Understanding Missouri's New ADA Website Accessibility Law

In 2025, Missouri ranked sixth in the nation for website accessibility lawsuit filings. Over the span of just one year, the state saw more than a hundred new accessibility suits, primarily targeting small businesses. At the nationwide level, the pattern is much the same, as businesses across the United States often receive thousands of website accessibility demand letters, and most never reach the courtroom.

Missouri lawmakers took notice of this trend, and on May 7, 2026, The Act Against Abusive Website or Web Content Access Litigation (“the Act”) was signed into law. The Act protects businesses and other organizations from potentially abusive lawsuits alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) related to website accessibility. Generally, this new law is intended to address situations where a business receives a demand for payment based on alleged website accessibility issues, but the primary goal of the demand may be to obtain a settlement payout rather than improve accessibility.

Under the Act, the Missouri Attorney General may file a civil action against any party, attorney, or law firm that initiates potentially abusive litigation alleging meritless violations of the ADA regarding website or web content accessibility. Then, the court will consider the totality of the circumstances to determine if the primary purpose of the claim is to obtain a settlement payout, rather than to legitimately improve the website’s accessibility through the judicial process.

The Act also provides businesses with an opportunity to address alleged website accessibility deficiencies before undertaking prolonged and costly litigation. Once a business receives notice of an alleged violation in a demand letter, petition, or complaint, it has 90 days (known as a “cure” period) to correct the so-called violation by implementing substantial, good faith measures to ensure its website is both accessible and ADA compliant.

If the business takes substantial steps in good faith to remediate the alleged violation during the 90-day cure period, it is shielded from liability and a rebuttable presumption arises that the claim may be abusive. In determining whether a claim is abusive, a court will consider the totality of the circumstances, including whether the claim appears primarily designed to obtain a payment from the business rather than to correct a legitimate accessibility concern.

How Missouri's Law Stops the 'Sue-and-Settle' Website Accessibility Scheme

This new law is aimed at protecting Missouri businesses and non-profit organizations from becoming victims of the so-called “sue-and-settle” scheme, in which businesses receive website accessibility claims and are pressured to settle rather than incur the expense of litigation. In this scenario, an attorney sends a letter to a business, stating that the attorney represents an individual who has been harmed by the website’s alleged accessibility issues, and that the business’s website is not ADA compliant. The attorney then offers to settle the claim for less than it would cost the business to hire an attorney to defend against the claim in court, with the goal being a quick payout from the business, rather than a more accessible website. In recent years, small businesses across Missouri have increasingly been the target of this scheme.

Common accessibility issues cited in these demand letters include features that make a website more difficult for people with disabilities to navigate, such as incompatibility with screen-reader software, insufficient color contrast, and missing transcripts or captions for video and audio content. Faced with these allegations, businesses may conclude that paying a settlement is more economical than fighting the claim, regardless of whether the claim has merit.

The Act pushes back against the sue-and-settle scheme by giving businesses an opportunity to correct potential accessibility issues before resorting to litigation or paying a costly settlement. So long as the business takes substantial, good faith steps toward making its website more accessible and ADA-compliant upon demand, it will be shielded by the presumption that the demand was abusive. A business has notice that it must improve website accessibility once it receives a demand letter or it is served with a petition or a complaint.

These protections extend to all entities registered with the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office, including non-profit organizations, churches, and businesses. Additionally, small businesses that operate storefronts through larger online platforms, such as Etsy, may also benefit from the Act’s protections, because these small businesses often have limited control over the accessibility features and settings of larger platforms.

Protecting Your Business Under Missouri's New ADA Law

The Act Against Abusive Website or Web Content Access Litigation provides Missouri businesses, non-profit organizations, and other registered entities with meaningful protections against potentially abusive website accessibility litigation, while also protecting legitimate claims and disabled Missourians. The cure period and protections for undertaking good-faith remediation efforts help reduce pressure to settle claims solely to avoid litigation.

As a result, businesses can focus resources on improving website accessibility and serving Missourians, rather than responding to claims intended to secure quick settlement payments. At the same time, the new law does not eliminate the possibility of litigation for legitimate ADA claims. Where accessibility barriers remain unaddressed or remediation efforts are inadequate, businesses may face liability.

This creates new opportunities for our business advisory attorneys to provide proactive guidance to clients regarding website accessibility and ADA compliance. Attorneys can help coordinate remediation efforts within the cure period and document good-faith compliance measures that may support the act’s protections. Addressing accessibility concerns before they become the subject of litigation, and implementing an immediate action plan should an allegation be made against your business, can help reduce your legal risk, avoid unnecessary settlement costs, and keep your business’s online services accessible to every customer.