Dealers face website compliance issue
The NPDA has announced that dealers have received demand letters and threats of lawsuits claiming their websites are not compliant with laws regarding the disabled. The lawsuit threats are specifically in regard to the discrimination of blind people.
Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination based on a disability in places of public accommodations and therefore prohibits businesses open to the public from discriminating against people with disabilities.
Specific claims leveled against dealers are that a website’s content is not coded to either increase the size of or convert the visual information (pictures, images, videos or text) to an audible format. The NPDA is recommending dealers put their websites through a test to determine whether there are compliance issues in order to take steps to correct them.
The NPDA is working to learn more about this matter, including the responsibility that website providers who work with dealers have in correcting things, as well as the role OEMs could serve, especially those recommending that dealers use specific companies for website services.
Dealers are encouraged to check their website through the Lighthouse online tool, available HERE. For step-by-step instructions on how to use the tool, click HERE.
