Accessibility lawsuits rose by 37% in 2025: Why small businesses can no longer ignore their websites

Accessibility lawsuits rose by 37% in 2025: Why small businesses can no longer ignore their websites

Americans doing business online are facing a rapidly changing legal landscape. In the first half of 2025 alone, more than 2,000 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) website accessibility lawsuits were filed, a 37% increase compared to the same period in 2024. What’s more, nearly 70% of these lawsuits targeted e-commerce retailers, many of them small businesses with annual revenues under $25 million.

That surge isn’t confined to major brands or national chains. Small businesses that sell products online or take customer information through their website are increasingly being drawn into litigation driven by simple accessibility barriers. Local governments and business departments from coast to coast are starting to notice and quietly raising the bar for how they expect business websites to function.

For these reasons, Clym examined the rise in ADA website accessibility lawsuits.

Why Local Governments are Paying Attention

Local officials may not be filing lawsuits, but they deal with the effects. Complaints from residents with disabilities often surface at city halls and county business offices before they become legal filings. As awareness grows, many municipalities are updating guidance for business permits, local grants, tourism programs, and small business resources to include basic expectations for accessible websites.

For owners, that means digital accessibility is becoming part of the conversation in local business planning meetings, not just something for big corporations or tech departments.

The eCommerce Connection

According to recent data, about 69% of ADA-related web accessibility cases in 2025 were filed against online retailers. Why eCommerce? Because online shopping involves multiple steps where barriers can block a customer’s ability to browse, add to cart, and complete purchase flows, triggering legal claims when people using assistive technology encounter problems. Common issues include:

• Product images are missing descriptive alt text
• Poor color contrast on buttons and calls to action
• Unlabeled icons like shopping carts or “add to cart” buttons
• Checkout forms that don’t work with screen readers or keyboard navigation

These seemingly small gaps can stop a sale and expose a business to legal risk, even if the owner had no intention of excluding anyone.

Local Impact Beyond Litigation

Small business owners often assume accessibility rules are only for household-name brands, but the numbers tell a different story. A majority of eCommerce defendants in 2025 were companies with less than $25 million in revenue, highlighting how even locally owned shops and boutique online stores are vulnerable.

That’s why more local governments are incorporating accessibility considerations into their business guidance and why many chambers of commerce and small business associations are sharing resources on accessibility best practices with members.

Catching Issues Before They Escalate

For many business owners, the goal isn’t legal perfection; it’s awareness.

“Most small businesses don’t know where their websites stand until someone points out a problem,” said a spokesperson from Clym, an all-in-one digital compliance solution that tracks accessibility trends. “What we’re seeing is owners wanting a clearer signal, not a legal opinion first.”

Some businesses are running periodic website scans that return a general accessibility score, often broken down by state or country. Some tools help add context by showing which accessibility and website-related laws may be relevant based on business size, industry, and location.

“The biggest surprise for owners is how localized expectations can be,” the spokesperson said. “What’s acceptable in one state may raise questions in another.”

A local issue reaching broader audiences

As web interactions become central to how customers find and support local businesses, accessibility is increasingly seen as a business risk and opportunity, not just a legal requirement. For small business owners, the takeaway is clear: inaccessible websites don’t fly under the radar anymore. They attract attention from residents, local officials, and plaintiffs alike.

Staying proactive now may save businesses money, protect their reputation, and make their online presence welcoming to every customer.

This story was produced by Clym and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.