Being sued because our website is not accessable to the visually impared

Sorry Bryan, such a pain I'm sure.

The ADA required our new fire station to have an elevator to the living quarters above the engine bays. The firefighters all gave the notion a ton of crap, "dammed ADA laws! It's a fire station! Who needs an elevator?!" Well, you can guess how many firefighters used the stairs once the elevator was installed....<sigh> I was guilty as well, but I felt terrible riding in it.

The ADA laws for access sure help the old vets that volunteer at the WWII and aviation museums, however. But these stories of exploiting for no reason is an invitation by the fate of Karma.
 
ateamer said:
A local business went through something similar, although it wasn’t a lawsuit, it was the planning department that was on his back. The business was a uniform shop, selling clothing and equipment to police and firefighters. (At that time, he sold only public safety uniforms - no healthcare or other uniforms.)

Planning came in and told him he needed wheelchair access. The way his building was, that meant an elevator in back. The building was partly on hillside, so the floor was too far above the parking lot to put in a ramp. He argued and fought it, but was forced to spend 10 grand on the lift.

How many people used it? In the years he was at that location, exactly zero. You see, police officers and firefighters aren’t in wheelchairs. And if they are injured and need to use one, they won’t be needing unifoms, boots or gunbelts and equipment pouches.

ADA needs a serious rewrite.
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No kidding.

It is possible to walk into any established business with the detailed specifications that ADA lists (maximum slope of ramps, height of hand rails, width of doors, clear space around toilets, etc.) and bring that business to its knees armed with only a tape measure and a level. You can literally sue -- and win -- against any business, if you are so inclined.

It's as insane as the FAA's light sport regulations. Probably written by the same Congressional committee.
 
Six, have you heard any more about the law suit? I was reminded about it when I read this in our local paper this morning:

https://www.news-journalonline.com/...ite-more-accessible-to-blind-after-being-sued

Volusia County expects to pay more than $6,000 to update its website and make some online documents accessible to the blind.

But not before paying out $25,550 to the Daytona Beach man and the Miami attorney who are behind an avalanche of lawsuits that have been filed statewide.

Some Central Florida cities, like Lake Mary, Longwood, Deltona and DeBary, have sought to avoid a lawsuit by temporarily removing files from their websites until they are compatible with screen reading software.

Other cities, counties and hospitals —137 to be exact — left the content available at the click of a mouse after being notified by Joel Price, who later sued.

Flagler County recently paid out $15,000. County Council members will be asked at Tuesday’s meeting to pay even more, though most of it — $22,500 — would go to his attorney, Scott Dinin, for court and expert fees.

County Chair Ed Kelley said that while everyone should have access to public records on volusia.org, he doesn’t think the hundreds of lawsuits that have been filed were necessary to evoke that change.

He notes that Price’s attorney has likely raked in millions of taxpayer dollars statewide from these claims.

“This just makes the cost of conversion a lot more expensive,” Kelley said, adding that documents on Volusia’s website are rarely explored and that it’s unlikely Price has been truly interested in records from 137 jurisdictions. “It seems like a frivolous lawsuit.”
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We paid the settlement. And we are paying to get our sites fixed. Sad
 
People with disabilities just need to accept the fact that they can’t enjoy all that life has to offer those who are not disabled and that it isn’t fair to expect everyone else to bear the financial burden of trying to accommodate their disability beyond very basic and low cost methods.
 
SkyDog58 said:
People with disabilities just need to accept the fact that they can’t enjoy all that life has to offer those who are not disabled and that it isn’t fair to expect everyone else to bear the financial burden of trying to accommodate their disability beyond very basic and low cost methods.
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The government gave them an avenue to make money, so that's what they're doing.
 
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SkyDog58 said:
People with disabilities just need to accept the fact that they can’t enjoy all that life has to offer those who are not disabled and that it isn’t fair to expect everyone else to bear the financial burden of trying to accommodate their disability beyond very basic and low cost methods.
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Most of the time it's not people with disabilities who are bring the these suits, it's the equivalent of ambulance chasers who actively look for things not in compliance and then go for the money.
 
