ADA Website Lawsuits Are No Longer Just a Big-Business Problem — Small Businesses Are Now Targets

The lawsuits are landing on Main Street

For years, ADA website accessibility lawsuits were seen as a big-brand problem — Target, Domino's, Beyoncé's Parkwood Entertainment. That perception is changing fast. A recent KMBC investigation found that as many as 75 Missouri businesses were sued over ADA website noncompliance in a concentrated filing wave, with many of the cases naming the same plaintiff: Robert Glen Myers, a legally blind screen-reader user who filed numerous cases beginning August 20, 2024.

Who is being sued — and why it matters

The businesses named in the Missouri filings aren't Fortune 500 retailers. They're restaurants, salons, dental practices, auto shops, and local service companies — the kind of small businesses that make up the backbone of every community. Many had no idea their websites were legally required to be accessible until the complaint arrived.

Court documents describe Myers as legally blind from age-related macular degeneration and a genuine screen-reader user. In at least one order, a court referred to him as a "serial filer of actions under the ADA." According to EcomBack's 2025 mid-year report, Myers filed 48 lawsuits in the first six months of 2025 alone.

Advocacy or opportunism? The wrong question

Whether these cases are viewed as disability-rights advocacy or opportunistic litigation misses the point for business owners. The law is the law. ADA Title III applies to virtually every business that serves the public, and federal courts have consistently ruled that websites are covered as places of public accommodation. A plaintiff's motivation doesn't change whether your site meets WCAG 2.1 Level AA — and it doesn't change what a settlement or judgment will cost you.

What does change the outcome is whether you act before the demand letter arrives.

Why small businesses are especially vulnerable

• They don't know the risk exists. Most small-business owners have never heard of WCAG 2.1 Level AA and assume their web platform "handles" accessibility.
• They settle quickly. Without in-house counsel or compliance documentation, a $15,000–$35,000 settlement often feels cheaper than fighting — even if the site violations are minor.
• They lack documentation. A business that has already completed a documented WCAG 2.1 AA audit and is actively monitoring has a far stronger position than one starting from zero.
• The filings are automated and scalable. Law firms can scan thousands of sites, draft complaints from templates, and file in volume. The cost to file is low; the cost to defend is high.

This isn't just a Missouri problem

Serial ADA filings are happening in California, New York, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Some plaintiffs file hundreds of cases per year. The pattern is well documented: automated scanning, template complaints, and rapid settlement. The geography changes; the playbook doesn't.

What a real defense looks like

There is no magic widget that makes a lawsuit disappear. The only reliable defense is a documented, date-stamped accessibility program:

1. A professional WCAG 2.1 Level AA audit — automated and manual — with a detailed issues report.
2. Code-level remediation of every violation, not an overlay patch.
3. Human verification with screen readers and keyboard-only navigation.
4. Certification with a conformance report you can show to counsel, a court, or a plaintiff's firm.
5. Ongoing monitoring so the next site update doesn't undo the work.

The bottom line

Robert Glen Myers isn't the first serial filer, and he won't be the last. The plaintiffs' bar is organized, well-funded, and increasingly automated. The businesses being targeted are not the ones with legal departments and compliance officers — they're the ones with a five-page website built three years ago and never tested for accessibility.

The cheapest, smartest move is to get ahead of it. A free scan takes minutes. A full audit and remediation program costs a fraction of a single settlement. And with Section 44 and Section 190 tax incentives, most small businesses recover most of the cost in the first year.