The ADA Book

The ADA Book

By Kris RivenburghBusiness
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The ADA Book episodes

  • WCAG 2.2 vs. 2.1 AA: What's the Difference?

    Kris Rivenburgh explains the difference between WCAG 2.2 vs. 2.1 and 2.0 and then provides a quick overview of the seven new success criteria  found in WCAG 2.2 AA.

    WCAG 2.2 AA contains 57 success criteria.  WCAG 2.1 AA contains 50  success criteria.  WCAG 2.0 AA contains 38 success criteria.  Each  subsequent version is backwards compatible which means no previous  versions have been undone, only added to.

    The new AA success criteria are:

    • 2.4.11 Focus Appearance (AA)
    • 2.4.12 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum) (AA)
    • 2.5.7 Dragging Movements (AA)
    • 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum) (AA)
    • 3.2.6 Consistent Help (A)
    • 3.3.7 Accessible Authentication (AA)
    • 3.3.9 Redundant Entry (A)
    • Read the full W3C document:

      https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/

      Watch Kris explain WCAG 2.1 vs. 2.0 in more detail: 

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExUopePo8N4

      Read Kris's landmark article on ADA website compliance:

      https://krisrivenburgh.medium.com/the-ada-checklist-website-compliance-guidelines-for-2019-in-plain-english-123c1d58fad9

      Kris designed the ADA Compliance Course (ACC) as instructions you can give your team to fix the most commonly claimed issues in ADA website lawsuits. The ACC is really an SOP for your web team. Your team can get started in minutes at https://ADACompliance.net/.

      Watch Kris on YouTube @adabook:

      https://youtube.com/@adabook

      Connect with Kris directly on LinkedIn:

      https://www.linkedin.com/company/adabook 

      https://www.linkedin.com/in/krisrivenburgh 

      The ADA Compliance Course is available at https://ADACompliance.net.

      Kris offers accessibility services including WCAG 2.1 AA manual audits and remediation at https://accessible.org.

      Kris also wrote the book on ADA compliance for digital assets.  You can find out more about The ADA Book at https://ADABook.com.

      Transcript:

      https://adabook.com/wcag-2-2-vs-2-1-aa-difference/

      5 min
    • 2023 ADA Website Compliance: New Changes to Digital Accessibility Legal Landscape

      Kris Rivenburgh discusses notable 2023 updates to the ADA website  compliance legal landscape.  A continuing decline in litigation (demand letters, complaints / lawsuits), DOJ regulation on website accessibility, and WCAG 2.2 release will all shape 2023.

      Kris will also release his ADA Compliance Course which will dramatically  reduce the cost of website accessibility while lowering the risk of  litigation for website owners.

      Read Kris's landmark article on ADA Compliance for websites:

      https://krisrivenburgh.medium.com/the-ada-checklist-website-compliance-guidelines-for-2019-in-plain-english-123c1d58fad9

      Watch Kris lay out the foundation for ADA website compliance:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyCWfnsz2Fg

      Kris designed the ADA Compliance Course (ACC) as instructions you can give your team to fix the most commonly claimed issues in ADA website lawsuits. The ACC is really an SOP for your web team. Your team can get started in minutes at https://ADACompliance.net/.

      Watch Kris on YouTube @adabook:

      https://youtube.com/@adabook

      Connect with Kris directly on LinkedIn:

      https://www.linkedin.com/company/adabook 

      https://www.linkedin.com/in/krisrivenburgh 

      The ADA Compliance Course is available at https://ADACompliance.net.

      Kris offers accessibility services including WCAG 2.1 AA manual audits and remediation at https://accessible.org.

      Kris also wrote the book on ADA compliance for digital assets.  You can find out more about The ADA Book at https://ADABook.com.

      Transcript:

      https://adabook.com/2023-updates-ada-website-compliance/

      4 min
    • Fiverr Web Accessibility Gigs for ADA Compliance: Don't Use Them

      Kris Rivenburgh explains why Fiverr is a stew of bad website accessibility and ADA compliance gigs.  Most outright admit they will install a toolbar / plugin as part of the service.

      What's problematic is buyers don't know whether they're actually receiving any value from  the services.  Accessibility services on Fiverr include VPATs, PDF and Word document  accessibility, Section 508 compliance, website remediation, and more.

      The best case scenario for many "audit" buyers is they get a free scan repurposed as an audit.

