The true repercussions of failing ADA compliance

LA College pays out $240,000 – what were the internal costs, and ongoing distraction? With 94% of content presently failing and new laws on the horizon it’s no wonder Education is a litigation top 3.

In May 2023, a jury in Los Angeles, California, awarded two blind students a little over $240,000.00 in their lawsuit against the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) – the largest college community in the nation.

A jury found that LACCD violated the ADA in 14 different ways and, in most cases, did so with deliberate indifference. The students, Portia Mason and Roy Payan claimed that course materials, web-based learning platforms and library materials, among other resources, were inaccessible to them as screen reader users when they were enrolled at district campuses between 2015 and 2018.

Jessie Weber, a partner at Brown Goldstein & Levy and co-leader of the legal team, said: “We are grateful that the jury held LACCD accountable for failing to provide an equal educational opportunity to blind students. We hope other institutions of higher learning will take heed: failing to ensure accessibility — including by maintaining inaccessible websites and educational resources—is unlawful discrimination.”

ADA compliance ensures that websites and online platforms are designed and developed in a way that accommodates the needs of blind individuals. This includes providing alternatives to visual content, such as text descriptions for images, audio descriptions for videos, and properly structured headings for screen readers to navigate the content effectively.

Visually impaired individuals should be able to browse the internet independently, access information, and engage in online activities without relying heavily on others for assistance, ensuring they can participate fully in the digital world.

ADA compliance is not only an ethical obligation but also a legal requirement for many businesses and organizations, with this case highlighting the scale of the legal consequences and potential lawsuits.

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