A conversation with Charles "Chuck" Marion, Partner at Blank Rome LLP, as part of the Notes from the Field series.

Most of the advice companies hear after an ADA website claim is about the expensive work: audit the site, recode it, and monitor it. All of those matter. But when I sat down with Chuck Marion, something different stood out. Some of the moves that most affect how a claim plays out cost very little, and most companies either skip them or use them out of sequence.

Chuck has spent years defending businesses against ADA Title III claims tied to websites and apps. He has seen how clients can develop and position themselves to negotiate more effectively. This post covers the practical, often-overlooked details he keeps coming back to when defending these types of claims and lawsuits for a wide variety of businesses.

Why a Busier Site, and a Widget, Can Invite More Claims

Chuck doesn't think plaintiff firms are singling out one type of company. Plaintiffs are checking sites of every size. He has noticed a pattern, though: the busier the site, the more a plaintiff can find to pick apart.

Photo carousels that rotate quickly, product ratings, videos, and other "bells and whistles" each add something that has to work with assistive technology. None of that means a company should stop marketing or building an attractive site. It means accessibility needs to be part of the design and content process, because every added feature is another potential barrier.

A big trap is accessibility widgets or overlays. These are cheaper and easier to install, and they promise to handle accessibility for you. However, Chuck has watched sites using them become more of a target.

Key takeaway: Every feature you add is another thing that has to work with a screen reader, and a widget is not a shortcut, or even an adequate solution. To the contrary, in practice, it can paint a target on your site.

To read the full article, please click here.

"The Low-Cost Moves that Strengthen an ADA Website Defense," by Jake Rosenthal was published in UsableNet on June 16, 2026.