covers disability discrimination, creating dual enforcement pressure.

📊 Special District Vulnerability: 3,249 special districts (libraries, park districts, transit authorities) face compliance requirements but often lack dedicated IT resources for WCAG 2.1 AA implementation.

💼 Economic Impact: Serving 12.6 million residents including 1.5 million with disabilities. Chicago's status as major business hub increases visibility and lawsuit risk for government websites.

⏰ Strategic Urgency: DOJ's April 2024 final rule established WCAG 2.1 Level AA requirement by April 24, 2026. Illinois entities face both federal compliance mandate and state IHRA damage provisions.