NFIB member Jim Cooks, owner of F.L. Crooks & Co. in Clarion, joined NFIB’s podcast to discuss the complexities of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and tips on how to make your small business website ADA compliant.

Crooks’ business was sued and accused their website of not being ADA compatible. “The whole thing, including the attorney fees, ended up costing about $20,000,” he explained.

The person who sued Cooks’ business had filed 47 other cases, and they weren’t going after Amazon or Walmart – they were targeting small businesses. Cooks explains that it was difficult to find an attorney who specialized in ADA complaints but eventually found one, but he was expensive at $500/hour.

NFIB Vice President Beth Milito said, “So Jim raised the point about how compliance with the ADA is really just so tricky and complex because the law and the regulations are not very clearly written, particularly when it comes to ensuring that you are in compliance with regards to your website.”

Milito explains that NFIB has been pushing for the right for business owners to correct the defect, whether it’s their bathroom is not wide enough for a wheelchair to get in or their website is not accessible.

Listen to the Small Business Rundown episode here.