      Watch Kris explain why plugins won't make your website ADA compliant:

      https://youtu.be/uifT4MatTKo

      Kris designed the ADA Compliance Course (ACC) as instructions you can give your team to fix the most commonly claimed issues in ADA website lawsuits. The ACC is really an SOP for your web team. Your team can get started in minutes at https://ADACompliance.net/.

      Watch Kris on YouTube @adabook:

      https://youtube.com/@adabook

      Connect with Kris directly on LinkedIn:

      https://www.linkedin.com/company/adabook  

      https://www.linkedin.com/in/krisrivenburgh 

      The ADA Compliance Course is available at https://ADACompliance.net.

      Kris offers accessibility services including WCAG 2.1 AA manual audits and remediation at https://accessible.org.

      Kris also wrote the book on ADA compliance for digital assets.  You can find out more about The ADA Book at https://ADABook.com.

      Transcript: 

      https://adabook.com/fiverr-web-accessibility-services-ada-compliance-bad/

      5 min
    • 2023 Buyer's Guide to Website Accessibility: What to Know Before Buying Services for ADA Compliance

      Kris Rivenburgh covers the most important considerations before you choose a service provider for website accessibility in 2023.

      The keys to buying services are:

      • avoid overlays / widgets
      • you need a manual audit to identify issues
      • you need manual remediation to fix issues
      • concentrate on 2.0 AA and then 2.1 AA conformance before 2.2 AA
      • do not pay for automated scans or "checkers"
      • accessibility training is essential
      • be skeptical of freelancers who offer development for ADA compliance / accessibility remediation
      • Watch Kris discuss what you're really looking for from accessibility companies vs. what they're selling you:

        https://youtu.be/KHRKWVST9lo

        Kris designed the ADA Compliance Course (ACC) as instructions you can give your team to fix the most commonly claimed issues in ADA website lawsuits. The ACC is really an SOP for your web team. Your team can get started in minutes at https://ADACompliance.net/.

        Watch Kris on YouTube @adabook:

        https://youtube.com/@adabook

        Connect with Kris directly on LinkedIn:

        https://www.linkedin.com/company/adabook  

        https://www.linkedin.com/in/krisrivenburgh 

        The ADA Compliance Course is available at https://ADACompliance.net.

        Kris offers accessibility services including WCAG 2.1 AA manual audits and remediation at https://accessible.org.

        Kris also wrote the book on ADA compliance for digital assets.  You can find out more about The ADA Book at https://ADABook.com.

        Transcript:

        https://adabook.com/website-accessibility-buyers-guide-2023/

        7 min
      • Does Every Website Need to be ADA Compliant in 2023?

        Kris Rivenburgh discusses the multiple layers to ADA compliance for  websites in 2023.  For the majority of private entities, the practical answer is, yes, the ADA applies, and you should make your website  accessible despite looming technical exceptions (one being there is no law or regulation that explicitly mandates website accessibility).

        Some layers to consider:  

        1. The ADA is interpreted and applied differently depending on what  state court or federal circuit court you're in and websites are  generally available in all states.
        2. There are 12 categories of public accommodations that your business  or accommodation must fall under for Title III of the ADA. 
        3. Plaintiffs' lawyers don't mind initiating litigation despite gray  areas in the law.  
        4. Resources:

          ADA Title III Technical Assistance Manual:

          https://archive.ada.gov/taman3.html

          Read Kris's landmark article on ADA Compliance for websites:

          https://krisrivenburgh.medium.com/the-ada-checklist-website-compliance-guidelines-for-2019-in-plain-english-123c1d58fad9

          Watch Kris explain why having less than 15 employees doesn't except you from Title III ADA compliance:

          https://youtu.be/tPp-_BVIvMc

          Kris designed the ADA Compliance Course (ACC) as instructions you can give your team to fix the most commonly claimed issues in ADA website lawsuits. The ACC is really an SOP for your web team. Your team can get started in minutes at https://ADACompliance.net/.

          Watch Kris on YouTube @adabook:

          https://youtube.com/@adabook

          Connect with Kris directly on LinkedIn:

          https://www.linkedin.com/company/adabook 

          https://www.linkedin.com/in/krisrivenburgh 

          The ADA Compliance Course is available at https://ADACompliance.net.

          Kris offers accessibility services including WCAG 2.1 AA manual audits and remediation at https://accessible.org.

