ADA lawsuits in 2025: what product leaders need to know

ADA Title III lawsuits and demand letters targeting websites and mobile apps continued their multi-year climb. Most filings still cluster in New York, California, and Florida, but plaintiffs increasingly file in federal court regardless of where the business operates.

Who's getting sued

• E-commerce — still the largest single category, especially fashion, food, and home goods
• Restaurants and hospitality — online ordering and reservations are the typical entry point
• Healthcare and finance — patient portals, member portals, and online banking
• B2B SaaS — once rare, now a meaningful share as employees of covered entities surface barriers

Common allegations

• Missing or unhelpful image alt text on product pages
• Forms that can't be completed with keyboard or screen reader
• Modals that trap focus or close unexpectedly
• Color contrast failures on prices, errors, and CTAs
• Inaccessible PDF menus, statements, or invoices

What actually reduces risk

1. 01Publish an accessibility statement with a real contact channel and a current conformance target (WCAG 2.2 AA).
2. 02Run a baseline conformance audit and fix the showstoppers (keyboard, forms, contrast) within one quarter.
3. 03Train designers and engineers — most regressions come from net-new code, not legacy.
4. 04Treat third-party widgets (chat, video, payments) as part of your surface area; their failures become yours.