Workforce Bulletin

After more than five years in the making (and nearly a full year of delays), on Thursday, October 5, 2023, the World Wide Web Consortium (the “W3C”), the private organization focused on enhancing online user experiences, published the long-awaited update to its Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (“WCAG 2.1”), known as the WCAG 2.2 (https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/#new-features-in-wcag-2-2). 

Those who have been following along with website accessibility’s ever-evolving legal landscape are well aware that, despite not having been formally adopted by ...

As summer kicks into high gear, and the Americans with Disabilities Act's 30th anniversary looms large at the end of this month, businesses in many jurisdictions are in the process of gradually reopening to the public.

And if the long and difficult spring wasn't trying enough, businesses now face yet another challenge — balancing maintaining the safety of employees and patrons against complying with Title III of the ADA, and applicable state and local laws, which can significantly vary depending on the jurisdiction.

While in many ways the world keeps changing, some things never ...

On February 18, 2015, the U.S. Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (the “Access Board”) announced the release of its Notice of Proposed Rule Making (“NPRM”), refreshing and revising the existing accessibility requirements under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (“508 Standards”) and Section 255 of the Communications Act of 1934 (the “255 Guidelines”), and merging them into a single rulemaking intended to support the accessibility of Information and Communications Technology (“ICT”) for individuals with ...

By: Jordan Schwartz
As the calendar moves into spring, it is once again time for recreational golfers to start dusting off their clubs and begin to prepare for the golfing season. Unlike recreational golfers, however, owners and operators of golf courses have hopefully spent the off-season ensuring that their golf courses are compliant with the accessibility standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”).

Many resort owners and operators mistakenly believe that golf courses are exempt from the requirements of the ADA. While this may have been true in the past ...

Guest post by Kara Maciel

In a settlement that all financial service companies should be aware of, Century Heritage FCU, recently resolved a class action lawsuit concerning the accessibility features of its automatic teller machines (“ATMs”).  Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), banks, credit unions and financial service companies must make their ATMs accessible for individuals with disabilities.  In the settlement, Century Heritage agreed to update its ATMs within 90 days to offer accommodations for blind and visually impaired customers.  The credit ...

By:  Kara M. Maciel

Today, March 15, marks the effective date of the 2010 ADA Standards for hotels, restaurants, retailers, spas, golf clubs and other places of public accomodation.  As we have written about previously, there are several new requirements and obligations that the hospitality industry must implement in order to ensure their properties are compliant with the new regulations.  Below are five steps every hospitality owner and operator should consider to avoid costly fines and lawsuits:

1.  Implement new reservation policies for blocking off rooms and ensuring ...

By: Kara M. Maciel

As hoteliers and hospitality employers know, the upcoming March 15, 2012 deadline for the 2010 ADA Standards will have significant impact on hotel operations. Some of the regulations involve new features that previously had not been regulated by the ADA, including swimming pools, spas, exercise facilities, golf and sauna and steam rooms.  All newly constructed recreational facilities built after March 15, 2012 must comply with the new standards; whereas, existing facilities must meet the new standards as soon as readily achievable.  For hoteliers, some of ...

By:      Forrest Read

The new Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) standards (the “2010 Standards”), set to take effect on March 15, 2012, create new compliance obligations and contain technical specifications impacting what have become fixtures in most hotel lobbies or common areas: automatic teller machines (“ATMs”).  As is customary when new standards are set to take effect and become enforceable, hotels with existing ATMs want to know whether and how their ATMs will be impacted by the 2010 Standards and whether they will be afforded any safe harbor protections for ...