United States Legal Updates

The articles linked on this page are about the law in the United States as it relates to the ability of disabled people to participate in the digital world (digital accessibility). Articles are listed in chronological order based on the date it was written or last updated. Most recent articles and updates appear first. You will find cases about web and mobile access, about kiosks, voting machines, ATMs and other tech.

There is also information about lawsuits, settlements, Structured Negotiation results, and laws. The articles are about Lainey Feingold’s work and the work of other lawyers, clients, organizations, and government agencies. If you are looking only for Lainey Feingold's cases, please visit the Settlements page.

Basic information about laws and policies in the United States can be found on the LFLegal Global Law and Policy page, which also includes resources about digital accessibility law and policy around the globe. Federal (national) accessibility laws can be found here. Information about state and local digital accessibility laws can be found here.

All these articles are for your informational only. They are not legal advice. If you think you have a specific legal question you should contact a lawyer.

Offering Healthcare? The ADA, Section 504, and the Affordable Care Act Mean Accessible Telehealth, #HealthTech, and Content

Posted on Updated on February 4, 2025
I’ve written extensively about delays in finalizing accessibility regulations in the United States. Articles on this website about delays in web accessibility regulations and delays in kiosk regulations are two examples. But federal agencies in the United States do far more than publish regulations. (Though you’ll read below that healthcare regulations aren’t immune from delay.)… Read more… Offering Healthcare? The ADA, Section 504, and the Affordable Care Act Mean Accessible Telehealth, #HealthTech, and Content

The Effect of Donald Trump’s DEI Executive Order on Accessibility Guest article by civil rights and accessibility lawyer Eve Hill

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Below I share a blog post written by Eve Hill, one of the best disability rights lawyers and digital accessibility legal specialists in the United States. (More about Eve at the end of this article.) Eve shares her thoughts about one of last week’s most distressing Executive Orders. The one designed to cruelly crush any… Read more… The Effect of Donald Trump’s DEI Executive Order on Accessibility Guest article by civil rights and accessibility lawyer Eve Hill

Federal Digital Accessibility Disappearance on Trump Day One Guest article by civil rights and accessibility lawyer Eve Hill

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The first week of the new republican administration was frightening and disorienting for all of us who believe in civil and human rights, justice, equality, fairness and more. This guest article is written by Eve Hill, a disability rights and digital accessibility lawyer, about actions taken on day one that impact Section 508 and federal government accessibility. Read more… Federal Digital Accessibility Disappearance on Trump Day One Guest article by civil rights and accessibility lawyer Eve Hill

$240,000.00 Jury Verdict (now appealed) in Blind Students’ Accessibility Lawsuit against Community College

Posted on Updated on November 14, 2024
On May 26, 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 suit was filed in 2017 by students Roy Payan and Portia Mason under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation… Read more… $240,000.00 Jury Verdict (now appealed) in Blind Students’ Accessibility Lawsuit against Community College

Today We Grieve Soon enough we figure out what the election means for accessibility and other issues we cherish

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So many swirling emotions today. November 6, 2024. The day after the United States elected its first felon, a man who is transparent and loud in his cruelty, racism, and disdain for women and their bodies. A man who sees nothing wrong with mocking disabled people. Who praises and advances policies that hurt immigrants, LGBTQ+… Read more… Today We Grieve Soon enough we figure out what the election means for accessibility and other issues we cherish

Early Win (and Settlement) for Deaf Plaintiff in VR Captioning Lawsuit

Posted on Updated on October 4, 2024
In 2020, lawyers for Dylan Panarra, a deaf man, filed a cutting edge lawsuit against the HTC corporation, one of the biggest electronics companies in the world. The lawsuit stated that HTC violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) because there is no captioning on the company’s Virtual Reality (“VR”) content. The first court ruling in the case came on April 15, 2022. Read more… Early Win (and Settlement) for Deaf Plaintiff in VR Captioning Lawsuit

Finally! There are Technical Standards in the United States for State and Local Government Websites + Apps It took 14 years: Good thing the ADA requires access even without the new regulations

Posted on Updated on June 17, 2024
[Note: this article was first written in August 2022 when the United States Department of Justice announced its most recent intent to adopt technical accessibility regulations for state and local government websites and mobile applications. Follow along with what has happened since then in the Update section of this article]. In the updates you will… Read more… Finally! There are Technical Standards in the United States for State and Local Government Websites + Apps It took 14 years: Good thing the ADA requires access even without the new regulations

Case is Over! New Low in the Accessibility “Industry:” Overlay Company Sues Globally-Recognized Accessibility Expert

Posted on Updated on January 29, 2024
This is an article about a lawsuit filed by AudioEye, a multi-million dollar accessibility company, against Adrian Roselli, a long-time leader in the global digital accessibility community. Adrian has been a vocal critic, as have I, against one-line of code software that claims to make websites accessible. AudioEye sells (licenses) an overlay. The company has… Read more… Case is Over! New Low in the Accessibility “Industry:” Overlay Company Sues Globally-Recognized Accessibility Expert

Structured Negotiation Helps Disability Rights Washington Improve Care for Transgender Incarcerated People

Posted on Updated on January 26, 2024
On October 11, 2023, the AVID program at Disability Rights Washington (DRW) issued a press release with the headline “DRW Reaches Agreement With Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC) To Improve Care For Transgender People With Disabilities.” The Parties used Structured Negotiation to achieve this important result for the rights of incarcerated transgender people, including… Read more… Structured Negotiation Helps Disability Rights Washington Improve Care for Transgender Incarcerated People

Legal Update: Accessibility Overlay Edition

Posted on Updated on December 7, 2023
This post originally shared four developments in the legal space about web accessibility overlays. Three are very troubling. One gives hope for stemming the tide of quick-fix “not-solutions” that can actually make websites less usable by people with disabilities. Updates add new content to the original four developments. New to the overlay issue? I first… Read more… Legal Update: Accessibility Overlay Edition