VISIT YOUR LOCAL DEALER TODAY OR SHOP BUYHYUNDAI.COM. CHEATED, LIED TO OR SCAMMED, SHE’S TACKLING EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SOMETHING THAT’S GOING WRONG RIGHT. BETTER CALL BEHNKEN! IS YOUR BUSINESS WEB SITE ACCESSIBLE TO THE DISABLED?
IF IT IS NOT, A LAWSUIT COULD BE COMING YOUR WAY. BUSINESS OWNERS AND WEB DEVELOPERS ACROSS THE NATION ARE ON EDGE AND RIGHTLY SO AFTER OUR BETTER CALL BEHNKEN INVESTIGATION UNCOVERED THOUSANDS OF ADA LAWSUITS TARGETING WEB SITE ACCESSIBILITY.
8, ON YOUR SIDE, INVESTIGATOR, SHANNON BEHNKEN RETURNS WITH AN UPDATE ON THE STORY. First TIME YOU TOLD ME BEFORE THE STORY AIRED. I WENT WHAT I THINK IT DOES TAKE A LOT OF PEOPLE BY SURPRISE.
It DOES I’M HEARING FROM QUITE A: FEW BUSINESS OWNERS WHO TELL ME THEY DID N’T KNOW ABOUT THIS AND PROFESSIONAL WHO DEVELOP THE WEB SITES THEY DO N’T KNOW ABOUT IT EITHER THAT’S THE SCARY THING. That’S WHY SO MANY BUSINESS OWNERS NEED TO MAKE. Sure THAT THEY DID N’T BUY A WEB SITE TEMPLATE IT COULD GET THEM SUED.
We HAVE GREAT CUSTOMERS,
Reporter HE WAS STUNNED WHEN SERVED WITH AN ADA LAWSUIT OVER HIS NEW WEB SITE FOR ISLAND COMFORT, FOOT WEAR WE’RE OUGHT SITTING DUCKS Reporter A BLIND WOMAN CLAIMS. She COULD N’T BUY SHOES BECAUSE THE SITE WAS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH HER SCREEN READER.
The WOMAN HAS SUED 175 BUSINESSES NOW THEY ARE ATTACKING MOM AND POP STORES. I GUESS YOU WOULD CALL IT
SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS. WE JUST CAN’T WRITE SOME BIG CHECK AND WALK AWAY. Reporter: UNDER THE ADA, BUSINESSES OPEN TO THE PUBLIC CANNOT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. IN RECENT YEARS, LAWYERS HAVE WON OR SETTLED THOUSANDS OF CASES OVER WEB SITE ACCESSIBILITY.
EVEN SO, AS SEAN A-1305 CREATIVE TELLS ME, MANY WEB SITE DEVELOPERS ARE NOT AWARE OF THE REQUIREMENTS.
IF YOU BUILD A BUILDING, IT HAS TO BE ADA COMPLIANT AND AN INSPECTOR COMES OUT AND TELLS YOU THIS DOOR KNOB ISN’T RIGHT. IT’S THE WILD WEST. WE DON’T KNOW. Reporter: THE ADA DOESN’T SAY HOW WEB SITES SHOULD BE ACCESSIBLE, BUT THERE ARE STANDARDS RECOGNIZED BY COURT.
HE SAYS THOSE STANDARDS ARE RARELY INCLUDED IN BASIC WEB SITE TEMPLATES BUSINESSES BUY.
IF YOU’RE A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER AND YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE YOUR PARKING LOT REDONE, NOBODY IS GOING TO ASK YOU ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BLUE PAINT OR THE WHEELCHAIR SPACES.
IT’S ALL BUILDS IN. Reporter: NOT THE CASE WITH WEB SITES. THE ONUS FOR ACCESSIBILITY IS ON THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNER.
NOT ON THE PEOPLE THAT PROVIDE THE SERVICES.
Reporter: BUYER BEWARE. BEFORE YOU HIRE A WEB DEVELOPER OR BUY A TEMPLATE TO BUILD YOUR OWN SITE, YOU NEED TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS. IF YOUR DEVELOPER DOESN’T KNOW ABOUT ADA ACCESSIBILITY OR THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO LEARN ABOUT IT, YOU MAY JUST WANT TO FIND YOURSELF A NEW COMPANY TO WORK WITH. THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE AND BUSINESSES ALREADY HAVE THEIR WEB SITES.
IT’S ONE THING IF YOU ARE STARTING OUT AND GO SEARCH FOR THIS AND PONY UP WHATEVER THAT COST IS, WE STILL DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT IS, BUT IF YOU ALREADY HAD A WEB SITE, WHAT DO YOU DO?
Reporter: IT IS COMPLICATED. THE GUY WE SPOKE WITH TODAY IS A WEB SITE DEVELOPER AND HE HAD TO START LOOKING SOME OF IT UP TODAY.
HE CALLED HIS ATTORNEY AND THEY ARE LOOKING INTO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO. THERE ARE COMPANIES OUT THERE, NATIONAL COMPANIES AND A FEW LOCAL ONES THAT AUDIT YOUR SITE.
THEY CAN TELL YOU WHAT YOU NEED TO DO, WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOUR SITE AND YOU CAN GO TO THE LIGHTHOUSE FOR THE BLIND AND THEY WILL HELP YOU TOO.
YOU NEED SOMEONE TO AUDIT IT AND TELL YOU WHAT TO DO TO FIX IT. IT CAN COST QUITE A BIT OF MONEY. THE BLIND DESERVE TO HAVE THIS ACCESSIBILITY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME IF YOU HAVE A WEB SITE AND YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT THIS, REALLY, YOU’RE A VICTIM. IT’S ALMOST LIKE YOU’RE BEING TARGETED IN THIS SORT OF THING.
A LOT TO LEARN HERE.
MORE TO COME ON IT. THANK YOU. IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM THAT.