Web accessibility litigation continues to evolve, reinforcing that digital accessibility remains a top compliance priority for organizations of all sizes. In this post, we examine the latest trends in accessibility-related lawsuits through the end of 2025.
Web Accessibility Lawsuits by Year
Despite a dip last year to just over 4,000 cases filed, web accessibility lawsuits rebounded in 2025, climbing back above 5,000 filings in state and federal courts.
Web Accessibility Lawsuits by State
State-level ADA lawsuits continue to climb, with New York accounting for more than half of all filings and solidifying its position as the epicenter of digital accessibility litigation. California, meanwhile, stands out as the only major state to see a decline compared to the previous year.
Web Accessibility Lawsuits by Industry
Food service businesses are taking a bigger piece of the pie this year (pun intended), with lawsuits on the rise across the industry, increasing from 11% in 2024 to 21% in 2025. Both eCommerce and food service websites face heightened risk due to the ordering functionality they rely on, where accessibility barriers are more likely to occur.
Web Accessibility Widgets Do Not Protect Against Lawsuits
The number of lawsuits filed against companies using web accessibility widgets, such as UserWay and AccessiBe, continues to rise year over year. These widgets claim to make any website accessible by simply adding their code. However, according to reports from the Federal Trade Commission and accessibility lawyers, they do not actually protect subscribers from lawsuits.
In 2025, 1,416 companies relying on these widgets were sued for accessibility issues, up from 1,023 in 2024. The trend shows that such overlays have severe limitations and highlights that overlays alone are not enough to meet web accessibility requirements.
Other Notable Trends from the 2024 Digital Accessibility Lawsuits
- High risk of multiple lawsuits
45% of the federal court cases filed are against companies previously hit with digital accessibility lawsuits. - Top 500 among the biggest culprits
36% of the top 500 eCommerce retailers had digital accessibility lawsuits filed against them. - Small Businesses still a large target
64% of the cases filed were against companies with an annual revenue of less than $25M.
Data Source: UsableNet. UsableNet tracks all digital accessibility lawsuits involving websites, mobile apps, and video content. Their report covers all cases filed across the 11 federal circuit courts under the ADA, as well as cases filed in key state courts, including New York and California.
Additional Digital Accessibility Information
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