          Kris also wrote the book on ADA compliance for digital assets.  You can find out more about The ADA Book at https://ADABook.com.

          Transcript:

          https://adabook.com/2023-compliance-ada-apply-every-website/

          8 min
        5. Compliance vs. Conformance: What is the Correct Term for WCAG?

          Kris Rivenburgh explains why "WCAG Compliance" is the wrong terminology.

          Always use conformance when referring to WCAG because WCAG is a set of voluntary standards and not the law.

          Use compliance when referring to mandatory requirements from a governing body (e.g., the law or regulations).  

          Examples:

          • ADA compliance
          • Section 508 compliance
          • WCAG 2.1 AA conformance
          • WCAG 2.0 AA conformant
          • Watch Kris explain why WCAG is not the legal standard under the  Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), meaningful access is:

            https://youtu.be/IXWDiMTlOmk

            Read Kris's landmark article on ADA Compliance for websites:

            https://krisrivenburgh.medium.com/the-ada-checklist-website-compliance-guidelines-for-2019-in-plain-english-123c1d58fad9  

            Kris designed the ADA Compliance Course (ACC) as instructions you can give your team to fix the most commonly claimed issues in ADA website lawsuits. The ACC is really an SOP for your web team. Your team can get started in minutes at https://ADACompliance.net/.

            Watch Kris on YouTube @adabook:

            https://youtube.com/@adabook

            Connect with Kris directly on LinkedIn:

            https://www.linkedin.com/company/adabook 

            https://www.linkedin.com/in/krisrivenburgh 

            The ADA Compliance Course is available at https://ADACompliance.net.

            Kris offers accessibility services including WCAG 2.1 AA manual audits and remediation at https://accessible.org.

            Kris also wrote the book on ADA compliance for digital assets.  You can find out more about The ADA Book at https://ADABook.com.

            Transcript:

            https://adabook.com/conformance-vs-compliance-wcag-ada/

            4 min
          • Why Investor Relations "IR" Pages Are Targeted in "ADA Website" Litigation / Lawsuits

            Kris Rivenburgh explains why investor relations or IR pages and not the main websites are being sued over accessibility by plaintiffs' law firms  in "ADA website" litigation.

            This is because of standing. Plaintiffs' name investor relations pages because these are available and open to the public and invite interest from everyone whereas the offering from the business side of the website may preclude a plaintiff from participation (e.g., due to membership restrictions).

            Watch Kris's overview of ADA website compliance:  https://youtu.be/HsTpHj7s-Xs

            Read Kris's landmark article on ADA Compliance for websites:

            https://krisrivenburgh.medium.com/the-ada-checklist-website-compliance-guidelines-for-2019-in-plain-english-123c1d58fad9

            Kris designed the ADA Compliance Course (ACC) as instructions you can give your team to fix the most commonly claimed issues in ADA website lawsuits. The ACC is really an SOP for your web team. Your team can get started in minutes at https://ADACompliance.net/.

            Watch Kris on YouTube @adabook:

            https://youtube.com/@adabook

            Connect with Kris directly on LinkedIn:

            https://www.linkedin.com/company/adabook 

            https://www.linkedin.com/in/krisrivenburgh 

            The ADA Compliance Course is available at https://ADACompliance.net.

            Kris offers accessibility services including WCAG 2.1 AA manual audits and remediation at https://accessible.org.

            Kris also wrote the book on ADA compliance for digital assets.  You can find out more about The ADA Book at https://ADABook.com.

            Transcript:

            https://adabook.com/investor-relations-ir-pages-targeted-ada-website-lawsuits/

            6 min
          • Plaintiffs Can't Successfully Sue Online-Only Businesses in California: Website Accessibility Lawsuits Now Limited for Plaintiffs' Law Firms

            Kris discusses the monumental California Court of Appeals decision in the Martinez v. Cot’n Wash, Inc. case.  The result is plaintiffs can no longer successfully sue online-only businesses in California state and federal court.

            This is a big set back for serial plaintiffs' law firms who file website accessibility complaints in California state and federal court like Pacific Trial Attorneys and Wilshire Law Firm.

            Now complaints brought under the California Unruh Civil Rights Act and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for website (in) accessibility cannot be successfully litigated against online-only businesses because websites themselves have been ruled to not be places of public accommodation.

