Share this page!

Maybe Scrolly?
Business Insider Profile picture
Twitter logo
4 Aug, 13 tweets, 6 min read
In 2015, just 57 businesses were sued over website accessibility. Last year, over 2,500 were.

One of the most prolific law firms overstated a client's disability in legal filings and received thousands of dollars in the process. ⬇️

businessinsider.com/inside-a-disab… A graphic that shows an image of Frances Kalender, a legally
Frances Kalender is legally blind.

Her condition, retinitis pigmentosa, is eating at her peripheral vision.

She can’t drive but can still read. She doesn't like text-to-speech software because fast, robotic-sounding speech can be hard to understand.

businessinsider.com/inside-a-disab… A graphic that shows an image of Frances Kalender, a legally
But in 13 lawsuits filed against online retailers last year, her lawyers gave a different impression, saying Kalender couldn't browse the internet without those tools, known as screen readers.

businessinsider.com/inside-a-disab… A graphic that reads: The legal complaints said Kalender &qu
Kalender said she never saw the lawsuits that were filed in her name.
When a reporter from Insider read the sections of the legal complaint to her, she seemed confused.

businessinsider.com/inside-a-disab… A graphic that shows an image of Frances Kalender, a legally
Website accessibility is a real problem for blind users, and lawsuits can be an effective way to get businesses to update their sites.

The payouts from these cases, which can be tens of thousands of dollars, go mostly to the lawyers who file them.

businessinsider.com/inside-a-disab… A graphic reads: 39% of users said online accessibility has
Courts have been mixed on whether the Americans with Disabilities Act, which allows people to sue hotels, shops, and other “public accommodations” that discriminate, covers websites and apps.

businessinsider.com/inside-a-disab…
People can recover damages from government agencies and employers that discriminate against them, but they can't in public-accommodations cases, disability-rights lawyer David Ferleger said.

In those cases, they can only win payment of their legal fees.

businessinsider.com/inside-a-disab… A graphic with a quote from David Ferleger, a longtime disab
Some lawyers and serial plaintiffs have created a small cottage industry of these claims, settling for a quick payout and a promise to fix the website.

businessinsider.com/inside-a-disab…
In early 2020, Kalender saw an ad on Facebook offering free laptops to blind or legally blind people.

She signed up, took notes on websites that triggered errors at a screen reader training, and was told she could connect with ADA compliance lawyers.

businessinsider.com/inside-a-disab…
Kalendar met with Joseph Mizrahi and Yaakov Saks, lawyers who file more website-accessibility lawsuits than almost anyone else in the country.

Just two days after being introduced to Kalendar, Saks' firm was filing lawsuits with her name on them.

businessinsider.com/inside-a-disab… A graphic that reads: The firms found that the firms Stein S
Over several months in 2020, she was part of a slew of litigation — she reviewed the accessibility of websites, lent her name to lawsuits, and received $500 from each settlement.

businessinsider.com/inside-a-disab…
Rebecca Roiphe, a professor at New York Law School, said a distortion of disability in a legal complaint in the way Kalender described would be troubling.

businessinsider.com/inside-a-disab… A graphic with a quote from Rebecca Roiphe, a professor at N
Subscribe to @thisisinsider to read the full story on website accessibility lawsuits and how lawyers get businesses to pay up.

businessinsider.com/inside-a-disab…

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
　

Keep Current with Business Insider

Business Insider Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @BusinessInsider

Business Insider Profile picture
5 Aug
The US Olympians are some of the greatest athletes in the world. They’re also Uber drivers, food delivery workers, and Panera cashiers who are struggling to pay rent.

Here’s how competing for the US in #Tokyo2020 can cause athletes to go broke.
The United States is one of the very few countries where the government does not fund its Olympic team. Instead, payment comes from stipends, prizes, and sponsorships.
The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and groups that run individual sports teams, called the National Governing Bodies (NGBs), pay stipends based on performance and medals.
Read 9 tweets
Business Insider Profile picture
2 Aug
A record number of groups are lobbying for cannabis reform as legalization movements sweep the nation.

