AlleviatorWhy Alleviator
Accessible websites matter, and they're hard to get right. Alleviator shows you exactly what to fix, explains how in plain words, and keeps checking so problems don't creep back in.
Accessibility is a specialist skill
Most developers know the basics, like adding alt text to images or labels to forms. But WCAG 2.2 has 86 success criteria, and many are easy to miss. Can a keyboard user see where they are on the page? Is the focused button hidden behind a sticky header? Does the page still work when zoomed to 400%? Are buttons big enough to tap?
The rules also keep moving. WCAG 2.2, published in October 2023, added nine new success criteria. And every time someone adds a page, a photo or a new feature, a fresh problem can slip in. Getting accessibility right once is hard. Keeping it right is harder.
How Alleviator helps
Find every problem
We test your whole site against all 86 WCAG 2.2 success criteria, from Level A to AAA. You see each problem, the page it's on and a screenshot of it.
Fix it without being an expert
The easy fix guide explains each problem in plain words, with numbered steps and before-and-after examples. It works for a content editor, a designer or a senior developer.
Stay on top of it, every week
With weekly monitoring, we rescan your site every week and email you what changed. If a page update adds a problem, you hear about it in days, not when a complaint arrives.
Show your progress
Your accessibility score tracks how you're doing. Download any report as an accessible PDF to share with your team, your boss or your clients.
No automated tool can confirm every WCAG criterion on its own. Some checks need a person, like whether captions are accurate. So every report also includes a simple checklist for those, and weekly monitoring is part of Pro.
Why it matters: the numbers
- 1 in 6
people worldwide (about 1.3 billion) live with a significant disability.
Source: World Health Organization
- 1 in 4+
More than 1 in 4 adults in the United States have some type of disability.
- 4,928
website accessibility lawsuits were filed in the US in 2025. Since 2021 there have been more than 4,000 every year.
Source: UsableNet lawsuit tracker
- 95.9%
of the world's top million home pages had detectable WCAG failures in 2026, with an average of 56 errors per page.
Source: WebAIM Million 2026
- 69%
of disabled online shoppers leave a website they find hard to use. In the UK alone that's an estimated £17.1 billion in lost sales a year.
Source: Click-Away Pound Survey 2019
Lawsuits that changed the rules
These cases shaped how courts treat website accessibility. In most of them, fixing the website would have cost far less than the fight.
2006–2008
National Federation of the Blind v. Target
What happened: Blind shoppers couldn't use Target.com with a screen reader. Images had no text descriptions, and checkout needed a mouse.
Outcome: A federal court refused to throw the case out. It said the ADA could apply, because the website was linked to Target's stores. Target then settled. It set up a $6 million fund for blind shoppers and fixed its website by early 2009. It also trained its developers and paid the National Federation of the Blind to check its progress.
The lesson: One of the first big wins. A website that blind people can't use can count as discrimination.
Source: National Federation of the Blind
2011–2012
National Association of the Deaf v. Netflix
What happened: Most films and shows on Netflix had no captions. Deaf and hard-of-hearing members couldn't follow them.
Outcome: A court refused to throw the case out. Netflix then agreed, in a deal approved by the court, to add captions to everything it streams by 2014. It also paid $755,000 in legal fees and costs.
The lesson: Online-only services can be covered too. Video needs captions.
Source: Seyfarth Shaw ADA Title III blog
2014
United States Department of Justice and H&R Block
What happened: Blind people couldn't use H&R Block's tax website and apps with a screen reader. The National Federation of the Blind took action, and the Justice Department joined in.
Outcome: H&R Block signed a five-year court deal. Its website, online tax tool and apps had to meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA. It had to name an accessibility lead and train its staff. It also paid $45,000 to the two blind users and a $55,000 fine.
The lesson: The US government enforces web accessibility. WCAG is the yardstick.
Source: US Department of Justice
2016–2022
Robles v. Domino's Pizza
What happened: Guillermo Robles, who is blind, couldn't order a pizza on Domino's website or app with his screen reader.
Outcome: In 2019 an appeals court ruled that the ADA covers Domino's website and app. The US Supreme Court refused to hear Domino's appeal. In 2021 a court found that Domino's had broken the law. It ordered Domino's to meet WCAG 2.0 and pay damages. The case settled in 2022, six years after it began.
The lesson: Domino's fought for six years instead of fixing its website. In the end, it still had to make it accessible.
Source: Bureau of Internet Accessibility
2017–2021
Gil v. Winn-Dixie
What happened: Juan Carlos Gil, who is blind, couldn't use the shop's website to refill prescriptions or get coupons.
Outcome: This was the first website accessibility case to go to trial. The court ruled that Winn-Dixie had broken the ADA and must fix its site. In 2021 an appeals court overturned that ruling. It said a website on its own isn't covered by that part of the ADA. That ruling only binds federal courts in Alabama, Florida and Georgia.
The lesson: Courts in different parts of the US disagree, so the law is hard to predict. Winn-Dixie won only after years in court. The ruling doesn't apply in places like California or New York.
Source: Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
The rules you may need to meet
Businesses in the US: the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The ADA doesn't name a technical standard for websites. But courts, settlements and the Justice Department use WCAG as the measure, most often Level AA. Most lawsuits are against online shops.
Source: UsableNet lawsuit tracker
US state and local governments: ADA Title II rule
Government websites and apps must meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA. In April 2026 the deadlines were pushed back. Governments serving 50,000 or more people now have until 26 April 2027. Smaller ones have until 26 April 2028.
Selling in the European Union: the European Accessibility Act
Since 28 June 2025, many products and services sold to people in the EU must be accessible. This includes online shops, banking and e-books. Each country sets its own fines.
A widget isn't a fix
Some products promise to make your site compliant by adding a toolbar or “overlay”. They don't fix the real problems, and they don't stop lawsuits. In September 2026 alone, 91 companies were sued even though they had an accessibility widget installed.
Source: UsableNet lawsuit tracker
It helps everyone
Clear text, good contrast, captions, keyboard access and pages that work when zoomed in also help people on a phone in bright sunlight, people with a slow connection, older visitors, and anyone with a temporary injury. Accessible sites are simply easier to use.
See it on your own website
Scan your site for free and get a plain-language plan to fix what we find.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Laws and court decisions change and differ between places. Figures were checked in October 2026; follow the source links for the latest details.