            However, this doesn't mean that litigation can't continue against businesses where websites have a nexus to a physical location.  Moreover, this doesn't mean that online-only businesses cannot be successfully sued in other state courts / circuit courts.

            Source:  https://www.adatitleiii.com/2022/08/websites-are-not-a-public-accommodation-under-the-ada-says-california-court-of-appeals/

            Watch my video explaining the California Unruh Civil Rights Act: https://youtu.be/E2uR3FmFoMI

            Kris designed the ADA Compliance Course (ACC) as instructions you can give your team to fix the most commonly claimed issues in ADA website lawsuits. The ACC is really an SOP for your web team. Your team can get started in minutes at https://ADACompliance.net/.

            Watch Kris on YouTube @adabook:

            https://youtube.com/@adabook

            Connect with Kris directly on LinkedIn:

            https://www.linkedin.com/company/adabook 

            https://www.linkedin.com/in/krisrivenburgh 

            The ADA Compliance Course is available at https://ADACompliance.net.

            Kris offers accessibility services including WCAG 2.1 AA manual audits and remediation at https://accessible.org.

            Kris also wrote the book on ADA compliance for digital assets.  You can find out more about The ADA Book at https://ADABook.com.

            Transcript:

            https://adabook.com/california-plaintiffs-cant-win-website-accessibility-lawsuits-online-only/


            4 min
          • State Farm Doesn't Use AccessiBe's Overlay Widget But "The #1 Website Accessibility Solution's" Homepage Shows the Insurance Giant's Logo

            AccessiBe aggressively displays logos of corporate giants - some of the  largest companies in the world, but their social proof is frequently deceptive.

            In this instance, I screenrecord how AccessiBe makes use of  State Farm's logo twice on their homepage to indicate use by State Farm when the linked page is a subdomain of CESpecialties.com, a company that makes custom merchandise and novelties.

            If AccessiBe would deceive you into believing State Farm uses their overlay widget (which, of course, doesn't make websites accessible, WCAG  conformant, etc.), what about AccessiBe's reviews and testimonials?

            How many of those are from people who don't receive compensation from  AccessiBe?

            Note that I cannot find any instance of State Farm having ever used or  been associated with AccessiBe or AccessiBe.com.  To the contrary, it appears as if State Farm approaches accessibility legitimately and there is a genuine accessibility posted on StateFarm.com:  

            https://www.statefarm.com/about-us/diversity-inclusion/accessibility-statement

            Watch my video on how AccessiBe doesn't stop website accessibility lawsuits:

            https://youtu.be/RHiLx34FZOc

            Transcript:

            https://adabook.com/state-farm-doesnt-use-overlay-widget-accessibe/

            5 min
          • Does the ADA Apply to Small Businesses? Yes, Title III Applies to Public Accommodations

            Kris Rivenburgh explains that Title III the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to small businesses.  Title I can as well, if the small business employees 15 or more employees.

            In terms of "ADA website compliance", this can mean that, litigation may be initiated against a small business.  How, when, and if the ADA applies to online-only businesses depends on the state or federal court you're in, in 2023.

            Watch this related video on the ADA - 15 employees myth:  https://youtu.be/tPp-_BVIvMc

            Resources:  https://www.ada.gov/resources/title-iii-primer/

            Kris designed the ADA Compliance Course (ACC) as instructions you can give your team to fix the most commonly claimed issues in ADA website lawsuits. The ACC is really an SOP for your web team. Your team can get started in minutes at https://ADACompliance.net/.

            Watch Kris on YouTube @adabook:

            https://youtube.com/@adabook

            Connect with Kris directly on LinkedIn:

            https://www.linkedin.com/company/adabook 

            https://www.linkedin.com/in/krisrivenburgh 

            The ADA Compliance Course is available at https://ADACompliance.net.

            Kris offers accessibility services including WCAG 2.1 AA manual audits and remediation at https://accessible.org.

            Kris also wrote the book on ADA compliance for digital assets.  You can find out more about The ADA Book at https://ADABook.com.

            Transcript: https://adabook.com/does-title-iii-ada-apply-small-businesses/

            4 min

          About The ADA Book

          From the publisher's feed

          Plain English discussion on website accessibility and ADA compliance. An attorney walks you through best practices for ADA compliance and how to make your website, mobile app, or other digital asset accessible to people with disabilities. You'll also learn about the current legal landscape surrounding digital accessibility and the technical standards relied upon, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).