Congressman John Sarbanes (D-MD) and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) sponsored legislation to provide clarity regarding the American with Disabilities Act’s (ADA) coverage of disabled individuals’ access to website and software applications.
The legislation, the Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act (H.R. 9021/S. 4998) applies to businesses and other entities currently covered by the ADA as well as commercial providers. The bill reaffirms the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) position that, in compliance with the ADA, websites and software applications need to be accessible to persons with disabilities.
This legislation, introduced in late September 2022, established a uniform accessibility standard. Additionally, the legislation provided that the accessibility requirements apply regardless of whether the business has a physical location or exists only online. It also called for both a technical assistance center and advisory committee to provide advice and guidance on how to develop and maintain accessible websites and applications.
