House Passes ADA Reform Bill Addressing Website Accessibility Claims

The House passed the ADA Education and Reform Act (H.R. 620), which would reduce unnecessary litigation and allow companies to remedy alleged violations regarding their website or building accessibility by individuals with disabilities prior to any lawsuit being filed.  The bill, which passed on a bipartisan vote of 225 to 192 (with 12 Democrats voting for the measure), would require individuals to notify a business about a potential ADA access violation and give the business 180 days to make substantial progress towards complying before a lawsuit could proceed.  Since 2015, ADA claims filed in federal court have jumped by 37 percent, with many of them focusing on website and mobile phone application accessibility.  According to the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX), “barriers to access will be removed more quickly, providing the access that the disabled community needs and deserves, and business owners can re-direct resources from costly litigation to actual remediation of ADA violations.”  While website accessibility for job applicants is covered, the bill does not address employment discrimination claims.