What is ADA Title III?

ADA Title III is the part of the Americans with Disabilities Act that prohibits discrimination by businesses open to the public. Courts have applied it to commercial websites for years, treating online stores as places of public accommodation. It is the legal basis for essentially every website accessibility lawsuit and demand letter a Shopify brand will ever receive.

Who it covers

Title III covers private businesses that serve the public: retailers, restaurants, hotels, and service providers. Online-only stores are covered in most jurisdictions even without a physical location, and businesses with both physical and web presences are covered everywhere. Size offers no exemption: most defendants in web cases are small and mid-sized businesses.

How it gets enforced

Title III is enforced mostly through private lawsuits. Plaintiff firms and serial filers scan stores for detectable failures, then send demand letters or file in federal court, typically seeking remediation, attorney fees, and a settlement payment. Federal filings under Title III topped 8,800 cases in 2024, with e-commerce and retail the most-targeted category.

What compliance looks like

The statute does not name a technical standard, so courts and the DOJ point to WCAG, currently version 2.2 Level AA. Practically, compliance means your store meets AA and you can prove it with dated records: audits, fixes, verification, and ongoing monitoring.