Hi Elizabeth, Here is the link: adacompliance.net/course/how-to-start-a-digital-accessibility-business Thank you.

Hi Svetlana, Thank you so much and you're very welcome. The owner of a digital product can demonstrate conformance to WCAG through an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR). If the ACR shows the product has issues per a WCAG standard, then the product would not technically be compliant if the law expressly requires full conformance (with no exceptions). However, mere nonconformance with WCAG doesn't automatically mean that a digital asset is inaccessible and/or noncompliant. If the ACR shows 0 issues / full conformance, this would be evidence of WCAG conformance. However, the document can be questioned in multiple ways. For example, who was the issuer of the ACR? Relatedly, are the reported issues correct, are there missing issues? Also, how fresh is the ACR / when was the ACR issued? Additionally, does the ACR match the current version of the product? This is all to say that an ACR itself is not necessarily conclusive as interested parties such as procurement agents may want to learn more about its origins and accuracy. Think of ACRs this way: when issued independently and the issuer audits the digital asset in a sound manner, ACRs are compelling documentation that can provide evidence of accessibility and thereby, potential compliance with the law. But, in many situations, merely possessing an ACR may not be enough to demonstrate WCAG conformance and/or material compliance. For more on VPATs / ACRs, you may be interested in this guide: accessible.org/vpat-acr/ Let me know if I can assist further.

You're very welcome.

Thank you very much.

There are dozens of plaintiffs' law firms who are filing thousands of complaints every year (not counting demand letters) over website accessibility, claiming certain accessibility issues are tantamount to discrimination against people with disabilities and thus website owner is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and/or other similar anti-discrimination laws. Shopify store owners have been their primary targets.

You're very welcome.

@@adabookI just want to get one thing straight. If I were to get a WCAG certificate and work as an accessibility tester focused on front end, along with my experience at my other job, I could receive a livable wage?

@@ericsilberstein667 The best way to find out is to start applying for accessibility positions that seem like a good fit and going through interviews. They're probably not going to ask for a WCAG certificate - it would more likely be a Trusted Tester, CPACC, or WAS certification they're looking for, if they are looking for certification. And it's not only raw qualifications, the interview itself will weigh in the decision. There are no certainties, you just have to go through the process. Even just going through the process, you'll gain valuable experience that will help you going forward.

I chose Sensei LMS which is a Wordpress plugin with a free and premium subscription. However, this won't have some of the features that larger organizations will need/want in an LMS, and, as I mentioned, it wasn't ready for showtime right away; I've had to make several customizations. Otherwise, I haven't personally used any of the other platforms/software so I can't make a recommendation or endorsement. It's more via negativa in that I can point to red and pink flags such as the ones you just mentioned (and pertain to many of the options). When I originally researched LMS options, there was hardly anything WCAG conformant on the market other than enterprise solutions which I could not afford. Eventually accessibility will be a staple feature and I'm sure there have been some providers who have advanced their game, but right now I'd still be overly cautious so that you end up with a solid choice.

​@@adabook thank you for your recommendation, I will look into that tool, much appreciated advice.

@@afejes6708 Anytime.

That's one of the best uses for accessibility scans: they quickly reveal hypocrisy. Anyone demanding full WCAG conformance from website owners should have to make their own website WCAG 2.1 AA conformant - and do the same for an e-commerce site as well. It's not as easy as it sounds when you're actually doing it versus just telling others how to do it.

Did your colleague sway you otherwise?

@@adabook No. For now I'm relatively insulated with an employer based in a blue state, but I am not confident about what comes next after this contract ends. It doesn't help that it took a whole year to land an a11y job after being laid off--that's still very fresh in my memory.

@@MoniqaPaullet The good news is the demand for knowledgeable contractors and employees will continue to increase for at least 1-2 more years. So many organizations need someone who specialize in accessibility and I see this coming through in talking with clients as well as looking at accessibility job openings.

Thanks, Moniqa. That's a great point on the ongoing requirements. Yet another reason to wait on certification unless you're confident it will be a difference maker in what you're trying to do.

You're very welcome. Thanks so much, Jasmine.

Thank you so much, AA. I really appreciate you adding this feedback.

Thanks so much, AA. I really appreciate the feedback - it's so nice to hear that my style is effective.

Thank you so much, Ana. More to come.

Hi Svetlana - I really, really appreciate it. It's surprising to me that the bad information has been so pervasive for so long, but I think that's slowly starting to change. Thanks so much for the comment and best of luck to you as well.

Hi Eric, Section 508 / DHS Trusted Tester certification is another nice document. As for higher paying jobs, it depends on the job, but I can definitely see Trusted Tester helping. On self-training, jobs will want to see some experience / tangible evidence of your skills/knowledge carrying over into practice. Knowledge of WCAG is essential to any opportunity. The WCAG Course helps by making learning WCAG easier. The more times you go through the success criteria, the better they will stick. Once you learn WCAG, then you want to advance to where you can apply the knowledge in practice. As for does the ADA include mental illness, here's the relevant paragraph from ADA.gov: An individual with a disability is defined by the ADA as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment. The ADA does not specifically name all of the impairments that are covered.

@ Thank you. 😊

@@adabook It seems WCAG covers everything, including 508. These standards are the standards in which all others have based theirs after, correct?