While companies fight for dominance, Black people — historically targeted for marijuana use — are underrepresented in the industry.

Here’s why.

businessinsider.com/cannabis-marij… An image of a cannabis lea...
The US cannabis market currently stands at around $65 billion in annual revenue, according to analysts at investment bank Cowen.

By 2030, this number is expected to balloon to $100 billion if marijuana is federally legalized.

businessinsider.com/cannabis-indus… A graphic that shows the pr...
Amazon, which first publicly announced support for federal cannabis legalization in June, spent $5 million in the second quarter lobbying on this and other issues.

businessinsider.com/cannabis-marij…’
Read 10 tweets
Business Insider Profile picture
17 Jul
Swim cap company @soulcapofficial tried to have its caps — which fit over Afros — approved for the 2021 summer Olympics, but the request was rejected.

Here's why the decision is a teachable moment for business leaders.

businessinsider.com/olympic-ban-on…
Maritza McClendon, the first Black woman to make a US Olympic swim team and an Olympic silver medalist, called the decision "really disappointing."

She vividly remembers her white teammates at school laughing as she tried to fit her hair into a swim cap.

businessinsider.com/olympic-ban-on… Graphic shows Maritza McClendon on the right. On the left, a
The International Swimming Federation, or FINA, said the caps didn't follow "the natural form of the head."

It later said it understood the "importance of inclusivity and representation," and that it is reviewing its decision.

businessinsider.com/olympic-ban-on…
Read 7 tweets
Business Insider Profile picture
17 Jul
👔 Americans are quitting jobs at a record rate.

Here's why “The Great Reshuffle” is good for everyone.

businessinsider.com/the-great-resh…
One in four Americans work for a different employer post-COVID, according to a survey that @ASU and @VCU conducted with @DallasFed.

26% of those job-switchers have gained a salary bump of 10% or more.

businessinsider.com/the-great-resh… A text-only graphic shows q...
For the economy as a whole, “The Great Reshuffle” is a good thing.

Sectors that are productive and growing rapidly can suck up the workers they need from more sluggish parts of the economy and put them to better use.

businessinsider.com/the-great-resh… A line graph from the Burea...
Read 6 tweets
Business Insider Profile picture
8 Jul
From the outside, Lululemon exudes an aspirational lifestyle and is a top competitor to Nike and Adidas.

But 12 current and former corporate employees told @thisisinsider its image is in stark contrast to their experiences at its office.

businessinsider.com/lululemon-corp…
Days after the murder of George Floyd, Lululemon was scrambling in their headquarters to put together a response to the events. A team of about 10 employees spent hours putting together a homepage with “Black Lives Matter” as the headline.

businessinsider.com/lululemon-corp…
They were interrupted by a director who demanded they use new “approved copy.”

Near the beginning of the proposed text, the phrases “all lives matter” appeared in capital letters.

businessinsider.com/lululemon-corp… Text graphic featuring a quote that reads, "'We are not
Read 12 tweets
Business Insider Profile picture
8 Jul
Investing in the stock market is a great way to build wealth. And if you're a beginner investor, we're here to reassure you that it isn't as difficult as it seems.

Follow along with our investing guide here, presented by @Fidelity. 👇

businessinsider.com/how-to-buy-sto…
To start off, you’ll need to open up a brokerage account. Stocks are bought and sold on stock exchanges, but you can't directly buy from them.

Here are some brokers you can open an account with.

businessinsider.com/how-to-buy-sto…
After you’ve opened up a brokerage account, it’s time to do some research. There’s a lot of information out there, but keep this in mind:

businessinsider.com/how-to-buy-sto…
Read 6 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!

This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Too expensive? Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal Become our Patreon

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us on Twitter!

Like this author's thread?

Get emails when @BusinessInsider has new unrolls!

Check out other threads from @BusinessInsider!

Read all threads by @BusinessInsider

:(