What is an ADA demand letter?

An ADA demand letter is a formal notice from a law firm claiming your website violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, listing alleged accessibility failures, and proposing settlement terms, typically remediation plus a payment, with a response deadline measured in weeks. It is the opening move of most website accessibility litigation, and how you respond sets the cost of everything after.

Who sends them and why

A small number of plaintiff firms file the majority of these cases, working with serial plaintiffs and automated scanners. The economics favor volume: scan thousands of stores, letter the ones with detectable failures, settle most without filing. Your store was almost certainly chosen by a scan, which also means the failures cited are probably real and reproducible.

What the letter usually contains

The identified plaintiff, the alleged barriers found on specific pages, the legal theory under Title III, the demands (remediate, pay fees and settlement, sometimes ongoing reporting), and the deadline. Some letters attach expert declarations with screenshots. Everything in it is designed to make settlement look cheaper than defense.

What a strong response looks like

Preserve records, brief counsel immediately, and produce two documents fast: a genuine audit mapping every cited and uncited issue, and a dated fix plan with verification. Those convert the conversation from whether you violated to how fast you are repairing, which is the posture that shrinks settlements. What not to do: install an overlay after the letter, which filers read as concealment.