​@@ericsilberstein667 Whenever digital accessibility is in play, WCAG inevitably comes up. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are technical standards for web accessibility, so some success criteria aren't applicable to non-web assets, but the principles in WCAG still carry forward. There are other accessibility standards and laws with additional considerations, but when it comes to digital accessibility, WCAG is so sound we still see wholesale corporation or many of the same/similar success criteria show up. Section 508 is a law that contains technical standards for accessibility that incorporate WCAG. EN 301 549 is a technical standard that adopts WCAG. However, Section 508 and EN 301 549 are different / go beyond WCAG so think of WCAG as essential foundational knowledge, but know there is still more to the various standards / laws that include standards.

@@ericsilberstein667 You're welcome.

Thanks so much, Ana.

Thanks so much, Chris. I really appreciate it.

Yes, the guarantee question comes up on a fairly regular basis. I have a video on guarantees in the queue.

Thanks, in my scenario I'm simply looking for a solid developer. An experienced developer will be able to understand what's needed in a vacuum when given specific instructions. And I agree, if someone is claiming to be able to make websites "ADA compliant," then, yes, definitely review their portfolio. I have found that many marketing agencies and freelancers who claim to know how to make websites ADA compliant actually do not. My impression is they think it's a matter of a few basic things. And, as you said, if they show any type of inclination towards widgets, that's an instant no. Thanks for adding these additional tips.

Thanks so much, Antonio. And you're very welcome.

I've read employment practices liability insurance (EPLI) but when talking to Kyle Rheiner for the Beer Mighty Things podcast, he said there was another coverage. Kyle specializes in insurance. There are links to find Kyle in the description for this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZqSnqKmJbruspJI

You're very welcome - I was unable to respond because my reply email went undelivered. I'm so glad you were able to catch the video.

It's possible, but unlikely. What is more likely is some plaintiffs' lawyers face penalties, sanctions, etc. because of their actions in the aggregate.

@@adabook Can these plaintiffs lawyers make the restaurants sign an NDA after reaching a settlement before going to court and is this a common practice.

I don't completely understand this question, but I think this gets into the specifics of the individual case so the defense attorney will have the best answer for this.

Yes, it's possible.

I've included the information shown in the video in a redacted spreadsheet in this blog post: accessible.org/ada-website-lawsuit-claims-prioritization/. I've removed the accessibility issues named in the public spreadsheet, but you can find the full, unredacted version in the ADA Compliance Course: adacompliance.net/course/ada-compliance-course.

Hi Pipleline, I recommend taking widgets out of the equation altogether (see overlayfactsheet.com and overlayfalseclaims.com). The only way to make a website accessible is to ensure the code is correct and the content is remediated. There's no way to automate the process. I haven't evaluated Wix recently so I'm not sure where they stand. The accessibility wizard is a nice start, but I'm always skeptical when it comes to companies genuinely providing full accessibility. This isn't just for Wix, it's for any company. Thanks for the comment.

Hi Phill, I've never looked into their other solutions and services. I automatically discount everything sold from widget vendors because if they're willing to sell a widget despite everything on overlayfactsheet.com and overlayfalseclaims.com, then how can you trust them for anything else. Thanks for your question.

Hi Michael, For macOS, I highly recommend using Apple's built-in VoiceOver. It's not exactly the same as JAWS, but it's the best option for Mac users. VoiceOver is Apple's default screen reader that is built specifically for MacOS which is why other screen readers can't match the performance on Apple devices. JAWS is designed for Windows, which is why it's difficult to run on macOS. Also, VoiceOver, JAWS, and NVDA screen readers have very similar functionality, but there are slight differences amongst the three where some people prefer using one or the other. Thanks so much for commenting and let me know if I can help with anything else.

Hey Eric, this is great to hear. Ethics is missing in the digital accessibility industry right now. I wish you well with testing - part-time work is a really good place to start.

You're very welcome. Thank you so much for letting me know - I really appreciate you commenting.

Hi Dominique, Absolutely, here are some marketing recommendations: 1) Tell existing clients and potential clients about the possibility of lawsuits and the importance of accessibility - many people still aren't even aware of the concept of accessibility for websites so just letting them know it exists and you can help opens up the potential for additional business. 2) Many website owners still have accessibility widgets installed - you can add value by informing them they don't make their website accessible or ADA compliant and some plaintiffs' law firms actually target websites with them installed. And then mention that you can help with real accessibility. 3) Offer a high value but low cost entry to start with. For example, we can review your website's accessibility live for $30. This is very helpful for clients and helps build rapport. 4) Create content that dispels common myths about accessibility and ADA compliance: widgets, 15 employees, small business exceptions, alternative versions of websites, ADA compliance scans / checkers, etc. For example, Shopify store owners are commonly lead to believe Google Lighthouse score of 100 = ADA compliance. 5) Keep content as simple as possible. The better people understand your explanations, the more likely they are gravitate towards you. There's a large source of clients to be had simply from converting people away from widgets. Even if you just inform people of the basics and provide links to resources they may not know about, this can really open up a lot of business. There are so many people that installed a widget because they didn't know better.

You're very welcome - I'm so glad you found the checklist helpful. Thanks so much for commenting.

I think there's a good chance. The only reason overlay widgets have been so pervasive is because people don't understand them.

The lack of genuine intent is an ongoing theme with ADA website lawsuits. A lack of intent can be addressed in a motion to dismiss for lack of standing. The problem for defendants is the expense and risk involved with continuing. Thanks for commenting, Christina.