Priority intake
Got an ADA website demand letter? Don't panic — and don't ignore it.
A calm, practical starting point for California businesses that just received an ADA or Unruh Act website accessibility demand letter. This is general information, not legal advice.
First steps
Four things to do before anything else
1. Don't ignore it
These rarely go away on their own, and in California, Unruh Act claims carry statutory damages per violation, plus attorney's fees. Silence usually makes the position worse, not better.
2. Talk to an attorney before responding
We're not lawyers and this page isn't legal advice. An attorney who handles ADA and Unruh Act matters should guide your response, including whether and how to reply at all.
3. Don't install an "instant compliance" overlay widget
Overlay widgets have themselves been named in lawsuits, and they don't fix the underlying code. Adding one after a demand letter can make you look worse, not better.
4. Start documenting a genuine remediation effort
What often matters in these cases is demonstrable good faith: a real audit, real fixes, and a dated record of both. The sooner that record starts, the more it shows.
Where we fit
We handle step 4
A professional WCAG 2.2 AA audit and remediation, with a dated remediation record, gives your attorney something concrete to work with: every issue found, every fix made, and the testing methodology behind both. It also makes you a far less attractive repeat target, because the site stops lighting up on the scans plaintiffs run.
Speed matters here. Serial plaintiffs file in volume, and sites that stay broken invite refiling. Each issue cleaned up is one that cannot be cited again, and under the Unruh Act each cited violation carries a $4,000 statutory minimum, so the math on acting early is not subtle.
Book an urgent audit
Demand-letter situations go to the front of the queue. Email us with the urgent subject line below and you'll get a fast response on scope, timing, and a flat price confirmed before any work begins.
Or write to hello@vaalastudios.comwith the subject line “URGENT: ADA demand letter”.
Common questions
Demand letter FAQ
Should I ignore an ADA website demand letter in California?
No. These letters rarely go away on their own, and California's Unruh Act carries a statutory minimum of $4,000 per violation, plus attorney's fees. Talk to an attorney who handles ADA and Unruh Act matters before responding.
Will an accessibility overlay widget resolve the claim?
No. Overlay widgets do not fix the underlying code, sites running them continue to be sued, and overlay vendors have themselves faced litigation and an FTC settlement over compliance marketing claims. A genuine audit and code-level remediation is the credible path.
Can a WCAG audit and remediation make the lawsuit go away?
No one can promise that, and anyone who does is overpromising. What a professional audit and a dated remediation record provide is documented evidence of a good-faith accessibility effort, which gives your attorney something concrete to work with and makes you a far less attractive repeat target.
How quickly can remediation work start after a demand letter?
Demand-letter situations are treated as priority intake at Vaala Studios. Email with the subject line marked urgent and you will get a fast response on scope, timing, and a flat price confirmed before any work begins.
Nothing on this page is legal advice, and no one can guarantee compliance or immunity from a lawsuit. For legal questions about your specific letter, talk to a qualified attorney. For the remediation and documentation side, see how the audit works.