Bill Jennings said:
Most of the time it's not people with disabilities who are bring the these suits, it's the equivalent of ambulance chasers who actively look for things not in compliance and then go for the money.
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This attorney is being investigated (he has 700+ suites open) for a paid plaintiff scam where the attorney starts targeting companies and then pays a blind dude 1000 bucks to be the plaintiff.
That is what I suspect is happening. There aren't 700 visually impaired people all mad that they can't do **** online and calling this *******.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
This attorney is being investigated (he has 700+ suites open) for a paid plaintiff scam where the attorney starts targeting companies and then pays a blind dude 1000 bucks to be the plaintiff.
That is what I suspect is happening. There aren't 700 visually impaired people all mad that they can't do **** online and calling this *******.
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Was the attorney that sued you the same one mentioned in the article I linked to? ( Scott Dinin )
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
This attorney is being investigated (he has 700+ suites open) for a paid plaintiff scam where the attorney starts targeting companies and then pays a blind dude 1000 bucks to be the plaintiff.
That is what I suspect is happening. There aren't 700 visually impaired people all mad that they can't do **** online and calling this *******.
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There's no "suspect" to it; if there's a law with a private cause of action and attorneys' fees awards, you can bet there will be counsel going after it.

Beats working for a living.

Edit:

In the story Jay H told above, just so we're clear: the nominal Plaintiff was a legless Army vet, but he did not lose his legs in the service of our country; I recall it was a car wreck. It was just more appealing to have a veteran as the named Plaintiff.
 
Shawn said:
I work with a food festival every year...we are being threatened with an ADA lawsuit because we do not have sign language interpreters for the hearing impaired...on the entertainment band stages!
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Just print out set lists with lyrics that people can pick up and read. If they want.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
What the F???

"We represent a sight-disabled client who plans to sue you under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Our client attempted to access your website to learn more about your products and services and potentially make purchases. However, our client was unable to do so because your website is not accessible to the visually-impaired, which we have since confirmed and documented."

YGTBFSM!

I suspect if I visit the attorney's site it is a gem for the visually impaired.
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Thanks for the Post. I had know idea there is a lawyer feeding frenzy on Website that do not comply with ADA. I am contacting my web designer today to make sure my company's site is in compliance. Thanks Again!
 
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Jay Honeck said:
The guy had NEVER set foot in my hotel. In fact, he had never set foot in Texas!
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He has no legs! You mean he had never set wheels in...

And @SixPapaCharlie - How many PoA'ers are likely to know what Dynamics NAV is? I happen to because I've implemented it, but I prefer to spend my time on Dynamics AX.
 
Bill Jennings said:
Most of the time it's not people with disabilities who are bring the these suits, it's the equivalent of ambulance chasers who actively look for things not in compliance and then go for the money.
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Maybe. But I bet it was the disabled or their advocacy groups who pushed for the law in the first place. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not a heartless person who doesn’t see the need for certain types of reasonable accommodations but it seems as if the law has been greatly distorted.
 
SkyDog58 said:
People with disabilities just need to accept the fact that they can’t enjoy all that life has to offer those who are not disabled and that it isn’t fair to expect everyone else to bear the financial burden of trying to accommodate their disability beyond very basic and low cost methods.
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EppyGA said:
The government gave them an avenue to make money, so that's what they're doing.
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@EppyGA, the "them" here isn't the people with disabilities, it's the lawyers. Much as with most class action suits, they're the only ones who are really benefiting here.

People with disabilities already have a more difficult time with life than the rest of us, whether they "accept the fact" or not. We should be doing what we can to make life livable so that they don't require assistants (and yes, I spelled it that way on purpose) to get through life.

Scott@KTYR said:
Hay POA website guys, is POA in compliance for Blind Pilots?
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You may laugh, but there was a blind guy who flew solo a few years ago. I can't remember the specifics of the technology that was used to allow him to be able to fly himself, but I do know there's a local company here working on devices that allow people with vestibular issues to get some help with their balance via technology, and it works in a way that could actually allow someone to fly "on instruments" without any instruments. Pretty amazing stuff.
 
Stingray Don said:
Asking and getting are two different things!

Have an ADA specialist check out the lawyer’s office, parking lot, website, etc. for any violations. If necessary, make any necessary alterations to make it non-compliant. Counter sue for $1,000,000. :D
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There was a dirtbag lawyer like this around Atlanta a few years ago, his office was on the second floor of a building with no elevator!! He was suing small places, restaurants, cafes, mom and pop stores anybody he could shake down for $5-10K. I think he finally got busted for something, but no real plaintiff, he just found non-compliance things and sued everyone he could.
 
Need to post the address of this lawyer. Then people can all show up at his office for a "consulation." Trip on something 'injure' yourself and sue him for some bs amount. Figure at around case number 75, he'll get the hint.
 
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