This ain’t Texas ya’ll, ain’t no hold ‘em in these parts. So lay your cards down because Queen Bey was sued for having an inaccessible website.
Beyoncé was sued because a blind woman couldn’t buy tickets to her concert.
If you sell anything on your website or accept donations, the entire user flow has to be accessible. This means that:
◻ the product has a label that will be read by a screen reader
◻ the ability to add the product to a cart and pay for it can be done using only a keyboard
◻ the payment form is accessible
Beyoncé’s web accessibility lawsuit is one of the case studies we cover in my course, where we analyze the lawsuit, including the surprising way that it ended.
In this real life hoedown, your website is a liability if it ain’t accessible. Trust me, that sh*t ain’t pretty. So park your Lexus and throw your keys up, because you’ll want to stick around me so what happened to Bey doesn’t happen to you.
Take it to the floor now.
You might’ve recognized some lyrics in this post from the song Texas Hold ‘Em. If not, check out the lyric video and you’ll notice some familiar sounding lyrics!
Overview
I know you want to know more about this case, so here’s an overview for you.
In January 2019, a blind woman named Mary Conner filed a lawsuit in New York alleging that Beyoncé’s official website was inaccessible to her. Ms. Conner had attempted to buy tickets to her concert and was unable to do so.
Here are some notable things about New York. Courts in New York have ruled that an online-only business can be sued for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The law firms in New York that are suing businesses have another advantage: they can accuse a business of violating three state laws in addition to the ADA! So by the time the lawsuit is filed, the business has been accused of violating four laws by discriminating against persons with disabilities.
What was it about her website that was inaccessible? Basically, if any of the elements in the user flow were inaccessible to Ms. Conner, her ability to make a purchase would have been eliminated. The user flow simply means the steps that a user takes to get from point A to point B. In this case, the payment sequence. Landing on the Home page and being able to find the concert she wanted, add it to the cart, and buy tickets, all while not being able to see a thing.
For it to work, Beyoncé’s website would have had to be compatible with both a screen reader and a keyboard. That can only happen if the website has been coded that way and it follows the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
Outcome and Implications
So what happened? Of all of the case studies we cover in my course, this one surprised me the most. I have questions. I may never get answers, as there was likely a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) signed in the settlement.
What I do know is that it was settled very quickly after it was filed, and the reason it was settled so quickly was what shocked me the most. I am still baffled. If you want to know what happened, you’ll hear about it either in my course or in a training I do at your company!
There are some key takeaways for your business though. Your website has to be accessible. You don’t have to be a celebrity or corporation to be at risk for a lawsuit. All you have to have is a website or app for your business and it’s game on. If a disabled person is unable to access your content or make a purchase, you can legally be accused of discriminating against them. At that point, all you can do is settle. Businesses don’t just get something like this dismissed (unless it was a completely frivolous lawsuit to begin with).
Once your business is accused of violating the ADA, you could be facing fines, legal fees, and remediation costs, as the court will order you to make your website accessible.
If you knew there was someone who could easily help you avoid all of this, would you want to talk to them? Contact us and what happened to Bey won’t happen to you. Our Accessibility Audit identifies the most common violations that often lead to legal issues for businesses, and shows you exactly where your site stands.
