MassachusettsHigh Risk

ADA Website Compliance in Massachusetts

Massachusetts businesses face 80+/year ADA website accessibility lawsuits annually. Under MA Anti-Discrimination Law, MA businesses must ensure their websites meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards or face statutory damages, attorney's fees, and injunctive relief.

80+/year

Lawsuits per year

High

Risk level

5

Top target industries

MA Anti-Discrimination Law

Massachusetts has strong anti-discrimination protections that extend to web accessibility. Boston's tech sector means high awareness of digital accessibility requirements.

Notable Massachusetts Enforcement

Massachusetts has been active in enforcing web accessibility for healthcare and education websites.

Massachusetts Compliance Checklist

Healthcare providers in Massachusetts should prioritize patient portal and telehealth accessibility given the state's history of healthcare-specific enforcement
SaaS companies should produce VPATs for their products and ensure marketing sites are WCAG 2.1 AA compliant to satisfy both legal and procurement requirements
Universities should conduct comprehensive web audits covering admissions, LMS, and research portals to preempt OCR investigations and state complaints
File compliance documentation with both federal and state standards in mind since Massachusetts allows claims under its Anti-Discrimination Law alongside federal ADA

Most Targeted Industries in Massachusetts

Healthcare
Universities
SaaS
Ecommerce
Banking

Massachusetts Industry Compliance Guides

ADA Compliance FAQ for Massachusetts

Does Massachusetts have its own web accessibility enforcement beyond federal ADA?

Yes. Massachusetts' Anti-Discrimination Law (Chapter 151B) provides state-level protections that cover website accessibility. The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) can investigate complaints and issue orders. State claims can be filed alongside federal ADA complaints.

Are Boston-area SaaS companies at heightened risk?

Boston's significant SaaS and tech sector faces dual pressure — ADA compliance for marketing websites and growing enterprise procurement requirements for product accessibility. SaaS companies that cannot produce VPATs are losing deals, and their public-facing sites are also targets for ADA lawsuits.

Has Massachusetts enforced web accessibility for healthcare specifically?

Massachusetts has been active in healthcare web accessibility enforcement, particularly for hospital systems and large medical practices. The state's concentration of major healthcare institutions and teaching hospitals has drawn enforcement attention to patient portals, appointment systems, and telehealth platforms.

Are Massachusetts universities subject to both state and federal accessibility requirements?

Yes. Massachusetts universities face federal ADA, Section 504 (if they receive federal funding), and state anti-discrimination law requirements simultaneously. OCR has investigated several Massachusetts institutions, and the state's large higher education sector makes it a frequent target.

Scan Your Massachusetts Business Website

Free WCAG 2.1 AA scan. See exactly what needs fixing before a MA lawsuit finds you.

Scan Your Site Free
No overlay widgets Real code fixes