I Got an ADA Demand Letter for My Website — Now What?

If you're reading this because a letter just landed in your inbox or your mailbox referencing the Americans with Disabilities Act and your website, take a breath. This is a more common situation than most business owners realize, and there is a clear, manageable path forward — but the next 48 hours matter.

First: What This Letter Actually Is

A demand letter is not a lawsuit — yet. It's typically sent by an attorney representing someone (often called a "tester" or "serial plaintiff") who claims they tried to use your website and encountered accessibility barriers. The letter usually demands a settlement payment and may give you a window to fix the issues.

It's designed to be uncomfortable, and it's designed to make settling quickly feel like the easiest option. Sometimes it is. But you should understand what you're agreeing to before you do.

What To Do In The First 48 Hours

Don't ignore it, and don't panic-reply immediately. Both reactions cause problems. Ignoring it can lead to an actual filed lawsuit; firing off a defensive email without legal advice can hurt your position.

• Forward it to an attorney. Ideally one with ADA Title III or accessibility litigation experience. Many demand letters give you 30-60 days to respond.
• Do not modify your website and tell the plaintiff's attorney you've "fixed everything." Vague claims of remediation without actual proof can be used against you.
• Find out what's actually wrong. The letter may name specific issues or may be vague. Either way, you need an honest, specific picture of your site's actual accessibility state before you can respond meaningfully.

Why "Just Settling" Without Fixing Anything Is a Trap

A meaningful share of businesses that get sued for ADA website violations get sued again. Settling a demand without remediating the underlying code doesn't make you safe — it makes you a documented, known target. Plaintiff firms keep records.

Real protection comes from actually fixing the issues — not from a quick settlement, and notably, not from installing an accessibility overlay widget either. Courts and plaintiff attorneys have grown skeptical of widgets specifically because they often paper over problems instead of solving them at the code level.

Getting an Honest Picture, Fast

Before your attorney meeting, before any response goes out, it helps enormously to walk in with an actual report: what's broken, how severe each issue is, and what fixing it requires.