In recent years, a new legal risk has emerged for businesses of all sizes, and it’s not about your physical storefront. It’s about your digital one. If your business website is not accessible to people with disabilities, you could face a costly lawsuit.

For Beverly Hills businesses, this isn’t a distant concern. It’s happening here, in our own backyard. California consistently ranks among the states with the highest number of ADA-related website accessibility lawsuits, and small-to-midsize businesses are often the most vulnerable.

In this article, we’ll break down the basics of website accessibility, share recent lawsuit trends, and give you practical steps to protect your business while making your website more inclusive.

Understanding ADA and WCAG Basics

The ADA and Websites
The Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in 1990, long before most people even had an email address. Yet, courts have consistently interpreted Title III of the ADA, which covers “places of public accommodation,” to include business websites. If a person with a disability cannot access your website, it may be considered a violation.

California’s Legal Landscape
Here in California, the Unruh Civil Rights Act adds another layer of protection for individuals with disabilities. It also means lawsuits can result in higher penalties and attorney fees. Plaintiffs often combine ADA and Unruh claims in the same case, increasing potential financial exposure.

What Is WCAG?

While the ADA doesn’t give a detailed checklist for what an “accessible” website must look like, most courts and legal settlements refer to something called the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines as the standard. 

Think of WCAG as the digital version of building codes that make physical spaces accessible. Just like a restaurant or shop might need a ramp alongside stairs, wide doorways, or braille menus so all customers can get in and enjoy their experience, WCAG provides the “access ramps” for your website.

It covers things like:

• Making sure text is large enough and easy to read
  
• Using colors with enough contrast so words don’t blend into the background
  
• Allowing people to move through the site using only a keyboard, without a mouse
  
• Ensuring that screen reader users — people who rely on software that reads webpages aloud — can understand everything on the page

The most common legal requirement is called WCAG. Meeting this level means your online “front door” is open to everyone, just like an accessible storefront on the street.

Recent Lawsuit Trends in California

Website accessibility lawsuits have been steadily increasing nationwide, and California is one of the epicenters. Here are a few key trends:

Volume Is Rising: Thousands of ADA digital accessibility lawsuits are filed each year, with a significant portion in California.

Small Businesses Are a Target: While early lawsuits focused on large brands, plaintiffs’ attorneys are now targeting restaurants, medical practices, boutiques, salons, professional services, and even local nonprofits.

Templates and Serial Filers: Many lawsuits are filed by the same plaintiffs, using nearly identical complaint templates. This allows them to target multiple businesses quickly.

Quick Settlements: Most cases settle before reaching trial, but even a settlement can cost $5,000–$50,000 once legal fees are factored in.

For Beverly Hills business owners, this means you can’t afford to ignore accessibility until “later.” One inaccessible PDF, image, or navigation menu could trigger a claim.

Why Accessibility Is Good for Business

While avoiding a lawsuit is a strong motivator, accessibility isn’t just about compliance; it’s about opportunity.

Reach More Customers: 1 in 4 Americans lives with a disability, and many are active consumers with significant purchasing power.

Improve search engine optimization: Search engines reward sites that use accessibility best practices like clean code, proper structure, and text alternatives for images.

Boost Brand Reputation: Inclusive businesses often earn positive press and loyal customers who appreciate their efforts.

5 Steps Beverly Hills Businesses Can Take Now

The good news is that you don’t have to overhaul your website overnight to start reducing risk. 

Here are five actions you can take right away:

1. Get a Professional Accessibility Inspection

Automated scans only catch about 30% of accessibility issues. A manual inspection, guided by WCAG standards, will identify real-world barriers affecting customers with disabilities. Look for a provider who reviews navigation, forms, images, PDFs, and interactive elements, not just surface-level code.

2. Fix the “Low-Hanging Fruit” First

Many common barriers can be resolved quickly, such as:

• Adding descriptive alt text to images
• Improving color contrast between text and background
• Ensuring links have clear, descriptive labels
• Adding captions or transcripts to videos

These fixes improve both usability and legal defensibility.

3. Make PDFs and Documents Accessible

If you offer menus, forms, or brochures as downloadable PDFs, they must be tagged and structured so that screen readers can interpret them. Untagged PDFs are among the most common triggers of lawsuits.

4. Train Your Team

If your website is regularly updated by in-house staff or a marketing agency, make sure they understand basic accessibility practices. Without training, new barriers can be introduced every time content is changed or added.

5. Maintain Accessibility Over Time

Accessibility is not a “set it and forget it” project. Schedule regular inspections monthly, quarterly, or annually to catch new issues before they become liabilities.

Local Case Example

While confidentiality prevents us from naming names, we’ve seen a wide range of Beverly Hills businesses — from beloved restaurants that have served the community for over 30 years, to long-standing retail institutions, to well-respected medical practices — face ADA/Unruh lawsuits after receiving accessibility complaints. In one case, a local retailer’s online store was cited for missing alt text, poor color contrast, and an inaccessible checkout process. In others, issues ranged from unreadable PDFs to menus that screen readers couldn’t interpret. These cases often settle for tens of thousands of dollars – expenses that could have been avoided with proactive accessibility measures costing only a fraction of that amount.

The Bottom Line

Website accessibility is no longer optional for Beverly Hills businesses; it’s a legal, ethical, and competitive necessity. By adhering to WCAG standards and taking proactive steps now, you can avoid costly lawsuits, expand your reach, and demonstrate that your business is truly inclusive and accessible to all.

About Accessibilities

Accessibilities is a Beverly Hills-based digital accessibility partner, helping businesses ensure that all their digital properties,  including websites, PDFs, online forms, and more,  are inclusive and welcoming to all users. We perform thorough, hands-on inspections to find and address barriers that can make it difficult for people with disabilities to navigate and use your content. Our reports provide clear, actionable recommendations so you can make improvements with confidence. To get started, visit https://accessibilities.co/ or email team@accessibilities.co.