Brown, Goldstein & Levy partner Eve Hill recently appeared on the CHAX Chat podcast with hosts Dax Castro and Chad Chelius to discuss non-compliance risks and being sued for inaccessible content.
She also offered advice on broaching the topic of including accessibility on a business’s website with supervisors in charge of changes.
“It’s not just about the lawsuit. That’s not necessarily the reason to make your website accessible. You should make your website accessible because you want customers. And accessibility helps not just customers with disabilities, but it makes better websites and better documents that everybody can use,” Eve said.
The hosts also discussed demand letters, asking Eve for insights on how to respond to them and how to avoid receiving one.
“You want to have an email address that is actually monitored and responded to so the person can say, ‘Hey, I can’t do this, I need to get this done, and then you can fix it,’ to avoid a demand letter,” Eve advised, also recommending that websites have an accessibility statement because they can encourage patience from users who might have complaints.
During the conversation, Eve mentioned current ADA cases she’s been working on, including a case regarding blind prisoners’ rights and a class action lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) demanding the VA provide permanent supportive housing on and around its West Los Angeles campus for thousands of homeless veterans with serious mental illness, traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress disorder.
You can listen to the full podcast and read the transcript here.
ABOUT EVE HILL:
Eve Hill is one of the nation’s leading civil rights lawyers, known especially for her work with clients with disabilities and LGBTQ+ clients. She has been recognized by Law360 as one of just 12 “Titans of the Plaintiffs’ Bar” for 2023, as well as by Lawdragon as one of the 500 Leading Lawyers in America (2022 and 2023). Her wide-ranging experience complements Brown, Goldstein & Levy’s decades of dedication to high-impact disability rights cases and its advocacy on behalf of individuals with disabilities and their families. Eve also leads Inclusivity, BGL’s Strategic Consulting Group, which works with organizations to promote the education, engagement, and employment of people with disabilities. Learn more about Eve here.
Founded in 1982, Brown, Goldstein & Levy is a law firm based in Baltimore, Maryland, with an office in Washington, D.C. The firm is nationally recognized in a wide variety of practice areas, including complex civil and commercial litigation, civil rights, health care, family law, and criminal defense. Above all else, Brown, Goldstein & Levy is a client-centered law firm that brings decades of experience and passionate, effective advocacy to your fight for justice.